Blanchard Memorial Elementary School
Boxborough, MA
Dr. Curtis Bates, Superintendent/Curriculum Director
Ms. Maryellen Driscoll, Principal

RADON TESTING...On February 27, at the close of school, we will begin a comprehensive radon survey of the Blanchard Memorial School. Detectors will be placed throughout the building. All detectors will be collected after school on March 1, 2007. This effort is a joint project involving the cooperative efforts of the Boxborough School District and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Radon Office. This notification is our attempt to inform you about the project and enlist your support in making this a successful effort for the benefit of our entire school community. If you have any questions regarding the radon testing, please feel free to contact Mr. Charles Mahoney, Business Manager, or William Bell of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at (800) 723-6695.

 Why are we testing the school?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas responsible for about 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. Most people receive the largest part of their exposure to radon while at home. In fact about one fourth of the homes in Massachusetts have radon concentrations at or above the EPA Action Guide of 4 picocuries per Liter of air (pCiL). Many schools across the state have been tested; most of them have not found any radon problems. On the other hand, some schools have found problems; once identified, these problems can be fixed.

 Why are we testing now? Why don’t we test during vacation or over a weekend?

Radon levels tend to be highest during the heating season. Since we don’t want to miss any rooms with elevated radon levels, we will test during the heating season. Since we are interested in protecting human occupants, we like the test period to include an occupied period. Some people think that radon levels are always higher at night and on weekends when the building is closed and the ventilation systems are off. It turns out that this is not always true. Testing during an unoccupied period would be OK but testing on school days is better because it includes times when people are in the building.

 What rooms will be tested?

Basically, we intend to test every frequently occupied room which is in contact with the ground. Classrooms, offices, and the like are considered frequently occupied while storage rooms and lavatories are not usually tested. In our case, we have decided to test some storage rooms because their use might change over time. Radon enters buildings through small joints and other openings in the foundation. In a two story building where the second floor did not touch the ground, for example, we would test the first floor but not the second floor. Most rooms will have only one detector; some rooms will have more than one.

 What does a radon detector look like? Are they hazardous in any way?

The radon detectors we will use are called liquid scintillation detectors. It’s basically a small white plastic vial about 2 ½ inches tall by about 1 inch wide. It will have a bar coded serial number on the outside. There is nothing hazardous or toxic in the detector. In public areas like the cafeteria we will try to keep the detectors out of the reach of curious students. In the classroom we hope that all teachers will do their best to see that the detectors are not moved, disturbed or otherwise tampered with.

 When will we know the results?

We should have the results within a week after the tests are completed. The results will be reviewed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The results will be made public to anyone interested as soon as possible. As soon as we receive the results, I will post the results in my newsletter.

What will happen if we find radon in the building?

If we find concentrations of concern, then further investigation is in order. For example, further testing might be conducted to see if high radon concentrations are coincident with occupancy. Factors which might affect radon entry and behavior might be examined, like normal window and door use. If there is more than one area requiring investigation, then the sites will be investigated in a priority order.