Following the completion of testing in student residences and ongoing efforts to install mitigation measures in those structures, Kenyon’s comprehensive radon program has moved on to sampling the air in other campus buildings and developing mitigation plans in places that indicate elevated levels of radon.
Sampling kits were placed in nearly all occupied non-residential (i.e. academic and administrative) buildings on campus. Out of 654 tests conducted, 470 (72%) indicated radon levels below 4 pCi/L, the threshold for mitigation recommended by the EPA. The median result for all tests was 1.8 pCi/L, while the median for only elevated tests was 6.4 pCi/L. Follow-up testing will be completed in four buildings that were overlooked in the main round of sampling (Finn House, Ralston House, Sunset Cottage, and the first-floor retail space in the Village Market building).
All buildings were sampled with multiple test kits, with the number of tests per building determined by floorplan size and complexity; those with any samples above 4 pCi/L will undergo mitigation measures, even if the structure’s median result is below the 4 pCi/L threshold. Approximately 40 buildings will undergo mitigation and almost half of those have a median result under 4 pCi/L. This level of mitigation goes beyond industry standards, which are generally based on median results. Data about specific buildings’ results will be communicated to building occupants. A summary of data collected is below:
Academic/Administrative Building Radon Testing
| Total Tests | Elevated Tests (≥ 4.0 pCI/L) | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 654 | 184 | 28.13% |
| Range (pCi/L) | Tests | Percent |
| < 4.0 | 470 | 71.87% |
| 4.0 - 10.0 | 138 | 21.10% |
| 10.1 - 20.0 | 38 | 5.81% |
| 20.1 - 30.0 | 7 | 1.07% |
| > 30.1 | 1 | 0.15% |
| Total | 654 | 100% |
| Median of all tests | 1.8 pCi/L | |
| Median of elevated tests | 6.4 pCi/L |