RadonLeaders.org

Seeking Participants: Radon-in-Water Intercomparison

mkitto — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:29:36 +0000

Once again I am seeking participants for a radon-in-water intercomparison. No radioactive materials license is necessary. Participants are welcome to keep the reusable standard for their future use. There is no Ra-226 added to the water, as the source is sealed and of an exempt quantity.

I have attached a picture of the bottle that participants will receive. The participants will determine the radon content of the water using their method and send me the result. International laboratories are invited to participate. This exercise is meant to examine the participants ability to quantitatively transfer and measure radon in a water sample, as well as apply a proper decay correction.

Report on IAEA's Technical Meeting

GilleyNM — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:20:26 +0000

logo_iaea.jpg

My report on IAEA's Technical Meeting in Vienna, Austria is available on Page 9 of the February 2010 CRCPD Newsbrief. The report is available to read here.

Excerpt:
Representatives of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission invited CRCPD and an EPA representative to participate in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) technical meeting in Vienna, Austria, on December 15 & 16, 2009. The purpose of the meeting was the revision of the Basic Safety Standards (BSS) on radon and the impact on current regulatory requirements.

Radon mitigation scholarships offered (CO)

Justin Bangs — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:49:37 +0000

Luann Boyer, Morgan County Extension, Fort Morgan Times

To meet an increasing need for radon mitigation of homes in Northeast Colorado, Colorado State University Extension has two scholarships available to become a certified radon mitigator.

Each scholarship covers the $595 cost of the mitigation course through the Center for Environmental Research and Technology Institute.

When course work and the certification test are completed, membership to the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists will be paid for the first year as part of the scholarship.

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas which is considered the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

During the past three years, CSU Extension has provided educational programs which include radon screening tests.

Implementation of radon barriers, model development and calculation of radon concentration in indoor air (Journal of Building Physics)

Justin Bangs — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:03:28 +0000

Radon JBP 2010.pdf

A National Radon Action Month Story: One Woman’s Story, One Woman’s Impact

Justin Bangs — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:50:32 +0000

RadonLeaders.org

AlexiaWorkman_Share_Your_Story_030510.jpg

Now that National Radon Action Month (NRAM) has come to a close, we are very eager to hear about your outreach and experiences in greater detail. We want you to Share Your Story from NRAM 2010, and sharing your story couldn’t be easier! Just visit www.radonleaders.org/nram/share and tell us about your experience. The stories we receive will be featured right here in the RadonLeaders.org InFocus. Stories may also appear on EPA's National Radon Action Month website and in outreach materials along with other success stories.

Illinois Lawmaker Advances Proposal to Increase Radon Awareness

Justin Bangs — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:18:51 +0000

Randolph County Herald Tribune

ORIGINAL POST

Reitz advances proposal to increase radon awareness

RANDOLPH COUNTY, IL -
Last week, state Rep. Dan Reitz (D-Steeleville) passed legislation through the House Environmental Health Committee to raise awareness of radon and increase reporting of radon between landlords and tenants.

House Bill 5224 would require a landlord to disclose to each tenant any information about any prior radon testing or mitigation. Furthermore, if a tenant chooses to have their unit tested for radon and hazardous levels are found to be present, they must inform the landlord within ten days of the results. The landlord would then be required to have mitigation performed on the unit or allow the tenant to terminate the lease.

Radon Leader Dr. Bill Field Profiled by the University of Iowa

Justin Bangs — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:36:42 +0000

Anne Kapler, University of Iowa

ORIGINAL POST

Bill Field University researcher dedicates his life to improving public health.
Twenty-five years ago, doctors told Bill Field that he might never work again.

As a health physicist at the University of California, Berkley, he was exposed to dangerous fumes after an accident involving improperly disposed chemicals. Field was working to evacuate the affected area of campus when he was exposed, and was left with severe eye and nerve damage. He spent several years recovering while on social security disability benefits.

The Physician’s World: Impediments to communicating about radon

PAL — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:10:27 +0000

In my last blog, I offered the diagnosis that the medical community suffers from cognitive dissonance when it comes to patients and radon communication. To be clear, this cognitive dissonance arises from two facts. First, the medical and public health communities are aggressively advocating against behaviors, such as smoking, that cause lung cancer. Second, the medical community has not taken an aggressive approach to radon counseling, even though radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. In this blog, I would like to explore two of the more important reasons why I believe that this situation exists. In later blogs, I will discuss some ideas about a cognitive dissonance cure.

Radon invades homes, silently kills

Justin Bangs — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:27:24 +0000

APRIL REESE SORROW, Times-Herald

ORIGINAL POST

Gail Dobbs has never smoked. But last spring her doctor diagnosed her with lung cancer. With help from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, the Walton County resident tested her home for radon and found her cancer may be caused by the air in her home.

"Most people don't think about radon, yet radon can have a major impact on you and your family's health," said Pamela Turner, a UGA Extension housing specialist. "Radon can seep into homes and contaminate the air inside."

More than 21,000 people die each year from lung cancer caused by radon. Georgia has the highest rate in the Southeast with 822 deaths last year alone.

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock or water. It is invisible, odorless and tasteless. Regions with a lot of granite have a higher risk for radon.

Illinois - House Bill 5224 Tenants Radon Protection Update

Justin Bangs — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:42:58 +0000

Calvin Murphy

HB 5224 was voted out of the Environmental Health Committee February 25, 2010 by a vote of 013-000-000.

The bill is now scheduled for second reading and short debate in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Details of the bill can be seen by entering hb5224 in the bill search box at http://www.ilga.gov/.

ORIGINAL POST