MS-QA_06-2019 rev5

MS-QA Introduction Radon Measurement Systems Quality Assurance Scope This standard of practice specifies minimum requirements for quality systems designed to quantify the concentration of 222 Rn gas in air by qualified professionals (QPs) and laboratories, whose data are intended to be used to determine the need for, or success of, radon mitigation. This standard is applicable to the wide variety of radon measurement devices used for indoor measurements, primarily in residential environments or buildings not associated with the possession or handling of radioactive materials. The requirements build upon national and international standards for measurements of radioactive materials, including the ISO series on measuring radon in air (ISO 11665-4 and 11665-5 [ISO 2012a,b]), ASTM standard practices as described in multiple standards including ASTM D3648 (ASTM International 2014), and guidance from U.S. government agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2002, 2004, 2017), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) (Maura and Briggs 2005) and international organizations such as the World Health Organization (Zeeb and Shannoun 2009). These existing guidance documents, combined with the experience of committee members and technical reviewers, provide the foundation for the requirements in this standard. Purpose Because there is no way to sense or predict radon concentrations in the air we breathe, protection against cancer caused by radon depends upon reliable radon measurements. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the general population. 1 Radon in U.S. homes causes approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. 2 Be it at home, work or school, an individual’s exposure to radon gas combines over time to increase the risk of preventable lung cancer. Historic perspective: In the 1950s, studies confirmed increased incidence of radon-induced lung cancer for workers in underground mines. In the 1980s, studies found that exposure to radon in homes can exceed exposures found for mine workers. This discovery resulted in the Indoor Radon Abatement Act (1988) that authorized U.S. state and federal activities to reduce citizen risk of lung cancer caused by indoor radon concentrations. Since 1988, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the U.S. Surgeon General have recommended that all homes be tested for radon. In 1999, with publication of BEIR VI 2 , the National Academy of Science confirmed that any exposure to radiation, including any concentration of radon, carries risk. In 2009, the World Health Organization’s WHO Handbook on Indoor Radon confirmed the association between indoor radon exposure and lung cancer, even at the relatively low radon concentrations found in homes. 1 Measurement standards developed to respond to the threat of cancer caused by radon: MAH Protocol for Conducting Measurements of Radon and Radon Decay Products in Homes MAMF Protocol for Conducting Measurements of Radon and Radon Decay Products in Multifamily Buildings MALB Protocol for Conducting Measurements of Radon and Radon Decay Products in Schools / Large Buildings MS-PC Performance Specifications for Instrumentation Systems Designed to Measure Radon Gas in Air MS-QA Radon Measurement Systems Quality Assurance These are complemented with ANSI/AARST radon mitigation standards: SGM-SF, RMS-MF and RMS-LB. Designation of this standard: MS-QA As used for catalogue identification, “MS-QA” stands for Measurement Systems-Quality Assurance 1 World Health Organization, “WHO Handbook on Indoor Radon: A Public Health Perspective” 2009 2 National Academy of Sciences, “Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation” (BEIR VI Report) 1999