Lung Association Congratulates Student Winners of Annual Iowa Radon Poster, Video Contest

The American Lung Association and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) congratulate the winners of the 2025 Iowa Radon Poster and Video Contest. The annual contest raises awareness of radon gas, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

One out of every 15 homes in the United States have elevated levels of radon. Schools are the second largest source of radon exposure for students and staff as they spend nearly eight hours inside these buildings five days a week for nearly 10 months.

Middle and high school students across Iowa were eligible to participate in the poster and video contests.

This year’s winners are:

The 2025 poster winners and their prizes include:

• 1st place – Karson Raap, Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School ($200)
• 2nd place – Ada Iverson, Waukon Middle School ($150)
• 3rd place – Jaye Summers, Seymour Community School District ($100)
   

The 2025 video winners and their prize include:

• 1st place – Stop Radon Before it Stops You - Girlian Jiandani, Valley High School ($600)
• 2nd place – Evil Radon - Lucy Thomas & Lyric DeWeerd, Valley High School ($500 split/$250 each)
• 3rd place – Radon Rap – Ada Gee, Presley Bruhn, Nina McMillen, Josie Umbach, Marley Scott, Isaak Carranza, MVAOCOU High School ($400 split/$66.66 each)
• Video Most Views – The Air We Breathe: A Radon Reality – Kendall Patton, Valley High School ($200)

Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas formed by the breakdown of uranium in the soil. It is found in all 50 states and may enter a home or school through cracks in the foundation and other openings.  The Environmental Protection Agency recommends all homes or buildings with radon levels at or equal to 4 picocuries per liter install a radon mitigation system.

“Radon causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year and it’s amazing to see the creativity and awareness the children use to highlight the dangers of radon in their communities," said Alexis Gigliello, Nationwide Manager for Indoor Air Quality at the Lung Association. “The only way to detect radon in schools is to test. A nationwide survey by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates one in five schools has at least one schoolroom with a short-term radon level above the action level of 4.0 pCi/L. It also finds more than 70,000 schoolrooms have high short-term radon levels.”

Under the Gail Orcutt School Radon Safety Act, all Iowa public schools are required to test their school buildings for radon by July 1, 2027, and if necessary, mitigate radon in in their schools. This summer, the Lung Association is launching the Clean Air School Challenge to empower K-12 schools to create healthier learning environments and improve children’s health. Participating schools will receive training, mentorship, technical assistance and more as they advance on their journey towards cleaner indoor air and energy efficiency for students, staff and families. This program will play a valuable role in addressing radon reduction in schools. Learn more at Lung.org/CASC.
 

“Testing data shows there’s nowhere in the state where a home or building is safe from potentially having a radon level at or above 4 pCi/L,” said Randy Lane, Radon Program Manager from Iowa HHS. “All Iowans are encouraged to test their home or building for radon.”

The Lung Association, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and the members of the Iowa Cancer Consortium selected this year’s winners.  The first-place winner of the Iowa Radon Poster and Video Contests will be entered into the 2026 National Radon Poster and Video Contest. Details for the 2026 contests will be announced on the contest websites at Iowa Radon Poster Contest and Iowa Radon Video Contest.

For questions about radon or to test your home, visit Lung.org/radon or contact the Iowa Radon HelpLine at 1-(800)-383-5992.

For more information on the poster and video contest please contact Janye Killelea via email at Janye.Killelea@Lung.org or call (312) 940-7624.