Volume XXXI September 2018

R a d o n i n G e o r g i a G e o r g i a R a d o n E d u c a t i o n P r o g r a m

N e w s l e t t e r a n d O u t r e a c h R e p o r t

The UGA Radon Program is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Welcoming a New Radon Educator

We traveled to Rockdale Career Academy in Conyers in mid-October to teach three different

high school classes the basics of radon, testing, and mitigation. The classes were in chemistry,

environmental science, and biology.

Each student attending the class received a test kit at the end of the class to take home.

Students will complete the home testing, and receive a grade for turning their completed kit into their

teacher. Additionally, test kits will be hung in the school.

After the test results have been received, the Radon Educator will Skype with each class to

review and interpret the radon test results with students. This provides an additional opportunity to

interact with the students to increase their knowledge about radon.

When a similar program was offered in 2016, three students found they had elevated levels of

radon in their homes, and subsequently those homes were mitigated to reduce the radon to a safer

level. The Georgia Radon Program continues to engage students and encourage them to test their

homes.

Rockdale Career Academy Schedules Classes and Testing for Radon

The Georgia Radon Program hired a new Radon Educator in September after the departure of

Gabrielle Dean, who was with the program for over four years.

Derek Cooper, the new Radon Educator, has a B.S. in Environmental Health Science. He brings

experience working with private environmental companies, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the

University of Georgia Office of Sustainability. Derek attended the International Radon Symposium in

Myrtle Beach in late September where he trained to become a certified residential measurement provider

under the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP).

He has already participated in programs and is actively involved in helping to increase awareness

and knowledge about radon in the state of Georgia. To contact Derek, send him an e-mail

dmc20@uga.edu or call 706-583-0602.

Volume XXXI September 2018

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Dr. Uttam Saha Presents Research on Radon in Georgia Well Water and

Testing Standards at AARST Conference

Dr. Saha had the opportunity to present his research on radon in water at the American Association

of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST) International Radon Symposium and Trade Show, which

took place in Myrtle Beach from September 30 through October 3, 2018.

Dr. Saha manages the Georgia Radon Education Program’s water testing lab and is a leader

nationally in the area of radon in water. Test results from the UGA water testing lab indicated high levels

of radon and uranium in some well water sources in Georgia. When water has high levels of radon in it,

the radon is aerosolized and can cause unsafe levels of radon in indoor air. From August 26, 2015 through

July 20, 2018 the laboratory tested wells around Georgia for both uranium and radon. Results are

summarized in the table below.

Household

Wells Tested

Detectable

Above Maximum

Contaminant level (MCL)

Range Above

MCL

Uranium (μg/L)

(Micrograms/Liter)

1,305 158 71 30.1—6,297

Radon (pCi/L)

(Picocuries/Liter)

177 175 130 311—69,709

Dr. Saha noted in his research that the majority of the cases of elevated radon levels in well water

occurred above the “Fall Line” which runs through middle Georgia.

Additionally, Dr. Saha presented research on different methods for measuring radon in water. In

the discussion, he stated that there is no national standard for analyzing water for radon content. He tested

several different methods for analyzing radon in water using water with known concentrations of radon. In

his research, he noted one specific method which yielded consistently accurate and precise results. He

made the recommendation that this standard may be used nationally. If all labs begin using the same

method for sampling radon in water, data can be compared throughout the nation more accurately. This

measure is especially important because of increasing awareness about high levels of radon in well water

in Georgia.

G e o r g i a R a d o n E d u c a t o r s a t W o r k

Volume XXXI September 2018

R a d o n O u t r e a c h

Program Contacts & Media Impressions July through September 2018

GA SIRG REPORT July-September 2018

PROGRAM CONTACTS Total

Programs-Meetings

Participants 0

Materials Distributed 0

Exhibits-Events 1

Participants 70

Materials Distributed 50

OTHER CONTACTS Total

Total Contacts

Medical Professionals 3

Home Builders 8

Realtors 3

Consumer Contacts 62

KIT USAGE DATA Total

Kits Distributed 145

Results Received 159

> 4.0 pCi/L 34

< 4.0 pCi/L 114

Incomplete 11

% > 4.0 pCi/L 21%

Highest Level 17.2

MITIGATION DATA Total

RRNC2 65

Mitigations3 1,048

Mitigation Referreals 35

MEDIA IMPRESSIONS Total

Radio

Listeners

Television

Viewers

Newspaper6

Circulation

Newsletter

Distribution

Local Web Hits4

GA SIRG Web Hits5 1,496

TOTAL IMPRESSIONS 1Other includes radon education/results of former educators & county FACS/4-H Agents. 2Reported annually by Southface and building professionals 3Mitigation & RRNCs completed by Certified Mitigators are reported annually. 4Began tracking Jan 1, 2010 5Web hits for www.UGAradon.org are shared equally among the radon educators.

6As of 4/20/18 circulation numbers are reported in full

Volume XXXI September 2018

R a d o n O u t r e a c h

Program Contacts & Media Impressions Apr. 2003 through Sept. 2018

PROGRAM CONTACTS Hall DeKalb Gwinnett Elbert Walton Southface Other1 Totals

Programs / Meetings 344 187 266 193 624 1,084 27 2,725

Participants 10,564 4,335 15,112 3,866 23,080 17,946 2,099 77,002

Materials Distributed 18,792 11,441 15,887 6,595 46,547 9,184 75 108,521

Exhibits or Events1 69 86 175 63 175 67 31 666

Participants 49,457 6,558 146,287 11,978 161,033 13,798 2,996 392,107

Materials Distributed 105,973 8,947 50,145 8,057 26,470 1,296 1,346 202,234

OTHER CONTACTS Hall DeKalb Gwinnett Elbert Walton Southface Other Totals

Total Direct Contacts 9,124 1,385 1,216 475 5,507 12,268 52 29,952

Medical professionals 586 51 242 56 905 0 24 1,864

Home builders 378 29 43 45 378 10,082 0 10,955

Realtors 603 93 85 25 209 836 28 1,876

Consumer Contacts 7,557 1,212 846 349 4,015 1,350 0 15,329

KIT USAGE DATA Hall DeKalb Gwinnett Elbert Walton Southface Other Totals

Kits Distributed 12,724 4,275 7,895 2,893 12,183 5,192 4,600 49,762

Test Results Received 5,746 1,622 2,477 1,354 6,309 1,060 849 19,417

Highest Level 49.9 31.3 54.4 44.0 85.8 77.1 0.0 85.8

MITIGATION DATA Hall DeKalb Gwinnett Elbert Walton Southface Other Totals

Mitigation Referrals 2,005 249 361 91 751 412 0 3,869

Mitigations2,7 7,499

RRNC3 1,480

MEDIA IMPRESSIONS Hall DeKalb Gwinnett Elbert Walton Southface Other Totals

Radio Outreach 66 11 8 4,278 137 1 2 4,503

Listening Audience 4,847,000 3,670,000 10,000 4,020,000 2,693,000 2,000 377,000 15,619,000

TV Outreach 140 75 713 8 279 2 437 1,654

Viewing Audience 25,170,100 12,733,000 73,981,740 15,080 27,894,200 1,328,000 8,385,000 149,507,120

Newspaper Outreach 77 4 19 13 102 0 6 221

Circulation6 2,413,138 3,223,000 1,304,817 154,800 3,545,449 0 69,500 10,710,704

Newsletter Outreach 57 2 14 17 56 9 16 171

Distribution 180,997 249 16,746 9,215 1,832,280 903,048 6,054 2,948,589

Local Web Hits5 18 1,044 20,600 0 12,000 0 0 33,662

State Web Hits6 85,756 51,296 0 137,052

TOTAL IMPRESSIONS 32,628,404 19,644,444 75,351,054 4,216,246 35,994,080 2,284,344 8,837,554 178,953,423 1Other includes radon education/results of former radon educators and county FACS/4-H Agents. 2Reported annually by Southface and building professionals 3Certified GA mitigators reported their mitigations & RRNCs annually through 2012. 4Began tracking Jan. 1, 2010 5UGA Radon Program web hits are shared equally among the 5 radon educators

6As of 4/20/18 circulation numbers are reported in full 7Mitigation data reflect installations during 2017 that were collected during this reporting period

Volume XXXI September 2018

R a d o n R e s o u r c e s & C o n t a c t s

Radon Hotline Numbers

National Hotlines

Kansas State University / EPA 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236) 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday

National Hispanic Indoor Air Quality 1-800-725-8312

The Radon Fix It Line: (National Safety Program) 1-800-644-6999

Get live help for your radon questions 1-800-55RADON (557-2366)*

Radon Fix-It Hotline—General information on reducing radon levels 1-800-644-6999*

Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791

* Operated by Kansas State University in partnership with EPA

The Georgia Radon Program is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

State Indoor Radon Grant Program

UGA Radon Program Team

Derek Cooper, Extension Educator

706-583-0602

dmc20@uga.edu

www.ugaradon.org

Dr. Pamela R. Turner, Director 706-542-9165

prturner@uga.edu

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Dr. Uttam Saha, Program Coordinator

Feed & Environmental Water Laboratory

706-542-7690

sahau@uga.edu