Students from Fishers and Elwood have been named winners in the annual Indiana Radon Poster contest, sponsored by the Indiana Department of Health in partnership with the American Lung Association.
The contest, in its fourth year, is open to students age 9 to 14. It encourages teachers to educate students about radon to increase public awareness of the gas and encourage Hoosiers to test their homes.
A total of 463 posters were submitted from 14 different schools. This year’s first-place winner is Juliet Pearce, an eighth-grader at Hamilton Intermediate Junior High School in Fishers. Second place was awarded to Erika Nakazawa, also an eighth-grader at Hamilton Intermediate Junior High. Third place went to Trenidy Gibbons, an eighth-grader at Elwood Junior/Senior High School. All three students will receive cash prizes, and Pearce’s poster will be entered in the national radon poster contest.
Radon is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. It seeps through cracks and gaps in floors, walls and construction joints and around service pipes, accumulating in air and drinking water. Radon can be found throughout the United States and can get into any type of building, but the risk of exposure is highest in homes, where people spend a majority of their time. The EPA says nearly one out of every 15 homes in the United States has elevated radon levels.
Testing homes for radon can help prevent exposure. A radon testing kit can be purchased at most home or hardware stores. If high levels of radon are detected, licensed contractors can install mitigation systems to eliminate the problem and protect residents.
To learn more about radon, visit the Indiana State Department of Health’s Lead and Healthy Homes division here.
Information about the 2023 radon poster contest will be posted at www.lung.org/radon in December.
Visit the Indiana Department of Health at www.Statehealth.in.gov for important health and safety information or follow us on Twitter at @StateHealthIN and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StateHealthIN.