2023 WTN Youth Science Contest Winners
The association of radon poisoning levels and poverty rates in Washington .
By : Rishav Panigrahi
Hypothesis : Poorer socioeconomic conditions between counties in Washington state may be correlated to higher levels of radon poisoning .
Introduction
Radon is a radioactive gas that is odorless , tasteless , colorless , and is naturally released by radioactive elements within rocks , soil , and water . [ 1 ] Radon gas can seep into homes and buildings through tiny cracks in either the floor or foundation . [ 2 ] If you are exposed to radon for an extended period of time , or if you are exposed to large amounts of radon at once , it can cause lung cancer , is the second leading cause of lung cancer within the USA , and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers .[ 2 ] It is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) that 21,000 lung cancer deaths are caused by radon each year within the USA . This study is dual purpose , I want to find out whether poorer counties in Washington need more protection and education against radon compared to other counties or if the spread of radon throughout Washington is not linked to poverty . I also want to be able to educate on some methods that can be used to prevent radon poisoning .
Data Correlations
Most of the counties in eastern Washington as well as a few in southern Washington have the highest risk of radon poisoning as shown in figure 1 , which is a map of what percent of radon tests showed dangerous amounts of radon . Once radon levels within a given area reach or exceed 4 picocuries ( pico curies are a measure of how much radiation a substance emits , and is about 1 trillionth of a normal curie . A normal curie is 3.7x10^10 disintegrations per second ) per liter , it is recommended by the EPA to take action to reduce levels . [ 1 ]
Figure 1 : WTN data of what percent of radon tests come back as actionable levels
Source : https :// doh . wa . gov / data-and-statistical-reports / washington-tracking-network-wtn / youth-science-contest / 2023-winners