Why are radon rates higher in Upstate South Carolina Homes?

10/17/23 • 20 min

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has produced a map showing that radon levels in upstate South Carolina homes are higher than other parts of the state. Nicole Martinez is an expert in radiological health sciences, and Lindsey Shuller-Nichols is a material scientist — both in Clemson's Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. They're going to help us understand what causes radon, why it's higher in the upstate, its potential health effects and resources for testing and mitigation.

For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/.
Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.

For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/.
Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.

Previous Episode

South Carolina Earthquakes Explained

There has been a flurry of geological activity in South Carolina lately, particularly around the Midlands and Upstate. In fact, the most recent was a 1.6 magnitude earthquake recorded April 4 near the town of Cross Anchor in Spartanburg County.

In this episode of Earthly, Jonathan talks to Clemson assistant professor Brady Flinchum about South Carolina earthquakes and if all the little quakes we’ve been having mean there’s a big one headed our way. Flinchum compares earthquake magnitude to pasta noodles, explains what earthquakes can tell us about the structure of the earth, and even talks about what Marsquakes can teach us about Mars. He also tells us what to do if an earthquake strikes.

For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/.
Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.

Next Episode

"Ecological Zombies" are going hog wild on the southern landscape

Referred to in some scientific literature as "ecological zombies," feral hogs cost millions of dollars of damage to farms, fields and forests, and they are breeding and spreading at a rate that outpaces the efforts of wildlife professionals to control them. In this Halloween edition of Earthly, Jonathan talks to Greg Yarrow and Andrew Jamison about the feral hog problem in South Carolina and the Southeast. Yarrow is interim dean of Clemson's College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Science and professor of wildlife biology at Clemson University, and Jamison is a graduate student. Together, they're leading an effort to greater understand these "ecological zombies" and finding ways to control them. They also discuss once and for all whether Hogzilla — the 800 pound animal caught in South Georgia — is fact or folklore.

For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/.
Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.