For Radon Action Month this year, the Vermont Tracking Program helped distribute free radon test kits. A brand new topic was added to the Public Health Data Explorer: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Season summaries for the Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) and Tick Trackers are now published along with two new community profiles, thanks to data stewards from Vermont's Birth Information Network and Asthma and Climate and Health programs.
Radon Action Month: Test. Fix. Save Lives.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The Tracking Program helped the Radon Program distribute 1,800 radon test kits as part of Radon Action Month. The Radon Program estimates that this will result in 75 home mitigations and 9 cases of lung cancer prevented.
The Tracking Program also helped create the
Radon Contribution Calculator to help people with a private well prioritize installation of a mitigation system for air or for water.
Brand new to the portal is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD. COPD refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Although the primary cause of COPD is smoking, studies have also shown strong links between exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution and COPD. County-level data from 2001 through 2013 are available on the Tracking portal.
Vermont is one of 26 state and local health departments funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a state and national tracking network of environmental and health data for the public, policy makers, researchers, and agencies. The
Vermont Public Health Data Explorer provides these data in maps, charts, and tables as a part of the State's continuing effort to help Vermonters better understand the relationship between their environment and their health. Topics include air quality, asthma, birth defects, cancer, carbon monoxide, childhood lead poisoning, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, climate and health, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), drinking water, heart attack, radon, and reproductive health outcomes.
