Radon remediation work planned at high school

LACONIA — Work will be done at Laconia High School over the summer to mitigate risk from radon gas, school district officials said. 

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas found in most soils and has been associated with an elevated risk of lung cancer depending on length of exposure and the level of radon in the atmosphere.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends mitigation, which is accomplished by capturing and venting the gas outside a building, when the level of radon in a structure is at or above 4 picocuries per liter.

Picocuries per liter, or pCi/L, is a unit for measuring radioactive concentrations.

Four classrooms in the front section of the high school have radon levels ranging from 5.4 to 8.9 pCi/L, so precautionary mitigation work was deemed appropriate, according to Superintendent Brendan Minnihan.

He said testing was done at the high school because the structure has a basement, which potentially could increase radon gas levels. There are no concerns for other school buildings, he said.

The district has requested bids for the work, which should cost about $15,000, he said.