Radon and Reproductive Health

These short, interactive modules are designed to accompany and enhance the Prenatal Assessment of Environmental Risk (PAER) tool developed by the PEHSU program and Communicate Health under contract to the ATSDR.

In addition to highlighting the potential sources of exposure to environmental substances and reviewing possible health effects of concern, these modules use case examples of “low”, “medium”, and “higher” exposure settings to provide you as a clinician with a template in which to frame your pregnant patient’s concern or potential for exposure.

These modules finish with a short perspective on a relevant literature example or concept of importance in environmental toxicology. We hope you find this exercise both useful and educational, increasing your comfort in dealing with concerns related to pregnancy chemical exposures.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to:

• Describe the pathways of radon gas exposure.
• Identify the populations most at risk for radon gas exposure.
• Assess your patients' risk for radon gas exposure.
• Select appropriate recommendations for the at-risk patient.

Author

Charles McKay, MD, FACMT, FACEP; President, American College of Medical Toxicology; American College of Medical Toxicology; Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units

Acknowledgements

This material was supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and funded (in part) by the cooperative agreement FAIN: 5 NU61TS000237-05 along with the American College of Medical Toxicology and funded (in part) by the cooperative agreement FAIN:  5U61TS000238-05 from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports the PEHSU by providing partial funding to ATSDR under Inter-Agency Agreement number DW-75-95877701. Neither EPA nor ATSDR endorse the purchase of any commercial products or services mentioned in PEHSU publications.

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