Radon and Health

Date: 01/03/2016

Name of Organizing Body :
Environmental Protection Team / RadHealth Society

Official Website:
http://Radhealth.org.hk/

As inspired by a scientist Dr. Mamie Lau May-ming ,who is an old girl and former Environmental Protection Officer of Environmental Protection Department, our Environmental Protection Team and Dr. Lau jointly launched a collaborative project this year to investigate the overall background radiation of different areas in Central and Western District and how it affects our lives by using a unique self-assembled measuring device called bGeigie Nano Kit which is designed by a global organization called SAFECAST to empower people with data about their environments. This device can detect radiation of various kinds especially those emitted from radon gas which is emitted from building materials made of granite.

bGeigie Nano Kit is high-performance geiger counter measuring ionizing radiation with GPS logging and memory. Under the supervision of some oversea specialists, students learned to assemble the kit on their own in December 2015 and they in turn became trainers to help others in other workshops. With this reliable and unique device, our team members went into our community in January 2016 few times to measure the radiation level across different areas of Central and Western District. It is evident that radiation level around some buildings e.g. Community complex in High Street is exceptionally high. It is at a level two times the average level as in Tokyu. The record has been uploaded to a SAFECAST website where records from all over the world can be accessed. In School Open Day in March 2016, the written report was displaced publicly and our works was reported and posted in a local news agent.

1.     Safecast’s website:  
http://blog.safecast.org/

2.     Radiation map:  
http://safecast.org/tilemap/?y=26.397&x=127.901&z=12 

3.     Interview by local news agent:
http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20160125/00176_041.html

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