Dangerous levels of Radon found in 28 MCPS schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school was on the list but only one room and not at high levels. But we were not informed.

ESS?

We are at ESS but I can't say I am deeply concerned. One room, not a classroom, has lowish levels and MCPS is going to retest. I'm glad they are running these tests, but would be more worried if I were at one of the schools not tested.

[Anonymous]

The threat from radon is pretty overblown; mostly a racket for contractors.

[Anonymous]

Our school is below level in most rooms, but some are above. We were not informed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The threat from radon is pretty overblown; mostly a racket for contractors.

It's a real risk. But even at 10 pCi/L, if 1,000 people who never smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime, about 18 people could get lung cancer (and 982 wouldn't).

http://www2.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look. Is yours one of them? Where you informed? This seems VERY shady. Some of these levels are cancer-level ranges.

http://wjla.com/news/local/dangerous-levels-of-radon-found-in-28-mcps-schools

What specifically seems VERY shady to you, here? That there are some rooms in MCPS schools with high radon levels? That MCPS did radon testing but didn't tell you the results? What?

Radon is not an instant poison. The risk comes from exposure over time. The risk to a student from spending 5 hours a day in a classroom for 180 days for one year is not much. The risk to a teacher is higher, since the teacher could be in the same classroom for several years. This is not to minimize the dangers of radon. It's to say that it's not grounds for panic, if you are a parent of a student.

http://www2.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon

But let's expose the teachers year after year. Perhaps one can drop dead and the system can find a better replacement! I already know of one teacher who was housed - year after year in a bottom floor room - who suffered through breast cancer. I wonder how many other teachers will develop some form of cancer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school was on the list but only one room and not at high levels. But we were not informed.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look. Is yours one of them? Where you informed? This seems VERY shady. Some of these levels are cancer-level ranges.

http://wjla.com/news/local/dangerous-levels-of-radon-found-in-28-mcps-schools

What specifically seems VERY shady to you, here? That there are some rooms in MCPS schools with high radon levels? That MCPS did radon testing but didn't tell you the results? What?

Radon is not an instant poison. The risk comes from exposure over time. The risk to a student from spending 5 hours a day in a classroom for 180 days for one year is not much. The risk to a teacher is higher, since the teacher could be in the same classroom for several years. This is not to minimize the dangers of radon. It's to say that it's not grounds for panic, if you are a parent of a student.

http://www2.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon

But let's expose the teachers year after year. Perhaps one can drop dead and the system can find a better replacement! I already know of one teacher who was housed - year after year in a bottom floor room - who suffered through breast cancer. I wonder how many other teachers will develop some form of cancer.

You don't need to wonder. The poster above told you. Of 1000 teachers teaching in that room over a lifetime, 18 may develop cancer. Lung cancer, not breast. Statistics matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look. Is yours one of them? Where you informed? This seems VERY shady. Some of these levels are cancer-level ranges.

http://wjla.com/news/local/dangerous-levels-of-radon-found-in-28-mcps-schools

What specifically seems VERY shady to you, here? That there are some rooms in MCPS schools with high radon levels? That MCPS did radon testing but didn't tell you the results? What?

Radon is not an instant poison. The risk comes from exposure over time. The risk to a student from spending 5 hours a day in a classroom for 180 days for one year is not much. The risk to a teacher is higher, since the teacher could be in the same classroom for several years. This is not to minimize the dangers of radon. It's to say that it's not grounds for panic, if you are a parent of a student.

http://www2.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon

But let's expose the teachers year after year. Perhaps one can drop dead and the system can find a better replacement! I already know of one teacher who was housed - year after year in a bottom floor room - who suffered through breast cancer. I wonder how many other teachers will develop some form of cancer.

No one is saying to have teachers in these rooms year after year, because MCPS is testing and remediating. If they didn't bother to test or treat, that would be a problem.

[Anonymous]

No one is saying to have teachers in these rooms year after year, because MCPS is testing and remediating. If they didn't bother to test or treat, that would be a problem.

tests are years old
no redmediating

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No one is saying to have teachers in these rooms year after year, because MCPS is testing and remediating. If they didn't bother to test or treat, that would be a problem.

tests are years old
no redmediating

Some of the tests are years old. But from just the data table in the WJLA report linked in the OP, it's not possible (in most cases) to know when MCPS tested, or what MCPS tested (every classroom?), or what MCPS has done about the test results. And the WJLA report doesn't say either.

[Anonymous]

MCPS will put in place the lovely cost saving solution of firing veteran teachers before they develop randon-related lung-cancer. Saves on salaries and health care costs! Win-win for the County!

[Anonymous]

Wonder why just one or two rooms test high for radon? Seems odd that it would be isolated to one or two rooms.

Does anyone know much about Radon, and how it can be so isolated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No one is saying to have teachers in these rooms year after year, because MCPS is testing and remediating. If they didn't bother to test or treat, that would be a problem.

tests are years old
no redmediating



Exactly. And the students and faculty were not informed. It is suggested to recheck levels and then they never do? Terrible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No one is saying to have teachers in these rooms year after year, because MCPS is testing and remediating. If they didn't bother to test or treat, that would be a problem.

tests are years old
no redmediating



+1

[Anonymous]

So, where are folks seeing that the tests are years old? I don't see a date on the linked document.