Utah Radon Lab
Project Overview and Motivations
While Utah has one of the lowest smoking rates in the United States , lung cancer is the number one cause of death in the state . One important factor is the persistent problem of radon exposure . Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that forms when uranium , or radium , breaks down in rocks , soil , and groundwater . Radon typically emerges from the ground and enters buildings through cracks , holes , and porous materials in the foundation . Once inside , radon is often trapped where it accumulates and results in elevated radon exposure in humans . The U . S . Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) recommends testing buildings for radon every 2-5 years .
According to the EPA , 1 in 15 homes in the United States have elevated levels of radon , but in Utah and the surrounding states of Wyoming and Colorado elevated radon is found in 1 in 3 homes ( Air Chek , 2022 ). As far as schools , 1 in 5 have been shown to have elevated radon levels ( Davis , et al ., 2020 ). Despite this , most schools in Utah have never been tested for radon . Children in Utah spend approximately 1092 hours and teachers and staff spend over 1600 hours annually in these structures .
To better understand the role of radon in Utah schools , a team of researchers from the University of Utah and Brigham Young University have joined forces to study this phenomenon . The goal of this research partnership is to test schools in seven districts in Utah to identify their current radon levels and general building characteristics . This team will also identify the best practices when testing schools for radon . Based on this data collection , the team will look for building characteristics associated with elevated radon , assess schools for elevated radon , and propose a testing protocol for state decision-makers and legislators to prevent future exposures in school populations in Utah .
Research Plan
Our research team is working in cooperation with the Utah Radon Coordinator to test public schools in Utah and to help develop a state-wide testing protocol . An additional research goal is to collaborate with the state to implement a full-scale application of the project to assure schools in the state are tested at regular intervals as suggested by the EPA . Our research will address three questions :
1 . Can Utah public schools be tested effectively to quantify their range of radon exposure ? 2 . What building characteristics play a role in radon exposure in schools ?
3 . How can research data contribute to meaningful policies and actions around radon testing in the state of Utah to protect children in school settings ?
The immediate goal at this stage is data collection . To accomplish this task , we are establishing the Utah Radon Lab at the University of Utah . This lab will provide a semester long research experience ( with an additional semester possible for the most exceptional candidates ) through the