Management of Radon Data in the State of Ohio, U.S.A.

Abstract

The objective of this research paper is to create a public awareness in understanding the radon gas problem, discuss efficient data management methods and analyses of indoor radon gas concentrations, and mitigate the indoor radon gas concentrations to below acceptable level in the state of Ohio. The Ohio Radon Information System (ORIS) is a compendium of five databases or modules, viz. the Homes database, the Water database, the Schools database, the Mitigation database, and the Tester database. Over the years, the radon database (made available by testing laboratories, Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and universities) has been expanded to 145,849 radon gas observations for homes; 1,283 radon gas observations for drinking water; 1,147 radon gas observations for schools; 26,374 radon gas observations for mitigation systems; and 76,727 radon gas observations by testers. Analysis of the homes data shows that Licking County is the only county having a geometric mean (GM = 8.41 pCi/l) of radon gas concentration greater than 8 pCi/l in Ohio. Zip code 43930, in Jefferson County, accounts for a maximum GM radon gas concentration of 39 pCi/l. Of the 216 public and 1,067 private water supply systems, only 2 public and 65 private water supply systems have shown radon gas concentrations to exceed 1000 pCi/l. Analysis of the schools data reveals that a school in Belmont County to show a maximum radon gas concentration of 85.5 pCi/l, with 11 rooms out of the 39 school rooms tested greater than 4 pCi/l. The performance analysis of the mitigation systems identified the Sub Slab Depressurization (SSD) systems to be the best performers in mitigating the radon gas concentration to below 4 pCi/l in Ohio. Analysis of the tester's data showed two counties: Harrison (GM = 10.25 pCi/l); and Perry (GM = 8.65 pCi/l) to have a GM of radon gas concentration greater than 8 pCi/l in Ohio.