As the researchers were setting up the study , they formed ideas to maximize community benefits . First , they knew testing rates increase when citizen scientists are engaged in the research . Additionally , the researchers wanted to involve students to promote youth empowerment and enhance relationships between their academic institutions and the community . The researchers worked with teachers who had community-academic research experience and who were active in their communities . Together , the researchers and teachers developed a plan to address radon exposure using a citizen science approach with high school students . The study , High School Students as Citizen Scientists to Decrease Radon Exposure .
( https :// pubmed . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / 33302585 /), reports on their approach .
“ Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer , but in most Appalachian communities , less than 1 % of homeowners test for radon ,” said Ellen Hahn , Ph . D ., R . N ., who conceptualized the study and directs the UK Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences ( UK-CARES ) ( https :// ukcares . med . uky . edu /). “ We know the power of citizen science to engage the public in research and to prompt action . By giving high school students a meaningful and central role in real-life research , we wanted to see if they could become effective citizen scientists and champions for home radon testing .”
Students first learned about the project in their science classrooms . The researchers and teachers taught students at one rural Appalachia school and one suburban Ohio school about human subject protection principles and the basics of radon exposure . After the first session , students were free to join the project as citizen scientists as long as they had parental consent and agreed to other project requirements . The citizen scientists then received further education on radon testing and mitigation , the health e ects of radon , evaluating radon data , and how to consent a parent or other adult to test the home for radon .
For each participating household , students administered home radon tests and a parent or other adult completed a survey . Later , students reported household-specific results back to the adult . Students also presented their findings to the community . Furthermore , the researchers offered financial and other radon mitigation resources to households with high indoor radon .
“ It was promising that over two-thirds of the participants returned the test kits . The rate of return is typically much lower with more traditional approaches ,” said Hahn . “ Our results pave the way for sustainable and authentic youth engagement by using citizen science approaches to tackle an important environmental health concern .”