District 95 buildings to be checked for radon gas
The Lake Zurich Unit District 95 school buildings again will be tested for potentially dangerous radon gas, a few years after similar tests were performed.
District officials have said they have no evidence the schools have high levels of radon gas, which the Environmental Protection Agency's website identifies as the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
But tests conducted in 2009 weren't done properly and were publicly criticized by residents, so another round is needed, officials acknowledged.
Radon is an odorless, colorless, gas that comes from the natural, radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water, according to the EPA's "Citizen's Guide to Radon." It enters buildings through floor cracks, gaps around service pipes, the water supply and other means.
Radon is a particular concern for Hawthorn Woods resident Carolyn Fitzgerald, who has a child attending Lake Zurich Middle School North. Fitzgerald is among the parents who have spoken at school board and committee meetings about the issue.
"The only way to determine if the children and staff are exposed is to test," she said in an email. "We were led to believe the testing conducted in 2009 was accurate and thorough, which it was not."
Testing typically involves special canisters or kits that measure how much radon is in the air. In 2009, an insufficient number of tests were conducted, District 95 spokeswoman Jean Malek said.
The District 95 board approved the tests as part of an indoor air quality management plan earlier this month. That plan also will measure temperature humidity, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide levels in the school buildings. Inspectors will look for mold growth above ceiling panels, too.
"The district has a commitment to providing a safe and healthy learning environment for our students," Malek said in an email. "To that end, we have a very comprehensive indoor air quality program."
The radon testing will be performed between December and February, Malek said. Testing is best when a building's heating and air conditioning system is operating regularly, district officials said.
The radon testing is expected to cost $7,600. More than 600 testing kits will be placed in the district's eight schools, the administrative building and a building that houses the technology and transportation departments.
Lake Zurich High will have the most kits, 183. The administration building will have the fewest, 13.
Air quality tests are conducted quarterly during the school year, Malek said. Radon testing is completed once every five years.
The results will be discussed at a February meeting on air quality, Malek said.