Mostly Clear, 63° F
The Wyoming Department of Health wants families to consider testing their Wyoming homes for radon to find out whether a potentially dangerous health risk exists. WDH is also announcing winners of a …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
The Powell Tribune has expanded its online content. To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free web account by clicking here.
If you already have a web account, but need to reset it, you can do so by clicking here.
If you would like to purchase a subscription click here.
Please log in to continue |
|
The Wyoming Department of Health wants families to consider testing their Wyoming homes for radon to find out whether a potentially dangerous health risk exists. WDH is also announcing winners of a recent radon awareness poster and video contest.
Radon is an invisible, odorless, tasteless and dangerous gas found in many places, including homes. Radon occurs naturally as a radioactive gas released from the element radium and is found in rocks, soil and water.
“As radium in the soil naturally degrades, it can seep up into buildings, get trapped inside and grow in intensity,” said Randi Norton-Herrington, Wyoming Cancer Program outreach and education coordinator. “All homes have radon; however, with higher levels, the risks become a health concern. Radon is recognized as the second leading cause of lung cancer.”
“Ongoing exposure to higher, more dangerous radon levels can be reduced with testing and home modifications. That’s why we offer low-cost test kits to Wyoming residents. We want them to know the risk level within their homes so they can address potential problems,” Norton-Herrington said.
An elevated level of radon is considered anything over 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter of air) and should be fixed.
WDH recently invited students to enter a poster and video contest aimed at highlighting radon information and encouraging testing. Winners include:
Poster Contest Grades 3-6
1st Place: Makenzee Sands, fifth grader, Poison Spider School, Casper,
2nd Place: Max Valentine, fourth grader, Sunrise Elementary School, Cheyenne
Poster Contest Grades 7-9
1st Place: Ivie Schaechterle, eighth grader, independent entry, Rock Springs
2nd Place: Chloie Black, ninth grader, Powell High School
Video Contest Grades 9-12
1st Place: Cassidy Treesh, age 16, Thunder Basin High School, Gillette
KC Jackson, age 16, Thunder Basin High School, Gillette
2nd Place: Andrew Bilango, age 17, Riverton Wolverine High School
3rd Place: Alexis Gallegos, age 17, Campbell County High School, Gillette
Elizabeth Cryer, age 15, Campbell County High School, Gillette
Shawna Shupick, age 17, Campbell County High School, Gillette
Most Viewed Video
Alaina Steveson, Newcastle High School
The Wyoming Cancer Program has free radon test kits available while supplies last. To obtain a test kit or view winning entries, visit www.health.wyo.gov/publichealth/prevention/cancer/radon.
