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Florida Radon Program
TEST YOUR HOME TODAY:
Radon is the second leading
cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking, and the leading cause of lung
cancer among non-smokers. The Florida Department of Health is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a nationwide campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of radon exposure and to encourage them to take action to protect their homes and families.
Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is found at low concentrations in outdoor air, but which can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings. Scientists have long been concerned about the health risk of radon, but never before has there been such overwhelming proof that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon is responsible for
more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. For more information call 1-800-543-8279.
Contact this Office
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your
e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.2009 National Radon Poster Contest - Florida students won first and second
place nationally this year - Are you ready to be next year's winner?
The National Radon Poster Contest
(60 KB PDF), sponsored by the National Safety Council and
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is an annual event for students 9-14
years
old. Aiming to raise awareness about the harmful effects of elevated
indoor radon levels, the contest goals include increasing the number of homes
tested for radon and educating people about reducing radon levels at home. Last
fall, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) Radon Program participated and
Florida won first and second place nationally. The DOH Radon Program invites
schools to partner with DOH and encourage students to participate in this year's
contest. You may read more about this contest in the "Health Advisor"
(1.34 MB PDF opens in new window).
DOH will accept posters from September 1 - October 15, 2008 and announce the winners
on December 9, 2008. Participants must attach an artwork submission form
(21 KB PDF) to the back of the poster. National poster winners will be unveiled at the awards ceremony in Washington,
D.C., Jan. 2009. The national winner, a parent, and teacher (or sponsoring
organization's representative) will win an all-expense paid trip to Washington,
D.C., to participate in the ceremony.
Radon Video Contest ends August 25 - Radon: Test, Fix, Save a Life
EPA is sponsoring a Radon Video Contest (www.radonvideocontest.com)
through the popular website YouTube. The objective is to educate a new demographic about the dangers of radon. The theme of the video must be "Radon: Test, Fix, Save a Life". The video must be between 30-60 seconds long and encourage Americans to test and fix their homes for radon. For instructions and rules on the contest,
please visit www.radonvideocontest.com. Entrants have until August 25th to submit a video. The winner, will receive a $2,500 award and have his or her video shown at the National Radon Training Conference in Las Vegas, NV September 15-17.
Request Information on Radon
Obtain brochures and other information on radon.
South Florida High Rise Radon Study
The Florida Department of Health is conducting a study, funded by a United
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant, to investigate the causes of
elevated radon levels in mid and high-rise multi-family residences in Lee
and Collier Counties.
If you have any questions regarding this study,
or would like additional information to assist you in reaching a decision about
participation, please contact this office at 800-543-8279 or
850-245-4288. You can also reach us by email (Under Florida law,
e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address
released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to
this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing) at
radonstudy@doh.state.fl.us.
Previous Radon Awareness Training for State, County, and non-profit organizations,
August 2007
We successfully completed three free radon training sessions - Visit the
above link for information on previous and future
training sessions.
Other Information
Radon and Indoor Air Quality Program Pages
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