2014.ISDS.Abstracts.Final.pdf


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ISDS 2014 Conference Abstracts

Developing a National Database of Radon Test Data 
in Collaboration with EPA: a Pilot Project to Ascertain 
Feasibility

Carrie Eggers*

National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

Objective
Test the feasibility of a publicly accessible national radon 

database by conducting a pilot project to standardize previously non-
systemized, uncoordinated state and local health department radon 
data sources into a nationally consistent radon information resource.

Introduction
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. with 

radon exposure as the second leading cause of lung cancer after 
smoking and the number one cause of lung cancer among non-
smokers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 
one in fifteen homes nationwide has elevated radon levels. Although 
public outreach efforts promote radon testing and subsequent 
mitigation when unsafe levels are found, data are non-standardized 
largely because of varying regulations among states, making targeted 
public health actions challenging. In accordance with the Federal 
Radon Action Plan to demonstrate results of radon risk reduction, EPA 
is collaborating with CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking 
Program. The Tracking Program has existing relationships with state 
and local partners to provide various environmental and health data, 
an established process for managing the data, and robust tools to 
analyze and visualize the data that are made publicly accessible via a 
web-based system (Tracking Network).

Methods
For the pilot, a work group was formed with participants from 

EPA, CDC’s Tracking Program, and environmental health and 
radon control programs from six state tracking programs. The work 
group provides guidance on developing the capability for receiving 
and displaying radon data on the Tracking Network. Required and 
optional standardized data elements are identified for data submission. 
Pilot participants agree to supply minimum required elements such as 
county or zip code, unique test identifier, test result, and whether the 
test occurred before or after mitigation. Optional elements incorporate 
more detailed descriptors: building type, test location within the 
building, and test device type. Participants will also provide metadata 
for its submissions, detailing key attributes to ensure understanding 
about the data. The data transport process uses a common schema 
and the Tracking Program’s established data submission protocol, 
modified slightly for the pilot.

Results
During the data call, two states will submit radon test data for 

1993-present, one state will submit data since 2005, and the remaining 
three states 1-5 years of data. Via secure access, states will view their 
own record-level data along with aggregated data as elevated radon 
incidence by county or zip code, by year. Data elements will range 
from the minimal required elements to records with almost all optional 
fields completed. Lessons learned from the pilot will be documented 
and examined for viability of scaling up to a national level database.

Conclusions
Advantages of a national system include improving data 

compatibility through establishment of data standards, reducing 
the burden on national testing laboratories by providing a common 
repository for test results, and making these data available to states, 
particularly to those without local radon surveillance systems. 
Future considerations include expanding the pilot to involve more 
states, developing data sharing relationships with radon testing labs, 
and addressing how to obtain and make available finer geographic 
resolution data for more effective public health actions. As additional 
data (e.g., geological) are added and more states participate, nationally 
consistent data and measures related to radon exposure potential, 
testing rates, and mitigation effectiveness may be made publicly 
available as part of demonstrating radon risk reduction.

Keywords
Standardize; Data integration; National database

*Carrie Eggers

E-mail: CEggers@cdc.gov    

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics * ISSN 1947-2579 * http://ojphi.org * 7(1):e22, 2015