Collaborating With Community
explain why high levels were detected in so many homes . Housing quality could also be a factor , she noted .
The EPA recommends that action be taken whenever a home has radon levels above 4 picocuries per liter ( pCi / L ). 3 Because there is no known “ safe ” level of radon , the agency also suggests that people consider radon mitigation if their home has levels between 2 and 4 pCi / L . Nationwide , the average radon level in U . S . homes is 1.3 pCi / L , according to the EPA .
In comparison , the average radon level across all homes tested in the new study was 11.9 pCi / L , and it was 22.7 pCi / L among homes that tested positive . One home had a radon level of 111.6 pCi / L .
All of the homes that tested positive underwent radon mitigation , in which a certified contractor installed a fan and pipe system that continuously pulls the radon out of the house . The mitigation was funded by private foundation grants and gifts to the University of Wisconsin – Madison Carbone Cancer Center , while a partnership between the cancer center and the state radon program paid for the testing .
Radon mitigation is usually a 1‐time expense , Dr . LoConte noted , but the cost can range from $ 700 to more than $ 2,000 . “ We aimed to increase knowledge of radon in this community , which we were successful in doing ,” she said . “ More importantly , the community we partnered with could not have afforded the radon mitigation without our project .”
Collaborating With Community
Previous research has shown that public health information about radon is often not enough to get people to test their homes and that racial / ethnic and socioeconomic disparities exist in home testing . 4‐6
The new study “ illustrates that there ’ s a vital role that cancer centers can play in addressing structural determinants of health , beyond direct medical treatment and the traditional risk factors that we tend to deal with ,” said Discussant Cardinale B . Smith , MD , PhD , of Tisch Cancer Institute , Mount Sinai Health System .