Radon in child care centers: An examination of state laws and regulations in the United States

Abstract

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking in the United States (US); however, there is a lack of state policies and regulations to address radon gas exposure. This study aimed to explain if state radon legislation for child care centers is associated with the percent of counties within the state in radon zone 1(above 4 pCi/L). The research method was secondary analysis. Data were obtained from EPA radon website, journal resources, state laws and regulations, and official state government websites. The existing radon laws were assessed based on the EPA radon zones. Then, independent T-Test with a significant level of P<0.05 was used. The finding of this study indicated 39 US states have at least one county or more in radon zone 1, and 11 states have no counties in radon zone 1. Eleven states have legislation associated with child care centers, and 39 states have no such regulation in place. Twenty eight percent (28%) (n=39) of states with at least one county or more in radon zone 1 have radon regulations for child care facilities. The findings reveal that states located in EPA radon zone 1, partially or completely, were Eighty eight percent (88%) likely to not have different regulations requiring the radon testing in child care centers than states that are not in zone 1. In other words, the association between state radon legislation for child care centers and the percent of counties in radon zone 1 is remarkable but not significant (p-value = 0.12).