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Waterford School District spokeswoman Rhonda Lessel
said testing was done at some point in the past across
the district, but it wasn't known exactly when. She added that most schools
in the district are constructed on slabs that included a vapor barrier.
Further, the district has or is in the process of upgrading HVAC systems,
which are required to bring in outdoor air into buildings.
The EPA and environmental consultants certified to conduct radon testing
specifically recommend districts retest after significant changes to the
building structure or HVAC system.
While the risks of radon had been known for decades, the push for
increased public education and testing stemmed, in part, from a 1984
incident at the Limerick nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, northwest of
Philadelphia. An employee at the plant, Stanley Watras, had set off a
radiation monitoring device at the plant. However, there was no radioactive
material at the plant when the activity was detected. It was discovered that
Watras had been exposed to radon in his home that reached several
thousand pCi/L.
Brian Redmond, a professor in the Department of Environmental
Engineering and Earth Sciences at Wilkes University, in Pennsylvania, began
working with another professor at the time to develop a radon testing
program. The incident and subsequent testing programs led to one of the
first campaigns to educate the public and test homes for radon.
Recently retired from Wilkes University, Redmond – a native of Detroit who
earned his first two degrees in geology from Michigan State University –
believes radon testing should be required at all schools.
"People spend a significant amount of time indoors in schools, and not just
students, also the teachers and staff. People should know what levels there
are, and if they are high, you should do something to bring them into
reasonable limits," Redmond said. "Testing conditions should be under
closed building conditions, as that would maximize levels. And it could be
more important to test in public schools, compared to a house, whether you
have a basement or not."
Redmond said to imagine the building as an upended cup that captures gas
coming out of the soil. Then imagine placing your hands around the cup to
represent common impermeable material surrounding most public
buildings (such as parking lots), which in turn expands the catch area of the
cup. Likewise, he said changes in ventilation may create a negative air
pressure in the lowest floors of the building, which may divert more soil gas
inside.
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