Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Radon Resource Guide for Pennsylvanians
View the Radon Resource Guide for Pennsylvanians (2022) from the Bureau of Radiation Protection, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The guide provides fast facts about radon and contact information for the DEP Radon Division, Radon Monitoring Section, and Radon Certification Section.
ECHO Program
"The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program is a research program supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to enhance the health of children for generations to come. The goal of the ECHO Program is to understand the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development."
The ECHO Program has published more than 2,200 articles about the results of its research, covering a wide range of topics. Many of these studies have focused on exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and early childhood. See them here.
EPA Indoor Air Quality Factsheet & Problem Solving Tool
This Environmnt Protection Agency (EPA) factsheet (also available in Spanish) discusses what is indoor air quality, common sources and factors that can impact indoor air quality, and best practices for improving and maintaining good indoor air quality.
Use this interactive tool from the EPA! They've taken the Problem Solving Wheel and made it available on the web. Click on a health symptom here to review a list of possible causes of these complaints. Then, use the resources and checklists available in the Action Kit to identify and respond to IAQ issues. Find out what to do in an emergency.
EPA Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit (Reference Guides, Checklists, Fact Sheets)
The EPA’s IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit provides practical, low- or no-cost strategies to help schools and child care programs improve indoor air quality using simple, in-house approaches. This resource includes best practices, industry guidelines, sample policies, and a model IAQ management plan to support implementation. The page also offers a variety of supporting materials such as reference guides, checklists, and fact sheets, making it easy to find actionable tools for day-to-day use.
Also, the EPA’s Recommended Action Checklists for Improving Indoor Air Quality in Schools provide practical, role-specific strategies to help create and maintain healthy indoor environments. The page offers a high-level summary of key actions, organized by responsibility (e.g., administrators, design teams, construction supervisors, and facility managers), with links to more detailed guidance for each item. Users can quickly identify relevant responsibilities and access deeper explanations, making it a useful starting point for improving air quality practices in school and child care settings.
EPA: Coordinator's Guide for Indoor Air Quality
The EPA’s Coordinator’s Guide for Indoor Air Quality is a comprehensive resource designed to help schools and child care programs establish and manage an effective IAQ program. It walks users through key steps such as developing an IAQ plan, implementing the EPA’s Tools for Schools framework, and using model policies and forms to support ongoing efforts. With practical guidance, templates, and policy examples included in the appendices, this guide serves as a step-by-step resource for building and sustaining healthy indoor environments.
Health Effects of Radon
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that forms naturally in soil and rocks and can migrate into homes and other buildings through basements, slabs, and foundations. Once inside a building, radon can accumulate to high concentrations, resulting in radiation exposure to occupants. The harmful health effects of radon occur when radioactive particles are inhaled and settle in the lungs, where they can damage lung tissue and increase the risk of lung cancer over time.
Children are especially vulnerable to radon exposure. Because their lungs are still developing and they breathe more rapidly than adults, children can inhale higher doses of radiation relative to their body size. In addition, children in ECE programs may spend many hours each day in the same classroom or indoor space, increasing the duration of exposure if radon levels are elevated. Long-term exposure during these critical periods of growth can increase a child’s lifetime risk of developing lung cancer.
See information from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on Health Effects of Radon in English and Spanish.
PA DOH Children's Environmental Health
"A child's environment, such as where they live, learn and play, can significantly impact their health and development. Exposure to environmental hazards like mold, poor air quality or contaminated drinking water can lead to harmful health outcomes or even have long-lasting effects on physical, mental, and cognitive growth. Notably, infants and children are more at risk to experience harm from exposure to environmental hazards.
DEHE believes that every child deserves the best start in life, and that is why children's environmental health activities are geared towards safeguarding the well-being of our young ones and creating a safer environment for generations to come!" See programs here, including; Children's Environmental Health Trainings, Safe Spaces for Explorers, Empowering Parents, Caregivers, Educators, and Health Care Providers, and Outreach Materials:
Pennsylvania Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction
Revised in April 2024 this Radon Reduction guide (PDF) from the PA Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Radiation Protection explains radon, remedies, and much more from their PA Radon Information Center.