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Utah Department of
Environmental Quality
Radon was on the radar screen of the 265 Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) employees who participated in a challenge to get their own homes tested for indoor radon gas.
Dianne Nielson, executive director of DEQ, kicked off National Radon Awareness Month in January by challenging all employees to test their homes for radon gas, an odorless gas and the second leading cause of respiratory problems, second only to smoking. And the results are in.
Employees were encouraged to pick up a free test kit provided by the Division of Radiation Control (DRC), place it in their home and mail in the detectors when the test period concluded. The Office or Division with the highest percentage of employee participation was treated with a pizza lunch. In late March, the 25 winners were announced: DRC’s x-ray and radioactive licensing section and the Office of Support Services – both with 100 percent employee participation.
Radon occurs naturally from decaying radium and can build to unhealthy levels when it seeps through the foundation and into a home. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) current action level for residential radon is 4.0 picocuries per liter.
“Testing for radon is the only way to find out if a radon problem exists,” said John Hultquist, health physics support manager for DRC who oversees the state’s Indoor Radon Program, funded by an EPA grant.
Environmental officials estimate that radon may cause up to 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year nationwide.
Lori Walker, executive assistant in the Office of Planning and Public Affairs, was among the organizers of the radon challenge. She said the campaign helped her become more aware of the dangers of radon.
“I had never thought about it before. Getting my house tested made me more aware of my surroundings,” she said. “It really eased my mind when the results came back low.”
Others weren’t so fortunate.
“I was surprised to learn that I had dangerous levels of radon in my home,” said another employee. “I had such high levels, I took steps to remediate it.”