Luciana L. from O’Malley Elementary in Anchorage took first place in the National Radon Student Poster and Vide Contest.
The winners were announced on Feb. 7 by the American Lung Association and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors.
The contest is held each year across the nation to raise awareness of radon gas, the second-leading cause of lung cancer.
The first place poster prize claimed by Luciana L. was $1,000.
The 2022 top video prize of $1,000 was awarded to Aiden B. of North Oldham High School, Kentucky.
Children ages 9-14 were eligible to participate in the poster contest and high school students were eligible to participate in the video contest to promote radon awareness.
“Radon causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. These deaths are preventable, and there is an urgent need to raise awareness of the simple steps that can be taken to reduce radon exposure,” said Harold Wimmer, national president and CEO of the Lung Association.
“For over a decade, the poster and video contest has served as a way to bring information and raise awareness of radon and its adverse health effects to teachers, students, families, and communities,” said Joshua Kerber, M.S., chair of the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors’ committee on radon.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends that all homes with radon levels at or equal to 4 picocuries per liter take action and install a radon mitigation system.
The Lung Association and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors reviewed and coordinated the selection of the national winners from the states who submitted their top winners from the state poster and video contests this year.
Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas formed by the breakdown of uranium in the soil. Radon gas is found in all 50 states and may enter a home through cracks and other openings in the home and can build up to dangerous levels. Radon is only detectable by performing a home test.
For more information on the poster and video contest please contact your state radon program. For questions about radon or to test your home, visit Lung.org/radon or contact the Lung Association at 1-800-325-1245.
- KAY CASHMAN
