Utah students are invited to get creative and bring awareness of radon in Utah by participating in the 2021 National Radon Poster Contest. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Radon Program is coordinating this year’s contest in partnership with the Center for Disease Control Epidemiology Tracking Program, local health departments and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). State contest winners will receive cash awards, with three first-place winners receiving $100 and their teacher receiving $100. Second- and third-place winners also will receive $100 each.

Contest Details

• Posters must be postmarked by Oct. 22, 2021
• Students ages 9-18 enrolled in a public, private, territorial, tribal, Department of Defense or home school are eligible to participate.
• There are three categories: Grades 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12.
• Members of a sponsoring club, such as a scouting organization or an art, computer, science or 4-H club also are eligible.
• There is no entry fee, but only one entry per student is allowed.
• Poster contest submission forms, topics and rules may be found online at radon.utah.gov.
• Additional facts about radon in Utah.

The public is invited to judge this year’s state posters by voting online at www.radon.utah.gov. Online voting runs from Nov. 5-15. All posters will be subject to the following judging criteria: Content-accuracy, visual communication of topic, reproducibility and originality. Winners will be announced on Nov. 30.

What is Radon?

Radon is known as the slow, “silent killer.” You can’t smell it, taste it, or see it, but it’s the #1 cause of lung cancer death for non-smokers. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Utah, even though we have the lowest smoking rate in the nation.

Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the ground that can only be detected by testing. In Utah, 1 in 3 homes that were tested have radon levels higher than what are considered safe for humans.

Radon is measured in units called picocuries. Anything higher than 4 picocuries is not considered safe. The average radon level in Utah homes that have been tested was 5.3 picocuries. According to the EPA, every 10 picocuries is the same as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

More information about contest eligibility, radon test kits, and radon contractors is available at www.radon.utah.gov or by calling Utah’s Radon Hotline at 1-800-458-0145.

2020 Grade 4-6 Winner Select image to enlarge

2020 Grade 4-6 Winner Select image to enlarge