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radon in houses

9/1/2017

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The 2017-18 school year has started! Some ideas for beginning the school year include:
 
07/06/2014      Decorating Your Classroom
07/13/2014      Chemistry Laboratory Safety
07/20/2014      Classroom Grading Programs
07/27/2014      Classroom Ideas –Daily Announcements
                           and Teacher Websites
08/03/2014       Lab Report Help
08/28/2016       The First Days of School
​
The book Chemistry on a Budget contains inexpensive chemistry labs that are useful with easy to obtain materials.
 
It will take a few weeks for the book to get to you, so ORDER NOW!  You’ll want to have some time before the school year starts to see how you can use the book Chemistry on a Budget in your class.
 
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report.  This way the teacher has the option!  Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout. 
 
You can buy this lab book for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com. It will take 1-2 weeks to get to you.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget

http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
 
*Some of you have already purchased Chemistry on a Budget – be sure to check out Page 141 !
 
“Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. You can’t see or smell radon. Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure.  Radon can have a big impact on indoor air quality.”
https://www.epa.gov/radon
 
“[A] Noble gas, [is] any of the seven chemical elements that make up Group 18 (VIIIa) of the periodic table. The elements are helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), radon (Rn), and oganesson (Og). The noble gases are colourless, odourless, tasteless, nonflammable gases. They traditionally have been labeled Group 0 in the periodic table because for decades after their discovery it was believed that they could not bond to other atoms; that is, that their atoms could not combine with those of other elements to form chemical compounds. Their electronic structures and the finding that some of them do indeed form compounds has led to the more appropriate designation, Group 18.”
https://www.britannica.com/science/noble-gas
 
“A safe level of radon gas is no radon gas. Radon gas is a carcinogen which causes lung cancer. The US EPA has put it plainly, stating, 'Any radon exposure has some risk of causing lung cancer. The lower the radon level in your home, the lower your family’s risk of lung cancer.' The average person receives a higher dose of radiation from the radon levels in their home  than from their combined exposure to all other radiation sources, natural or man-made. Radon gas is a naturally-occurring byproduct of the radioactive decay of Uranium in the soil. Depending on your geographic location, the radon levels of the air you breathe outside of your home may be as high as 0.75 pCi/L. The national average of outside radon levels is 0.4 pCi/L and it is estimated by the National Academy of Sciences that outdoor radon levels cause approximately 800 of the 21,000 radon induced lung cancer deaths in the US each year. Your risk of lung cancer increases substantially with exposure to higher radon levels. Lung cancer risk rises 16% per 2.7 pCi/L increase in radon exposure. World Health Organization, 2009 studies   show that radon is the primary cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked. However, the absolute numbers of radon-induced lung cancers are much larger in people who smoke, or who have smoked in the past, due to a strong combined effect of smoking and radon.”
http://www.radon.com/radon_levels/
 
“Check for radon every five years. People who have a radon system should check every two years to make sure it is working properly. Always check for radon when buying a home and after major renovations.”
https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/radiological/radon/radon.htm
 
This site has a set of “Frequently Asked Questions” about radon:
https://sosradon.org/faq
 
“Many radon test kits can be found online or in home improvement stores. Follow the directions on the packaging for the proper placement of the device and where to send the device after the test to find out your radon level.”
https://www.epa.gov/radon/find-radon-test-kit-or-measurement-and-mitigation-professional
 
Some past Periodic Table and Element blog posts include:
 
02/23/2014         The Periodic Table
09/19/2014         Element Symbols & Intro to Chemical
                              Language
04/01/2015         NOVA video "Hunting the Elements"
                             (2012)
09/24/2015          Facts about the element Mercury
12/03/2015          Periodic Table Trend Activities
12/17/2015          Current Event -- Lead Poisoning
12/28/2015          Lucky Iron Fish
01/07/2016          Four New Elements
​06/12/2016          New Elements Named
12/09/2016          Cool Periodic Table
03/24/2017          Toxic Mercury Levels in Sea Life
 
*This Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom.  Check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
 
Also, Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
 
Remember, buying a copy of the lab book Chemistry on a Budget can be very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.

Have a great 3-day weekend!
​
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    Marjorie R. Heesemann is a chemistry teacher with 15 years of experience who is now working to develop resources for the Chemistry classroom.

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