There’s a new push to have schools in Pennsylvania test for radon, the radioactive odorless gas that seeps into buildings from the ground.
Jackie Nixon continually monitors radon levels in her condo in South Fayette. She has a vested interest because of her health.
She is a 10-year survivor of lung cance , a very foreign concept to the otherwise healthy, non-smoker.
“When they told me it was lung cancer, I thought I was going to die,” Nixon said.
Confused about what might have caused it, Nixon says someone mentioned radon to her. The gas is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
So, she tested her condo with the help of friends living in floors beneath her. She says the first radon test showed there were 18 picocuries in that person’s apartment. Nixon says 4 picocuries is safe.
Radon can get into the house through the cracks in the foundation or walls, among other ways.
Most Western Pennsylvania counties are in radon zones 1 or 2, according to the EPA, meaning they have the highest potential for elevated indoor radon levels.
In fact, 40% of Pennsylvania homes have radon levels greater than the EPA guideline of 4 picocuries per liter.
“It really has to do with our geology. When you have a disturbance of the geology, it really does release this radioactive material,” said Michelle Naccarati-Chapki, executive director for Women for a Healthy Environment.
Thus, radon mitigation is a big focus for Naccarati-Chapki and her group. They help facilitate radon tests in schools and childcare centers in Allegheny County through the 1,000 Hours a Year program.
If radon levels come back high, they can help the buildings put in a mitigation system, which costs from $500 to $2,000.
Women for a Healthy Environment has a record of 81 schools testing for radon in Southwestern PA.
“The kids spend a large portion of their day there. It’s probably the largest portion of their day spent outside their home, so it makes sense that we start there,’ said Rep. Jason Ortitay (R) who represents Allegheny & Washington Counties.
Because there is no requirement in Pennsylvania for schools to test for radon, Rep. Ortitay has proposed a bill that would require it. If it comes back high, schools would be required to put in mitigation systems to ventilate the gas away from the building.
Nixon has four mitigation systems on her condo building. She’d lived there 32 years when she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
While Nixon can’t say for certain that radon caused hers, she’s pretty confident. She wants schools to test for it and she wants you to test for radon.
“A $20 test could possibly save your life,” Nixon.
Rep. Ortitay’s bill to require schools test for radon has been reintroduced already this session and is in an environmental committee in the PA House.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
