High School Students as Citizen Scientists to Decrease Radon Exposure

Ellen J. Hahn, Craig Wilmhoff, Mary Kay Rayens, Nicholas B. Conley, Emily Morris, Angela Larck, Trista Allen and Susan M. Pinney
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Ellen J. Hahn: UK-CARES and BREATHE, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40504 USA
Craig Wilmhoff: Perry County Central High School, Hazard, KY 41701, USA
Mary Kay Rayens: BREATHE, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40504 USA
Nicholas B. Conley: BREATHE, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40504 USA
Emily Morris: Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40505, USA
Angela Larck: Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
Trista Allen: Fairfield Senior High School, Fairfield, OH 45014, USA
Susan M. Pinney: Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 24, 1-10

Abstract: Residents in rural Kentucky (KY) and suburban Ohio (OH) expressed concerns about radon exposure and lung cancer. Although 85% of lung cancer cases are caused by tobacco smoke, radon exposure accounts for 10–15% of lung cancer cases. Academic and community members from the University of KY and the University of Cincinnati developed and pilot-tested a family-centered, youth-engaged home radon testing toolkit. The radon toolkit included radon information, and how to test, interpret, and report back findings. We educated youth as citizen scientists and their teachers in human subjects protection and home radon testing using the toolkit in the classroom. Youth citizen scientists explained the study to their parents and obtained informed consent. One hundred students were trained in human subjects protection, 27 had parental permission to be citizen scientists, and 18 homeowners completed surveys. Radon values ranged from < 14.8 Bq/m 3 to 277.5 Bq/m 3 . Youth were interested and engaged in citizen science and this family-centered, school-based project provided a unique opportunity to further the healthy housing and quality education components of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Further research is needed to test the impact of student-led, family-centered citizen science projects in environmental health as part of school curricula.

Keywords: radon; citizen science; lung cancer; cancer prevention; youth-engaged (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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