Quality child care creates immediate and long-lasting benefits for children, families, providers, and society. High-quality child care, free of environmental hazards like radon, is vital for all types of early care and education settings: home, center-based, Head Start, and Early Head Start.
The science linking poor health to exposure to environmental hazards is strong and continues
to grow.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1 in 5 schools has radon levels that require action and are potentially harmful to health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, and it is the cause of approximately 21,000 deaths per year in the U.S.
Reducing radon in indoor environments is a sound strategy for lowering the overall population risk of lung cancer. Many child care programs are in residential settings or public spaces (schools, churches, community centers). A considerable proportion of these are at ground level or in basements where radon levels tend to be higher.
The populations that utilize and work within child care facilities are more vulnerable to and more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards. Children can be exposed to high levels of radon through the air they breathe indoors. Children are more vulnerable because they have smaller lungs and therefore higher breathing rates; they take in more air than adults do, and they spend up to 70% more time indoors than adults on average. The child care workforce is predominately made up of women of color who are of childbearing age. Many providers are also low-wealth—as half are part of families accessing public benefits. These factors make child care providers at higher risk for being exposed to environmental hazards and resulting in poorer health outcomes.
Radon exposure is an environmental justice concern. Most public awareness and education activities regarding the health risk of living with elevated radon levels occur in highly populated, economically advantaged urban areas. It is critical that rural areas and low-wealth communities receive the necessary education and mitigation resources to reduce harmful radon exposures.
Beyond radon, poor indoor air quality is a health concern for child care facilities. Poor indoor air health impacts include decreased lung size and function, asthma, emphysema, and even some types of cancer.
Building materials, furnishings, poor maintenance, and occupant activities can add chemicals and particles that build up inside of child care facilities. Allowing buildings to remain damp can also release chemicals and encourage mold. These issues can lead to poor indoor air quality.
Protecting Children's Environmental Health: Radon and Indoor Air Quality in Child Care Settings
Written by: Kathy Attar, MPH, Program Manager, Eco-Healthy Child Care(r)
web page: www.cehn.org/our-work/eco-healthy-child-care/
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