Last week, an MCPS radon test discovered elevated levels of radon at Whitman. MCPS tested all schools after a previous test revealed slightly elevated levels of radon at 26 schools.

Five rooms—B103, W106, B104, W108, and C127— have elevated levels of the element, and to seven other inconclusive samples will be retested.

MCPS has tested for radon since the late 1980s because high doses can cause lung cancer. Radon can only be detected by tests, as it is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas.

The presence of slightly elevated levels of radon in the school is not surprising, according to principal Alan Goodwin.

“There’s the potential for radon in our houses and our office buildings,” Goodwin said.

The EPA recommends action be taken if the concentration in a room is above 4.0 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). If the concentration exceeds 100 pCi/L, they recommend the immediate relocation of personnel in the room. Room B103 had the highest radon concentration, at 7.4 pCi/L.

Measures are being taken to mitigate the situation, Goodwin said. A typical MCPS procedure to lower radon levels in a room is sealing floor and wall cracks and using a fan to circulate air out of the room.

“What was a relief is that, while they are concerned with those five rooms, they don’t consider them dangerous, so we didn’t have to evacuate them; we don’t have any place to put [those] classes,” Goodwin said.