Radon in Schools: A Brief Review of State Laws and Regulations in the United States

Kelsey Gordon, Paul D. Terry, Xingxing Liu, Tiffany Harris, Don Vowell, Bud Yard and Jiangang Chen
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Kelsey Gordon: Department of Public Health, 390 HPER Building, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Paul D. Terry: Department of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA
Xingxing Liu: Department of Public Health, 390 HPER Building, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Tiffany Harris: Department of Public Health, 390 HPER Building, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Don Vowell: The Vowell Law Firm, 6718 Albunda Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919, USA
Bud Yard: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, 761 Emory Valley Rd, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
Jiangang Chen: Department of Public Health, 390 HPER Building, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-9

Abstract: Exposure to Radon, a colorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas, is one of leading causes of lung cancer, and may pose a significant long-term risk for school age children. We examined the regulations and statutes in each US state related to radon in schools to delineate key features of policies and discrepancies among states that may have public health implications. Search terms such as “radon”, “school”, “mitigation”, “certification”, “licensing”, and “radon resistant new construction” were used to scan current statutes from each state legislature’s website and regulations from official state government websites for relevant regulatory and statutory requirements concerning radon in schools. State regulations related to the testing, mitigation, and public dissemination of radon levels in schools are inconsistent and the lack of nationwide indoor radon policy for schools may result in unacceptably high radon exposure levels in some US schools. We highlight the features and discrepancies of state laws and regulations concerning radon in schools, and offer several constructive means to reduce risks associated with radon exposure in school children.

Keywords: radon exposure; environmental health of schools; state policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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