Radonova Introduces New Initiative Aimed at Raising Lung Cancer Awareness and Improving the Planet

Focused on community engagement and raising awareness about radon and its link to lung cancer, Radonova Cares is an employee led initiative that promotes volunteerism and participation in social causes. Employees are encouraged to actively participate in educational campaigns and to support events that align with the values of Radonova’s employees and customers. The goal is to contribute to the prevention of radon-related health issues by empowering communities with knowledge and tools.

“Social responsibility, raising awareness about radon and its risk for lung cancer, and protecting the environment have always been part of the culture at Radonova,” says Zan Jones, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Radonova, Inc. “We wanted to give this part of our company culture a name and decided ‘Radonova Cares’ identifies our values of caring while delivering industry-leading radon measurement solutions."

“We’ve learned that by collaborating with other causes in our communities, both efforts can become more successful,” continues Zan Jones. For example, Radonova has participated with local blood drives within the last two years by providing radon education and test kits for blood donors. “Coincidentally, National Radon Action Month and National Blood Donor Month are both in January, and we’ve jointly worked to increase publicity for radon testing and blood donation. Both can save lives.”

Radonova recently joined efforts with The White Ribbon Project by hosting a white ribbon “build” event at their Chicago-area headquarters. Volunteers, radon industry leaders, and lung cancer survivors painted, sanded, and signed over 100 white ribbons that were then distributed to lung cancer advocates and radon stakeholders within the region. The White Ribbon Project’s mission is to promote awareness about lung cancer by changing the public’s perception of the disease.

Employees have also served at community clean up days, food banks, and public events that increase radon awareness. “By giving these acts of service a name, Radonova Cares, we are becoming more intentional about serving our communities in a way that is meaningful to our employees and customers.”

The Radonova Cares initiative overlaps with our efforts to improve the planet. In addition to being an ISO 17025 certified laboratory, Radonova has the ISO 14001 accreditation which is the international standard for environmental and waste management. “Our operation is focused on reducing paper waste, recycling, and consolidating shipments throughout our supply chain to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Steve Leslie, Operations Manager for Radonova, Inc. Corporately, Radonova works to reduce plastic pollution by reusing plastic housings from the hundreds of thousands of radon detectors sold internationally each year.

What is radon?

Radon exposure is the number one cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the number two cause of lung cancer nationwide, according to the EPA. Radon is an odorless and colorless radioactive gas released during the natural decay of uranium in soil and rocks around homes, schools, and workplaces. It enters buildings through cracks and other openings in the foundation, such as sump holes or drains. It is responsible for approximately 24,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States and Canada, according to the EPA and Health Canada.

About Radonova

Radonova is the laboratory of choice for numerous large-scale radon measurement projects around the world. A truly global laboratory, Radonova is active in over 80 countries and has performed millions of radon measurements.