NEWBORN RADON TEST Newborn Test Program PROGRAM Pennsylvania

NEWBORN RADON TEST Newborn Test Program PROGRAM Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 08/23/2007

Program Goals • Promote Radon Testing By Parents Of Newborn Babies. • Increase Radon Testing in Radon Zone 1 & 2 County Homes. • Increase Level Of Radon Awareness.

Participation • 77 Hospitals Located in 45 Counties in Pennsylvania. • Approximately 100 to 1, 000 Births Per year in each Hospital.

Program Structure • U. S. EPA Funded through a SIRG (State Indoor Radon Grant). • Administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Radiation Protection, Radon Division.

Program Logistics 1. Radon Information Booklets provided to Hospitals by PA DEP. 2. Hospitals Include Booklet in their “New Mother” take home bags. 3. Parents complete and return certificate to PA DEP for a Free Radon Test kit. 4. PA. DEP processes and forwards certificate to certified contracted Radon Testing Laboratory.

Program Logistics (Continued) 5. Contracted Lab forwards test kit to the Parents of Newborns. 6. Parents expose test kit as directed and return it to the lab. 7. Lab analyzes test kit and sends results to parents. 8. Lab provides a summary of test results to PA. DEP.

Program Response 1994 2007 • 40 Hospitals • 77 Hospitals • 22 Counties • 45 Counties • 25, 000 certificates sent to hospitals. • 20, 900 certificates sent to hospitals through Aug. of 2007. • Since 1996, 172, 745 certificates sent to participating Hospitals. • Approximately 25 % of the certificates are returned for a free Radon Test Kit. • In 2006, 45 % of test kits were returned and measured.

Test Results • The latest data (2006) shows that 50 % of test kits returned measured above the EPA remedial Action Level of 4 p. Ci/L.

Program Costs • $0. 06 to print each information booklet. • Postage (prepaid mailer $0. 03) plus bulk shipping. • $8. 78 per charcoal radon test kit & analysis. • $0. 49 postage for each Certificate returned.

Radon in Pennsylvania • 49 of 67 counties are Radon Zone 1 • Only about 10 % of Pa. Homes have been tested for Radon Zone 1 > 4 p. Ci/l Zone 2 to 4 p. Ci/l

Newborn Radon Information Booklets for Parents include: • Introductory letter. • “Pa. Citizens Guide to Radon” brochure. • Combination Prepaid Reply Mailer & Certificate For One Free Radon Test Kit.

Program Logistics 1. Orders Newborn Information Booklets from DEP. 2. Provides Booklets to parents when discharged from Hospital. Hosp. Maternity Ward 3. Reads Information Booklet. Completes “free”test kit certificate (in Booklet centerfold). Mails certificate to DEP. Parents of newborn 4. Processes certificate. Logs information into database. Forwards certificate to contracted certified Radon lab.

5. Mails free Radon test kit to parents of newborn. Certified Radon lab 6. Tests their home for Radon Seals and returns kit to certified Radon lab. Parents of newborn 7. Measures Radon test kit. 8. Provides test results to : Certified Radon lab Parents of newborn

Program Participation Follow-up • Reminder letter sent to each household that does not return radon test kit within 60 days. • Initiated in 2002 with an average of 125 letters mailed each quarter. • Resulted in a rate increase of approximately 10% per year. (Ave. 2002 through 2006. )

Newborn >4 p. Ci/L Follow-up Survey • Instituted in 2005 to determine the extent of follow-up actions. • The first survey (3179 mailings) covered 1994 through 2005. Annual surveys began in 2006. • In 2006, 134 survey letters were mailed. Survey response rate was 51%.

Newborn >4 p. Ci/L Follow-up Survey