Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32197610›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental health : a global access science source2020

Economic valuation of health benefits from using geologic data to communicate radon risk potential.

Scott J Chiavacci, Carl D Shapiro, Emily J Pindilli, Clyde F Casey, Mary Kay Rayens, Amanda T Wiggins, William M Andrews, Ellen J Hahn

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental health : a global access science source, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Scott J ChiavacciScience and Decisions Center, United States Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA, 20191, USA. schiavacci@usgs.gov.
Carl D ShapiroScience and Decisions Center, United States Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA, 20191, USA.
Emily J PindilliScience and Decisions Center, United States Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA, 20191, USA.
Clyde F CaseyScience and Decisions Center, United States Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA, 20191, USA.
Mary Kay RayensUniversity of Kentucky College of Nursing, BREATHE, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
Amanda T WigginsUniversity of Kentucky College of Nursing, BREATHE, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
William M AndrewsKentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA.
Ellen J HahnUniversity of Kentucky College of Nursing, BREATHE, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
United States Geological Survey · USUniversity of Kentucky · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRadon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide and represents a major health concern within and outside the United States. Mitigating exposure to radon is especially critical in places with high rates of tobacco smoking (e.g., Kentucky, USA), as radon-induced lung cancer is markedly greater among people exposed to tobacco smoke. Despite homes being a common source of radon exposure, convincing homeowners to test and mitigate for radon remains a challenge. A new communication strategy to increase radon testing among Kentucky homeowners utilizes fine-scale geologic map data to create detailed radon risk potential maps. We assessed the health benefits of this strategy via avoided lung cancer and associated premature mortality and quantified the economic value of these benefits to indicate the potential utility of using geologic map data in radon communication strategies.

methodsWe estimated the change in radon testing among all 120 counties in Kentucky following a new communication strategy reliant on geologic maps. We approximated the resultant potential change in radon mitigation rates and subsequent expected lung cancer cases and mortality avoided among smokers and non-smokers exposed to 4 pCi/L of radon in the home. We then applied the value of a statistical life to derive the economic value of the expected avoided mortality.

resultsThe new communication strategy is estimated to help 75 Kentucky residents in 1 year avoid exposure to harmful radon levels via increased testing and mitigation rates. This equated to the potential avoidance of approximately one premature death due to lung cancer, with a net present value of $3.4 to $8.5 million (2016 USD).

conclusionsOur analysis illustrates the potential economic value of health benefits associated with geologic map data used as part of a communication strategy conveying radon risk to the public. Geologic map data are freely available in varying resolutions throughout the United States, suggesting Kentucky's radon communication strategy using geologic maps can be employed in other states to educate the public about radon. As this is only a single application, in a single state, the economic and health benefits of geologic map data in educating the public about radon are likely to exceed our estimates.

Indexed as

Health CommunicationAir Pollution, IndoorEnvironmental ExposureGeologyKentuckyRadonRisk AssessmentRadonEconomicsGeologic map dataKentuckyLung cancerRadonSmoking

Identifiers

PMID32197610
PMCPMC7083012
OpenAlexW3012645050

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.