School buildings—even the most modern—often utilize construction features that can allow radon gas to accumulate to dangerous levels. To make matters worse, the long hours spent at school and schoolchildren’s unique vulnerabilities to radioactive particles have the potential to make radon especially dangerous in schools.
As those responsible for managing school facilities seek to protect students, teachers, and others from the dangers of radon gas, the method chosen for detection is critical. Traditional charcoal test kits may seem like a simple solution, but using continuous radon monitors (CRMs) can be a more effective and reliable approach.
Why Radon Exposure Must Be Avoided
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas produced when the uranium and radium that occur naturally in soil and rocks break down. When released outdoors, radon dilutes to a degree that makes it harmless. Indoors, however, it can accumulate to levels that are extremely dangerous to humans.
When inhaled at elevated levels for extended periods, radon causes tissue in the lungs to break down, ultimately leading to lung cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer death in the United States, causing an estimated 21,000 deaths annually.
Why Schools Can Be Especially Susceptible to Radon Accumulation
Radon enters buildings through cracks and other openings in foundations and slabs. With sufficient ventilation, the gas passes through before it can accumulate to dangerous levels. Without ventilation, however, it becomes a threat to human life.
Schools can be especially vulnerable to radon exposure because they typically have a large structural footprint. The larger the footprint of a building’s foundation or slab, the more opportunities for the types of cracks and other openings that can allow radon to enter.
Schools also pose an elevated risk of high radon levels because they typically are well-sealed structures that rely on HVAC systems for cooling rather than open windows. In larger buildings like schools, HVAC systems can create a pressure differential that draws radon in from the soil through cracks. And because windows are kept closed, radon entering the building can quickly become trapped if HVAC systems are not specifically designed to maintain a regular exchange of fresh outdoor air.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also warn that children can be especially vulnerable to elevated radon levels. While there is not enough data to show a higher risk of lung cancer, the CDC says the shape of children’s lungs and their faster breathing rates cause them to experience higher doses of radon than adults exposed to the same levels.
Why Continuous Radon Monitors Are the Solution
Short-term radon test kits, which use charcoal to capture a sample of elements present in the air, are a well-known and widely accepted tool for assessing radon-related dangers. But short-term tests have a number of limitations that make them a poor choice for keeping schools safe.
For example, charcoal-based detectors provide only one average reading for the entire testing period, which can miss daily fluctuations in radon levels caused by school occupancy and ventilation patterns. Compared with digital monitoring devices, short-term detectors are also less efficient, requiring separate purchases for each location where they will be deployed and involving delays of several days to several weeks before test results can be determined, reported from the lab, and assessed.
CRMs have the advantage of providing real-time incremental data. They show exactly how and when radon levels change, empowering data-driven decision-making.
For example, CRMs can reveal consistent spikes in radon levels at night when HVAC systems are shut down. Armed with that type of granular data, facilities managers can adjust HVAC schedules to properly dilute radon to safe levels before the school is occupied by returning students and teachers. Gathering that type of data is impossible with short-term charcoal kits.
A study conducted by Dr. John D. Beard, a professor at Brigham Young University, used CRMs to compare radon levels over time in Utah public schools. The CRM data revealed dangerous radon levels at night when HVACs were shut down. Additionally, it showed the HVAC systems in some schools took most of the school day to bring radon readings to safe levels again, indicating that HVAC schedules needed to be adjusted to mitigate radon intrusion effectively.
CRMs do away with the complication of sending tests to labs for analysis and, when initial tests identify radon above the accepted action level, conducting a second round of confirmatory testing. CRMs give fast results, typically within 48 hours, allowing administrators and facilities managers to make quick decisions.
Because CRMs are reusable, they also help schools reduce the costs associated with deploying kits in multiple locations. Modern CRMs are small, lightweight, easy to deploy, and can be monitored remotely via a mobile app. By leasing a set of monitors and deploying them repeatedly from one school to the next, a school district can test every office and classroom more affordably than purchasing passive, single-use devices for each location.
The detailed data provided by CRMs allows school districts to make data-driven decisions that keep students, teachers, and administrators safe from the deadly effects of radon gas. They provide a long-term solution that can identify issues, confirm them, and ensure mitigation efforts are working effectively. Without CRMs, schools risk making poor decisions based on insufficient data.
Dallas Jones, vice president of Ecosense, has worked in the radon detection and monitoring industry for more than 28 years. Jones began their career in 1994 as vice president of training, sales, and marketing at Radalink Inc. In 2008, they became president of Green Training USA & Home Energy Institute, where they were responsible for course content development and appeared in on-demand video production. In 2017, they joined AARST as executive director, where they were accountable for managing all day-to-day operations, supervising public relations and communications strategy, and managing operations staff. Currently, they are vice president at Ecosense Inc.