Radon poster contest winners announced

Three winners have been announced in a statewide poster contest held to highlight the risks posed by exposure to indoor radon, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.

Three winners have been announced in a statewide poster contest held to highlight the risks posed by exposure to indoor radon, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.

Ciera Blackburn, a student at Dacusville Middle School, has won first place in the S.C. Radon Poster Contest. Katelynn Davis of William J. Clark Middle School is the second place winner. Benjamin Haertel of St. Joseph’s Catholic School won third place.

“As a state winner, Ciera’s poster will be entered into the National Radon Poster Contest,” said Aimee Morrow, DHEC’s radon coordinator. “If she’s selected as a national winner, she’ll travel along with a parent and a teacher to Washington, D.C. for an award ceremony next month.”

Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water.

“Radon decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe,” Morrow said. “This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer, but not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer. The amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years.”

Morrow said the level of radon exposure in homes, schools, and other buildings can be determined through a simple, inexpensive test.

Courtesy of State of South Carolina

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