by Margaret Henderson
The Minnesota Department of Health hosts a website featuring the Minnesota Environmental Public Health Tracking (MN Tracking) Program. This user-friendly website presents radon data from 2000-2014 with charts and an interactive map presenting data from specified time periods.
Charts note that the average radon level in Minnesota (4.6 pCi/L), which is above the EPA recommended action level. Because the Minnesota soil has high levels of radon and home heating systems draw in radon gas and increase the indoor air concentrations of radon, the department notes Minnesota has a serious health issue with radon.
On the county level, approximately 78% of Minnesotan counties have average radon levels in the highest category, exceeding 4 pi/L. Another chart shows average radon concentrations changing with seasons, ranging from 5.1 pCi/L in winter to 3.9 pCi/L in summer.
The annual number of properties tested for radon is shown to be increasing in a chart from 2000 to 2014, when 24,716 properties in Minnesota tested for radon. The highest number occurred in 2013, when 30,745 were tested. Eight private radon labs voluntarily report their data to the Minnesota Department of Health. The website explains the possible increase by saying “The Minnesota Radon Awareness Act, January 1, 2014, requires the seller to disclose any knowledge of radon concentrations in the home. The increase in the number of homes tested for radon since 2012 may be due to this new law combined with radon awareness campaigns, local outreach partnerships, and an improving economy.”
The interactive map provides detailed data for each county, with properties tested and percent about specific levels. Additionally, the 95th percentile, median, geometric average, and arithmetic average radon levels in pCi/L, by county are given.
A section on “About the Radon Data” explains the collection, presentation, uses for and limitations of the data.
To see the tracking tool, visit https://apps.health.state.mn.us/mndata/radon_facts
For more information, contact:
About the communications resources: Marc Katz marc.katz@state.mn.us
About the radon data: health.dataportal@state.mn.us
United States