This year, Western Kentucky University (WKU) Department of Environment, Health and Safety reached new heights in raising awareness during National Radon Action Month – by garnering media attention to spread the word about the risk of radon. The department’s Radon Grant Coordinator Anita Britt partnered with the Barren River District Health Department, a local radon mitigation professional and the Bowling Green Daily News newspaper to run a personal story about radon, titled “Radon a Silent Danger.” The article – written by Pam Cassady and published on Jan. 17, 2011 – described a personal story of Lisa Murrell, a local nonsmoker who was diagnosed with lung cancer (pictured above).

To educate builders and raise public awareness about radon-resistant new construction (RRNC), the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Radiation Control (DRC) teamed up with the Habitat for Humanity of Utah County (Habitat) during National Radon Action Month (NRAM). DRC partnered with Habitat – a nonprofit, housing organization that provides affordable housing for people in need – to promote healthier homes.

“Consumers are becoming more aware that radon is a health risk, and building a new home with radon-resistant features can help to reduce elevated levels,” Radon Program Coordinator Christine Keyser said. “In addition, installing radon-resistant features at the time of construction is easier and cheaper than fixing a radon problem later. According to DRC’s radon measurement data, one in every three homes in Utah will have elevated levels of radon.“

Each year, the Nevada Radon Education Program tries new radon outreach ideas for National Radon Action Month. Its most successful idea this year was the creation and use of a 40-foot street banner in two different locations during January. The banner was hung over a major highway thoroughfare in Gardnerville (Douglas County) during the first two weeks of January and on the main street in Nevada’s capital – Carson City – during the last week of January.

The street banner, which cost the Program an initial expense of $750, will surely pay off as the Program hopes to use the banner for years to come. The 3-foot by 40-foot vinyl banner was created with specifications determined by the two cities' governing entities.

In recognition of National Radon Action Month, Becky Chenhall from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension presented radon information to all of the science classes at Oconee Middle School in Oconee County, GA.

To spread the message about radon, WGAL TV – a local Lancaster and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania news channel – and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), Bureau of Radiation Protection, Radon Division organized a phone bank of radon experts to answer viewer call-in questions during a live on-air broadcast.

The day prior to the phone bank, Susan Shapiro, a reporter for WGAL, did a broadcast news story related to radon. She interviewed a Lancaster family with high radon levels who subsequently mitigated the home, and she also interviewed a representative of the PA DEP Radon Division who provided general information of radon in general and some specifics of local occurrences. The purpose of these broadcasts was to showcase real life stories to impact the viewing audience enough for them to take action.

To prepare students to participate in the National Radon Poster Contest, Robert McLellan of the Todd County Health Department in Kentucky taught 7th grade science students about radon – infusing awareness with the science class’s curriculum.

One hundred and twenty-five students at Todd County Middle School learned about the periodic table of elements, radioactive decay and the make-up of atoms. To teach them about how radon and other elements’ atoms are formed, Robert used a hands-on activity to show students how to “build” their own atom nuclei. Reese’s Puffs cereal was used to represent neutrons and protons – the peanut butter Puffs being protons and the chocolate being neutrons. For students with peanut allergies, Apple Jacks cereal was used as a replacement. The students then learned how to find the number of neutrons by subtracting the atomic number from the rounded atomic mass.

For the last few years, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Radon Program has focused on a “Healthy Homes for the Holiday’s” theme near National Radon Action Month (NRAM). To further this outreach, the program seized opportunities to promote radon awareness both before and during January.

The program kicked off NRAM activities this year by showcasing radon at the 2010 Illinois Women’s Health Conference, held on December 7 – 8, 2010, in Springfield, Illinois. To ensure success, the program partnered with University of Illinois Extension educator Debbie Bartman. As well as being well-versed on radon, Debbie was awarded the Extension Director's Award of Excellence for team work on environmental education on radon and indoor air quality.

Harnessing the Media to Raise Awareness

In the past, the local newspaper in Jessamine County, KY was not eager to print stories about environmental issues. This January, however, Lindsay Ball and the Jessamine County Health Department decided to engage the newspaper to help distribute free radon tests during National Radon Action Month.

“I called the newspaper office and asked them how I needed to go about getting an article about radon in the newspaper,” explained Lindsay Ball. “I told the editor what radon was and how it was the second leading cause of lung cancer. I asked if they could print an article about radon stating that the Health Department had free radon test kits available.”

After learning about the major health effects of radon and potential impact on their community, the editor was more than happy to print the article. He asked Lindsay to submit an article.

Involving the Community in Innovative Outreach

This January, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Radon Education Program sought new and innovative ideas for getting the radon message out to the public. Among several new efforts was using volunteers to help during NRAM and an idea suggested by our area director -- to hang door tags on houses in high radon potential areas.

The door tag idea seemed plausible and the area director was willing to do some of the legwork, so I developed two-sided, four-color door tags and had them printed in time to be distributed in Reno neighborhoods during National Radon Action Month.

One Woman’s Story, One Woman’s Impact

In Greater Cincinnati, we have a radon awareness advocate that has made more impact in one month than we have over many years. The message is simple: “Test, Fix, Save a Life.” Her name is Debra Rebensdorf and she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in October of 2009. Late last year, she contacted At Home Radon for a radon mitigation system. She has deeply touched all of us and made us once again realize how important our work is.

Debra and her husband, Lou, live in a beautiful home in the country. They moved away from the city about 11 years ago, to have more space and “breathe in country air.” Debra was unaware of radon and the potential for lung cancer. No one in her family has ever had lung cancer and she is a healthy active woman with a husband, career, friends, horses and lots of 4-legged creatures!