Radon

Radon is a colorless, order less gas  that occurs naturally from the breakdown of radium in the earth. According the the EPA, "radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked." 

 I don't think many people are even aware of the health risks of radon or where exposures occur. I certainly did not before a few weeks ago. And I have spoken to many family members and friends who did not even know what radon was, let alone the health hazards. A national awareness campaign is absolutely necessary to make sure all Americans are aware of radon. A mass media campaign educating people about the dangers of radon, as well as how to test for it and what to do, could be implemented with TV commercials, Facebook ads, nationwide campaign in schools, and signs around major cities. For this campaign, I would try and partner with the American Lung Association, the EPA, the American Cancer Society. 
References:
United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] (n.d.) Health Risk of Radon retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon

Comments

  1. Terrianne GSeptember 23, 2018 at 11:36 PM

    Hey Ayla! During this assignment I had no idea you could get affected by Radon ... especially since I am in the process of remodeling my house..guess what I just demanded the first test be! I actually spoke with a couple of contractors and they were aware of Radon in the older days, but not too much now. I still think it's important to highlight...we need to bring this back to light!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownDecember 10, 2018 at 1:09 PM

    This class has opened my eyes to many issues unseen to the eye. I lost my father to lung cancer, and never even heard the word Radon. I may have learned about it in chemistry class, but it goes to show how some people like ourselves can be unaware of such threatening thigngs. That is frightening.

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