Citizen Science

Citizen Science

What is Citizen Science?

Citizen science offers a unique opportunity for the public and the State of Tennessee to connect through environmental science. Citizen science allows the public to assist with scientific research – whether community-driven research or global investigations. Citizen science mobilizes the public to participate in the scientific process to address problems. Citizens of Tennessee can help by identifying research questions, collecting and analyzing data, making new discoveries, and developing technologies and applications.

When you test your home or school for radon, it helps to provide valuable information to the state to identify specific areas where radon may be more likely to occur. With this information, the Centers for Disease Control is able to better map radon levels in the state and help reduce the cases of radon induced lung cancer.

How can I get involved?
Once you mail back your test kit to be analyzed, the results will be made available to you and shared with the state through our third party provider, AirChek.

Instructions are included when you receive your test kit, but there are still commonly made errors that can invalidate your kit. Some of the most frequent errors users make when testing are testing too long, improperly recording test time, and too much time passing before the kit is received back at the laboratory for analysis.

To remedy these common mistakes it is recommended to run the test for a maximum of 5 days, record the test time carefully, and mail the kit as soon as the test has concluded. Postage on the kits is prepaid which helps ensure that your kit gets to AirChek's laboratory as quickly as possible will provide the most accurate results. Some people find it useful to set a calendar alarm on a computer or phone to remind them when to conclude the test and mail it to the laboratory for analysis.