Are Schools Ignoring a Silent Killer?

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June 25, 2007 12:22 PM

Radon, an invisible and odorless gas considered a "silent killer" by many cancer researchers, may be going undetected and virtually untreated in many public schools across the United States because of inadequate testing.

The Surgeon General has identified radon gas as the second leading cause of lung cancer, and the last National School Radon Survey conducted by the EPA states one out of five U.S. schools have radon levels above the "acceptable" measurement it has established. 

"Radon kills thousands of people each year. You can't see it or smell it," said Bill Becker, the executive director of the National Association of Clear Air Agencies, a group formed by state and local air pollution officials to improve air quality programs across the United States. Even at the level the EPA says should trigger testing, it "is still the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day," Becker said. 

Photos Radon, The 'Silent Killer'

Children are especially susceptible to radon, according to experts.

"In general, the younger you are, the higher risk you have of radiation inducing cancer," said Weining Zhen, an associate professor of radiation oncology at the University of Nebraska. "If cells are really active in DNA production or DNA synthesis, [they] can really accumulate damage."

Only eight states have laws on their books explicitly requiring radon testing in public schools for all districts, according to the Environmental Law Institute Database of State Indoor Air Quality Laws.

Most other states, including California, leave it up to the district to decide whether or not testing is necessary in their community schools, and few put an emphasis on testing. Only an estimated 20 percent of schools in the U.S. have actually tested for the silent gas, the EPA found in its last survey.

Even though Idaho, North Dakota and Iowa are in the highest radon level zone established by the EPA, none of the three requires testing in its schools.

"[Testing] should be done," said Rick Welke, the radon program manager in the Iowa Health Department. "Back in the 80s when we found out we had a big radon problem, legislatures tried to pass a law that required all schools to test for radon...Well, the law never passed partly because of the problem with funding."

The EPA has not been able to pass a federal law making radon testing mandatory in public schools because the agency is not authorized by Congress to regulate indoor air quality.

In addition, testing for radon is a very involved process. In school buildings, it must be completed during the winter months for complete accuracy because the soil becomes tighter in colder temperatures, which allows the gas to enter buildings more easily. The testing can also be time consuming and costly. Officials further emphasize the test is very delicate and can be disturbed by high humidity, high heat and drafts.

"In order for a radon test to be effective, it needs to be done in every single classroom, the gym, the lunchroom," said Kristin Marstiller, the senior program manager of the National Safety Counsel. "And sometimes if there is a problem, there isn't necessarily enough money in the funding to fix it."

According to the EPA's last school radon survey, more than 70,000 schoolrooms currently in use across the country have high short-term radon levels. The government agency says "the only way to determine if a problem exists is to test for it."

Misinformation about radon testing, however, appears to influence the decision to test at some public schools.   

Despite the fact that radon levels can change over time, a representative from the Cedar Rapids school district in Iowa told ABC News that tests there in recent years showed acceptably low radon levels according to EPA standards, but they don't plan on doing testing on a regular basis. 

"Testing should be done every two to four years," said Welke. "Especially if there was a change in ventilation or anything done to alter the structure of the building."

Not only is testing in schools a concern among air quality experts, but officials also point out that testing in homes should be a common practice of homeowners. Nevertheless, radon testing does not hold universal support.

"There is a big lobby against this [testing]," said Becker. "When you're selling your home and there is high radon level, it may be a deterrent for buyers. They don't want to make this too hot of an issue and make it hard to sell a home."

Radon is a colorless, odorless tasteless and radioactive gas formed by the decay of uranium in water, soil and rock.

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