Radonova Partners with Community to Encourage Radon Testing Among Blood Donors

National Blood Donor Month was first proclaimed in 1969 by President Richard Nixon to encourage volunteers to donate blood at a time when there is often a critical need. Every blood donor can save up to three lives.

For the third year, Radonova is teaming up with the Illinois suburbs of Lombard and Glen Ellyn to provide radon test kits to blood donors during their Winter Blood Drives. “About 40% of the homes in Illinois have high radon levels with over 1,400 Illinoisians suffering from radon-induced lung cancer every year,” says Zan Jones, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Radonova. “We’ve learned that by collaborating with other causes in our communities, both efforts become more successful,” continues Jones. “Our goal is to jointly work to increase awareness for radon testing and blood donation. Both can save lives.”

Increasing Radon Awareness during Radon Action Month
To increase radon awareness and reduce lung cancer, Radonova encourages people to:

• Test one’s home for radon with an easy home radon test kit and tell your friends and family about it. Share it on social media.
• If you are a smoker, make quitting your New Year’s resolution. Smokers who are exposed to radon have an exponentially higher chance of developing lung cancer.
• Contact your local school system to encourage radon education at school. The EPA offers teachers a radon education curriculum for middle and high school students.
• Ask your local school district if the school buildings have been tested for radon. Teachers and students can spend up to 10 hours per day in school buildings.
• Schedule a time for everyone in your neighborhood to test your homes together. Radon can vary from home to home within the same neighborhood, so it is important that everyone test their own home. Publicize it in HOA communication and share it on the community Facebook page or neighborhood message board.

Just as donating blood will save lives, spreading awareness about the effects of radon and taking action is lifesaving. Performing a radon test can be as simple as opening a plastic bag, deploying it for a set amount of time, and returning it to the lab for analysis. Or, you can contact a Certified Radon Measurement Professional in the area who can perform the radon measurement and make recommendations about how to proceed if the radon level is high.