Is Your Child's School Giving them Cancer?

Budget cuts, school lunches, and teacher benefits have been making headlines almost daily for as long as most can remember. With the educational system being under the microscope for so long, it is hard to believe that the buildings children spend so much time in might actually be causing long-term health issues, such as lung cancer. 

The 2013 State of Our Schools Report indicates that the last survey of the nation's school conditions was completed in 1995, nearly 20 years ago, leaving an estimated 70,000 schools with high levels of radon gas, according to the EPA. (Read Full Report here).

"All students have the right to expect a safe and healthy environment. Teachers and other school employees should encourage their schools to conduct radon tests and undertake all necessary corrective actions. The health of our children demands no less."  Keith Geiger, NEA President. (Read Full Article Here) 

Radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, making it the second leading cause of lung cancer as a whole. Being odorless, colorless and radioactive it is a silent killer that could be wrecking havoc on the young lungs of millions of children nationwide.

Companies like Air Check, Inc. have a School Radon Testing Program (More Information Here), and companies like SWAT Environmental are able to mitigate indoor radon in schools once the problem is found. Testing for radon is the only way to know if high levels of radon are present. Keep your children safe by requesting their school be tested for radon. 

Raising Lung Cancer Awareness

With over 200,000 people receiving the diagnosis of lung cancer in 2011, it is the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to the CDC. Each year November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month spreading information to not only the disease itself, but also to its causes.

It is estimated that smoking attributes to about 90% of all lung cancer diagnosis while radon exposure accounts for nearly 12% of all lung cancer deaths each year. With quit smoking ads on nearly every T.V. channel, the leading cause of lung cancer in smokers is being addressed and offering simple solution. The #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, radon, is rarely making headlines. Radon is invisible and odorless making it a silent killer. The only way to know if your home has high levels of radon is to test your home. 

DIY test kits, like the ones found here, are 99% accurate according to the EPA, and by knowing your levels, keep your family safe.

Spread the word, save lives.

Resources:
http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/guide/lung-cancer-causes
http://swat-radon.com/index.php/radon-information/661-radon-testing-types
http://swat-radon.com/index.php/radon-information/53-radon-lung-cancer

Is Natural Always Better?

Today 's world is filled with the latest trends, from clothing to food, natural is generally thought to be better. Nearly every consumer product has an organic counterpart; shampoo, makeup, produce and even cleaning supplies. With natural being the healthier choice for most products it is easy to forget that naturally occurring things are more harmful than healthy...like radon.

Radon is a natural gas produced by the breaking down of elements in the soil, it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless  and it causes lung cancer. Each year in the United States an estimated 21,000 people are given the life changing diagnosis of radon related lung cancer, making it the #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Yet we hear so little about it. Why is that? Rush Limbaugh  had a theory back in 1992 that hit the nail on the head, "Consider the danger of radon gas. If there is one environmental problem that is real, it is radon...there is no hysteria over radon...because it's natural..." 

Being odorless, tasteless and colorless radon is a silent killer. Entering through cracks and crevices in a buildings foundation, it then makes itself at home. Being a heavy gas radon sticks low to the ground and works its way up into every level of the home, silently causing health issues.

It is easy to forget about radon because it is not something that is talked about on a daily basis, but it is still a threat to the health of every American. The good news is that radon related illnesses are 100% preventable. By testing your home once a year, DIY test kits run between $10-$20, and knowing your levels, the proper steps can be taken to protect you and your family.  Radon reduction companies, like SWAT Environmental, offer nationwide Radon Mitigation System installations at a price similar to that of a minor home improvement. These systems have been proven to reduce indoor radon levels below the EPA Action Level of 4.0 pCi/L.

By raising awareness to this silent killer, lives can be saved. Spread the word, save lives.