Environmental and Sustainability Studies Undergraduate Research Program . Approximately 20 students will be recruited to participate in the Radon Lab . An adjacent Lab will be established at BYU , where an additional 20 students will be supported .
Students will be taught how to engage with school administrators and facilities personnel , administer building surveys , and conduct radon testing . Students will have to travel to schools to deploy and collect radon tests , following a test protocol , and to conduct building surveys . Students in the Radon Lab will also engage in research activities associated with the project including : grant writing , research ethics , data management and analysis , academic writing and publication , science communication , and public policy formation .
Following the initial round of testing , our team will conduct follow up testing of high radon sites in the state using advanced testing equipment . We will also work during this period to fill in missing testing data in the schools in our sample . Once the data collection is completed , our team will conduct analysis on the data to address specific research questions . We will also apply for external funding to launch a full state testing system and to provide mitigation for schools in the state with elevated radon . We will also disseminate our findings to local stakeholders and communities . During this period , our team will prepare a series of journal articles .
Expected Results
We will work with schools to develop and implement evidence-based , low-cost interventions that improve the health of children and school employees who are exposed to the long-term effects of radon in school settings . Based on the findings of this research , our team will be able to identify important building factors related to elevated radon in schools . We will also be able to classify schools requiring radon mitigation and to work with these schools to both undergo the mitigation processes and to set up a future testing protocol to keep these schools radon free . We will also train a range of graduate and undergraduate students about conducting environmental research and create ongoing awareness and greater resiliency in our state . Our team will also apply for external funding to develop a statewide testing protocol and provide education and information sessions on this subject to schools and families in our state .
Project Partners :