It has become fairly commonplace for homeowners to test their houses for radon, the colorless, odorless and tasteless radioactive gas that seeps from the ground and can cause lung cancer. But schools, where a child can spend 14,000 hours by the time of high school graduation, often are overlooked, two Cornell housing experts report.
Children are more sensitive to air pollution than adults.
They breathe more air relative to their body weight and are more likely to breathe through their mouths than adults, which bypasses the nasal cavity's protective functions. Radon is a short-lived radioactive element belonging to the group of noble gases and results from the decay of radium and other radioactive elements. It occurs naturally, particularly in areas underlain by granite. Laquatra and Lorraine Maxwell, also an associate professor in the department, have published a fact sheet on radon in schools to provide guidance and advice to parents and administrators who want to get their schools tested. In fact, between 15,000 and 20,000 deaths every year in this country are attributed to radon.