The American Lung Association and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services have announced the winners of the 2024 Iowa Radon Poster and Video Contest. This annual event aims to raise awareness about radon gas, a significant cause of lung cancer deaths.
Middle and high school students from across Iowa participated in the contest. The winners were chosen by both organizing bodies, although specific names were not disclosed in the announcement.
Jill Heins, Senior Director Nationwide for Health Systems Improvement and Indoor Air Quality at the Lung Association, expressed her admiration for the participants: "It’s amazing to see the creativity and awareness the children use to highlight the dangers or radon in their communities." She emphasized that radon is responsible for 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually and stressed the importance of testing homes for this invisible threat.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas formed by uranium breakdown in rock and soil. It can enter homes through cracks, accumulating to hazardous levels without detection unless tested. The Environmental Protection Agency advises installing mitigation systems in homes with radon levels at or above 4 picocuries per liter.
Randy Lane, Radon Program Coordinator for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, urged residents: "All Iowans are encouraged to test their home or building for radon." He noted that no area in Iowa is free from potentially dangerous radon levels.
The next poster contest will commence on January 1, 2025, with submissions due by March 15, 2025. For further information on testing or inquiries about radon, individuals can visit Lung.org/radon or contact the Lung Association directly.
For details regarding participation in future contests, Janye Killelea can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at (312) 940-7624.
