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BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. with radon exposure as the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that one in fifteen homes nationwide have elevated radon levels. Although public outreach efforts promote radon testing and mitigation when unsafe levels are found, data are non-standardized because of varying regulations among states, making targeted public health actions challenging. An EPA/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaboration will test the feasibility of a publicly accessible database by conducting a pilot project to standardize previously non-systemized state and local radon data sources into a nationally consistent radon information resource.
METHODS: A work group with participants from EPA, CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, and six state programs provided guidance on receiving and displaying radon data on the web-based Tracking Network. Standardized data elements were identified and included minimum required elements such as county or zip code, test result, and whether the test occurred before or after mitigation. Optional elements incorporated more detailed descriptors: building type, test location, and device type. The data transport process used a common schema with an established protocol. Data validation occurred after receipt of the files and verified total records submitted, identified duplicate records, and determined validity of test result values among other checks.
RESULTS: Two states submitted radon test data for 1993-present, one state submitted data since 2005, and the remaining three states submitted 1-5 years of data. Data elements received by the states ranged from records with only the minimal required elements to records with almost all optional fields completed. Validation procedures identified duplicate records and test results with erroneous values that required correction and data file resubmission. Lessons learned from the pilot will be documented and examined for viability of scaling up to a national level database.
CONCLUSIONS: Advantages of a national system include improving data compatibility through establishment of data standards, reducing the burden on national testing laboratories by providing a common repository for results, and making these data available to states. Next steps include adding more states, developing data sharing relationships with labs, and addressing how to make available finer geographic resolution data for more effective public health actions. As additional data (e.g., geological) are added and more states participate, nationally consistent data and measures related to radon exposure potential, testing rates, and mitigation effectiveness may be made publicly available.