TABLE 1.

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Level Interventions for the Public Health Nurse to use in Radon Care Planning with Clients

Primary Prevention: Education and prevention activities

Learn what it means to live in a county designated “Zone 1 for Radon.”

Discuss the health consequences of radon exposure.

Party! Give radon test kits for baby showers and housewarming gifts.

Zone 1? Move Up! Avoid basement and first-story apartments if you can.

Secondary Prevention: Screening for and early detection of radon exposure.

If you rent your home, talk with your landlord or property manager about measuring indoor radon gas levels.

Test your home for radon or have it tested by a radon professional every 2 years.

Ask to see results of radon measurements for your children’s schools and day-care facilities.

Tertiary Prevention: If you have a radon concentration greater than 4 pCi/L

One more reason to quit! Smoking cigarettes indoors or inhaling second-hand smoke makes indoor radon even more dangerous.

Take it higher—radon concentrations are higher in lower levels of the home. Move kids’ bedrooms and play areas out of the basement.

Weigh the risks and rewards of having home-gym equipment in a high-radon basement.

If you have high radon and cannot afford to mitigate right away, make a savings goal—your lungs are worth it!

Clean your air. Place a surgical mask over a desktop fan or upgrade your furnace filter.

Meet MERV—HEPA’s little brother. MERV filters sizes 10+ remove bacteria, lead dust, and attached radon particles.

If you rent your home or heat using wood consider purchasing a portable air cleaner. You do not want your lungs to be the only filters in the house.

Open the doors and windows when the weather allows. The average radon concentration outdoors is very low.

Let your furnace do the dusting for you! Replace 1″ filters every month and 4″ filters every year.

Supersize it! Make your next furnace one with a 4″ media tray.

Find out if your furnace has an electronic motor with a low-speed setting. Using the fan full time can provide your family with clean, well-circulated air.

Consider spending less time indoors—Americans spend about 90% of their time inside.

Increase ventilation under the house by opening foundation vents.

Decrease indoor radon by sealing cracks and openings in the basement or foundation.

Decrease radon by placing a plastic membrane over bare soil under the home.

Consider Doing-it-Yourself—Books and YouTube Videos are available.