The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other major national and international scientific organizations have concluded that radon is a human carcinogen and a serious environmental health problem. The EPA has conducted extensive research on the presence and measurement of radon in schools. This report provides school administrators and facilities managers with instructions on how to test for the presence of radon. Section 1 of this report includes information on radon facts, health effects, radon exposure, radon problems in schools, and radon entry into schools. Section 2 on radon testing in schools includes information on measurement strategy in schools, what rooms to test, when to conduct radon measurements, who may conduct testing, quality assurance measurements, summary of EPA recommendations, deciding how quickly to mitigate, and a decision making flow chart. Section 3 covers reducing radon concentrations. Section 4 includes frequently asked question on radon and radiation, planning for testing, conducting initial measurements, tampering and detector placement, weather conditions, conducting follow-up measurements, and quality assurance. Appendices include a list of state radon contacts, a list of EPA Regional Offices and Radon Training Centers, information on using a measurement service, measurement devices, quality assurance procedure, and a procedural checklist for radon testing. (JPT)

This handbook focuses on residential radon exposure from a public health point of view and provides detailed recommendations on reducing health risks from radon and sound policy options for preventing and mitigating radon exposure. The material in the handbook reflects the epidemiological evidence that indoor radon exposure is responsible for a substantial number of lung cancers in the general population. Information is provided on the selection of devices to measure radon levels and on procedures for the reliable measurement of these levels. Discussed also are control options for radon in new dwellings, radon reduction in existing dwellings as well as assessment of the costs and benefits of different radon prevention and remedial actions. Also covered are radon risk communication strategies and organization of national radon programs.--Publisher's description.

Naturally occurring radionuclides are found throughout the earth's crust, and they form part of the natural background of radiation to which all humans are exposed. Many human activities-such as mining and milling of ores, extraction of petroleum products, use of groundwater for domestic purposes, and living in houses-alter the natural background of radiation either by moving naturally occurring radionuclides from inaccessible locations to locations where humans are present or by concentrating the radionuclides in the exposure environment. Such alterations of the natural environment can increase, sometimes substantially, radiation exposures of the public. Exposures of the public to naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) that result from human activities that alter the natural environment can be subjected to regulatory control, at least to some degree. The regulation of public exposures to such technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulatory and advisory organizations is the subject of this study by the National Research Council's Committee on the Evaluation of EPA Guidelines for Exposures to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials.