Sarah operates a family childcare home. After hearing that several of her neighbors had dangerous levels of radon in their houses, Sarah became concerned. Could her home be at risk, too? What did this mean for her family and her childcare children?

Sarah has good reason to be concerned about radon, a toxic, radioactive gas that seeps into buildings and becomes airborne. Radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas produced when uranium breaks down naturally in soil, water, and rock; it can enter buildings through the soil, air, water, or, rarely, in building materials.

According to the American Lung Association, radon is second only to smoking in the number of lung cancer deaths it causes each year in the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists radon as the number one cause of lung cancer for non-smokers.

Radon gas converts into radioactive particles that can become trapped in the lungs. These particles produce energy that damages the lung and eventually can lead to cancer. There are no immediate symptoms to radon exposure, and not everyone exposed to radon will develop lung cancer. If and when lung cancer occurs, it is typically 5-25 years after exposure. The EPA estimates that 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year can be attributed to radon.

A person’s radon risk depends on the level of radon in the building, how much time is spent in the radon-contaminated building, and whether the person smokes. Smokers’ already-elevated risk of lung cancer is increased by radon exposure. Other health problems, such as asthma, have not been linked to radon exposure.

Children’s lungs are smaller than adults and when their size is taken into account, they breathe in more air than adults. It is estimated that a 10-year-old child will inhale twice the radon of an adult during the same time period of exposure.

Since radon cannot be smelled, tasted, or seen, there are no signs of its presence in a building. People can live, work, and attend school in buildings for years without knowing they are in an area with a radon problem.

Radon has been found in every state, and the EPA estimates that one in 15 homes in the U.S. has an elevated radon level. Radon can be found in any building, whether is it newly constructed, very old, heavily insulated, or drafty. Buildings with and without basements can have high levels of radon.

In most cases, radon enters a building as a soil gas, but it also can contaminate the water supply. Ground water systems, including private wells, are more at risk than surface water systems. When there is radon in water, there is risk from ingestion; but the greatest risk is from airborne radon that is inhaled when water is used for bathing, laundry, washing dishes, and other tasks.

The only way to measure the radon level in your childcare program is to conduct a test. This can be done with an “at-home” test you perform yourself or you can employ a professional. If you decide to use a “do-it-yourself” kit, make sure it is labeled “meets EPA requirements.”

If you plan to hire a professional to conduct the test, request a listing of qualified testers from your state radon office (usually your local EPA office) or consult either of the two privately-operated National Radon Proficiency Programs. The EPA recommends that schools and homes be tested below the third floor.

Radon testing is relatively simple and inexpensive. Tests come in two forms: short-term tests, which sit in the building for 2-90 days, and long-term tests, which are in use for 3-12 months.

The major advantage of a short-term test is that you receive results more quickly than with a long-term test. The main advantage of a long-term test is that it tends to give you a more accurate year-round average radon level. Radon levels can vary by day and season, so a long-term test is better able than a short-term test to account for those variations.

Generally, tests are placed in the lowest lived-in level of the building about 20 inches above the floor in an area free from drafts, humidity, heat, and exterior walls. After the test has been in place for the amount of time prescribed in the instructions, it is removed and sent to a laboratory. After the test is analyzed, the results are sent to the consumer.

Airborne radon is measured in “picocuries per liter of air” and is expressed as “pCi/L.” It may also be expressed as a “Working Level” (WL). There is no known “safe” level of radon, but the level at which the EPA recommends that a home be fixed is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or lower. However, radon levels lower than 4 are still a risk and can sometimes be lowered. The EPA estimates the average indoor radon level is 1.3pCi/L. Outdoors, the radon level is about 0.4pCi/L.

The EPA recommends that consumers initially use a short-term test. If the result is 4 pCi/L or higher, retest with a second short-term test or a long-term test. If you use another short-term test as your second test, look at ways to lower the radon level in the home or building if the average of the two tests is 4 pCi/L or higher. If you used a long-term test as your follow-up test and the result is 4 pCi/L or higher, you should act to lower the radon levels.

The best “fix” for a radon problem depends on several factors, including the building’s design. The most commonly used radon repair is to alter the building’s air flow with a vent pipe system and fan that pulls radon from under the house and expels it outside. This repair is often done in conjunction with sealing cracks, gaps, and holes in the foundation.

There are comparable repairs that can be performed on buildings with crawl spaces. If you employ a radon reduction contractor, protect yourself as a consumer by first checking with your state radon office for a list of certified radon contractors who have the professional skills, training, and knowledge to make the repairs. If you are making the repairs yourself, ask your state radon office for technical assistance.

If you have not recently tested your childcare facility for radon, or cannot remember when the building was last tested, then now is the time to learn more about radon. Making sure that your childcare program is radon free is just as important as making it smoke-free and can help the children and adults in the building stay healthier.

Marna Holland, Parent Educator
Asheville, NC, City Schools Preschool, and Instructor, Western Carolina

Family Management, www.familymanagement.com/childcare/facility/air.pollution.html

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, www.dhss.mo.gov/ChildCare/HealthyChildCare/winter02.pdf

National Network for Childcare, www.montana.edu/wwwcxair/Daycare_Module.htm

Iowa State University, www.nncc.org/Health/indoor.air.html

American Lung Association, 61 Broadway, 6th Fl., New York, NY 10006; 800-LUNGUSA; www.lungusa.org

US Environmental Protection Agency, IAQ INFO, PO Box 37133, Washington, DC 20013-7133; 800-438-4318; www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html