Editor’s note: This commentary is by Anne Dixon, MD, who is director of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center.
[N]ovember is Lung Cancer Awareness month. As a health professional and a volunteer for the American Lung Association, I will spend a good part of November raising awareness of about a variety of factors that might increase the risk of lung cancer. One such factor, that we in Vermont must take more seriously as a community, is radon. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in the nation and in Vermont – and radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and the first among non-smokers.
As a naturally occurring gas, radon is odorless, tasteless and invisible – and therefore undetectable to the naked human senses. It is released from the earth’s crust and enters homes, schools and workplaces through cracks in the foundation, walls, floors and other openings. When radon is trapped indoors, it has the ability to build up to dangerous levels, posing a health risk to children and adults alike. As radon gas decays, it emits radioactive particles that can be inhaled into the lungs and attack the body’s cells with cancer-causing radiation. Long-term exposure to radon is simply dangerous to anyone’s health.
Despite the well-researched and documented risk, there are no state laws to reduce Vermonters’ exposure to this deadly gas.
Sen. Ginny Lyons, D-Chittenden, is looking to change that by introducing a bill this session to require all K-12 schools to test for radon and disclose the results. Children spend the majority of their days at school, and a majority of their school days in the classroom. High levels of radon have been found in many schools across the country. In addition, the EPA estimates that one in five schools has at least one classroom with a radon level above the EPA action level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Any level above this measurement is considered dangerous and shows that action must be put into place to diminish the level of radon. However, there is no level of radon that is deemed “safe.”
Currently, the Vermont Department of Health offers radon testing to public schools, but as of August of this year only 73 of the over 300 schools have taken advantage of this free program in the last 15 years. As of July 2015, nearly 11 percent of schools tested had screening results above 4 pCi/L and radon concentrations as high as five times greater have been detected in Vermont schools.
Neglecting to test for radon in schools is not only a disservice to our communities, but it represents a failure in protecting our children. Radon testing and disclosure in K-12 public and independent schools is a no-brainer, and a commonsense measure we can take to keep teachers, parents and students both safe and informed.
As a doctor in which lung health is my specialty, I encourage parents and school board members to educate themselves about the health risks associated with long-term exposure to radon gas, and to fight for their children’s health by requiring all public schools in Vermont to test for radon and disclose the results. The costs associated with testing and mitigating radon is minimal to the costs associated with the impact lung cancer has on patients and their families and related health care costs. By supporting Sen. Lyons’ bill and advocating within our own communities – we can save the lives of students, teachers and staff alike.
