By Margaret Henderson
Unique geologic depositions occurring at the close of the last Ice Age, resulting from the Missoula floods, have lasting radon consequences that the Oregon Health Authority’s Radon Program now works to see mitigated. The cold climate allowed glaciers to form and block a river in western Montana, which caused the formation of a large lake known as Glacial Lake Missoula. Periodically the ice dams would break, and cataclysmic floods would carry rock and soil from Montana, Idaho and Eastern Washington and deposit them along Oregon’s Columbia River and Willamette Valley. This rock and soil contained higher levels of granite, which combined with the presence of permeable soils, makes the presence of radon potentially high in some areas. While the geologic origin of the radon emitting soils was a large-scale event, the funding for the Radon Program is relatively small so, as Brett Sherry, Radon Program Coordinator, explains, “The program has found ways to leverage it funds to achieve maximum outreach and education through multi-media approaches for messaging and in working with partners.”
Videos posted on two internet sites reach viewers with messaging about the importance of radon awareness, testing and mitigation.
On the Radon Program site, “Testing Your Home for Radon,” an informative and conversational short video, presents information about radon in general and about testing procedures and the importance of testing and mitigation. See www.healthoregon.org/radon
“Oregon Field Guide: Radon,” found on http://www.opb.org/television/programs/ofg/segment/radon/ is a longer video (approximately 12 minutes) that features along with Mr. Sherry, a discussion of radon health effects by a lung cancer specialist and gives a short presentation about the geology of Oregon presented by a professional geologist. The messaging in both these videos is about radon, its health effects and the importance of testing and mitigating when needed.
This site provides data and maps that allow individuals to zero in on the radon test results for areas in which they live.
The Table of Radon Risk Levels in Oregon by Zip Code (and accompanying map) applies risk levels to zip code areas and gives the percent of test results in those areas above 4pCi/L, the recommended EPA action level. A recent update of the table including 2014 data shows some zip code area have no finding above the action level while others have as much as 48.8% of the tests in excess of that level. While these numbers give the public some idea of the prevalence of the radon levels as currently known, Mr. Sherry point out that in some areas, little or no testing has been done and in areas where testing has been done, it does not conclusively indicate that every home in the area will have the same result. Therefore, the message continues to be that you must test to know what radon exposure you may be receiving. Additional maps of Northeast Oregon, Salem Area and Portland Metro provide further visual aids.
Maps and tables are updated annually and the 2014 updates were announced in a press release in December 2014, just prior to National Radon Action Month. “Maps are always of interest to people since they can readily identify their areas,” Mr. Sherry noted while he also cautions that “the information shouldn’t be used to substitute for radon testing of an individual home.” The press release did attract news coverage, with 18 or more press inquiries being received by mid-January.
Building on the internet mapping tool, one goal of the program is to incorporate other data layers to create an environmental public health tracking map with radon being one of the layers. An interactive map, with layers such as lung cancer rates, smoking incidence and other health factors, is a useful public information tool the program would like to offer in the future.
While the videos, table and maps speak to an internet audience, the program also works with partners to communicate radon messaging. Partnering with kit manufacturers and certified radon professionals are effective ways to collect testing data and promote radon awareness.
Using internet technology and partnering with other professionals, the Oregon Radon Program has leveraged its resources to reach as many people as possible with the message of the significance of indoor radon to public health.
For more information, contact:
Brett Sherry
Radon Program Coordinator
800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 640
Portland, OR 97232
E-mail: radon.program@state.or.us
Telephone: (971) 673-0440
United States