(ST. PAUL, MINN) — A report from the Minnesota Department of Health shows 39 percent of Minnesota public schools tested for radon, an odorless gas linked to more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year.
It occurs naturally in Minnesota soils and enters buildings through cracks or openings in walls or foundations.
The report says that, of the school tested, 16 percent had elevated radon in one or more rooms. School districts with less funding for facilities were less likely to test for radon, and school districts with a higher proportion of low-income families were less likely to test for radon.
