Indoor Environments Association - Formerly AARST

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Indoor Environments Association - Formerly AARST AARST, now doing business as Indoor Environments Association. www.NRPP.info for questions regarding certification, exams, CE, and more.

For questions, please visit:
www.indoorenvironments.org for questions regarding membership, chapters & more.

One of the most common questions we hear is:"Do I have to be certified?"The answer depends on where you work.Some states...
10/16/2026

One of the most common questions we hear is:

"Do I have to be certified?"

The answer depends on where you work.

Some states require professional certification or licensing to perform radon services. Others do not.

But regardless of state requirements, certification demonstrates a commitment to technical knowledge, ethical practice, continuing education, and recognized industry standards.

Requirements are established by states.

Professionalism is a choice.

If you're unsure about your state's requirements, contact your state radon program for guidance.

The best professionals don't ask, "What's the minimum I have to do?" They ask, "How can I best serve my clients?"

A major news story is putting an important fact back into the national conversation:Lung cancer is not just a smoker’s d...
10/15/2026

A major news story is putting an important fact back into the national conversation:

Lung cancer is not just a smoker’s disease.

Following Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis, The Washington Post is drawing attention to lung cancer among people who have never smoked — and to environmental risk factors, including radon.

The U.S. EPA identifies radon as the #1 cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.

We do not know what caused Pope Leo XIV’s cancer, and we should not speculate. But his diagnosis gives us an important opportunity to challenge a misconception that has persisted for far too long:

Not smoking does not mean you are not at risk for lung cancer.

Radon is invisible. It has no smell or taste, and exposure causes no immediate symptoms. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a building.

And the result is more than just a number.

Proper test placement, building conditions, measurement protocols, device quality, and interpretation all matter. For testing you can rely on, choose a certified radon measurement professional.

Know your exposure.
Get your home tested.
Find a certified radon professional at NRPP.info.

Read The Washington Post story:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/10/15/pope-has-lung-cancer-thats-common-nonsmokers-heres-what-know/

One of the biggest myths about volunteering is that you have to give hundreds of hours to make a difference.You don't.St...
10/15/2026

One of the biggest myths about volunteering is that you have to give hundreds of hours to make a difference.

You don't.

Strong professions aren't built because a few people do everything.

They're built because many people each contribute something.

Maybe you serve on a committee.

Maybe you write an article.

Maybe you mentor someone new.

Maybe you speak at a chapter meeting.

Maybe you help review a standard.

Maybe you simply share your experience when someone asks a question.

Every contribution matters.

Every hour invested helps move the profession forward.

The Indoor Environments Association doesn't need everyone to do everything.

It simply needs professionals who are willing to contribute in the ways they can.

Because that's how lasting professions are built.

**Building the profession starts with people willing to belong.**

*Great professions aren't built by one expert. They're built by communities of experts.*

Where did this number come from?It sounds like a simple question.But in radon research, the answer might be:A measuremen...
10/13/2026

Where did this number come from?

It sounds like a simple question.

But in radon research, the answer might be:

A measurement.
A geographic estimate.
A statistical model.
An assumption built into another model.

Four recent papers caught our attention because, together, they illustrate different parts of that evidence chain.

Wu et al. started with 19,497 residential radon measurements in Utah and examined what becomes visible when radon is modeled at much finer spatial resolution.

Mowrer et al. linked residential histories with five geographic radon exposure metrics to investigate malignant brain/CNS cancer. Elevated risk was observed across all five metrics — illustrating both the value and the challenge of reconstructing long-term environmental exposure.

Martel-Escobar et al. took the same 615 radon measurements from Gran Canaria and tested different statistical distributions. The measurements stayed the same. The estimated proportion above reference levels changed depending on the model.

Pescatore examined something different again: a long-standing model used to estimate the relative importance of radon ingestion from drinking water, asking how much empirical certainty actually supports one of its underlying assumptions.

These papers are studying very different questions.

But together they are a useful reminder:

Measurements and models are not interchangeable.

Models are essential. They allow researchers to estimate exposures we cannot directly observe, describe populations, reconstruct the past, identify spatial patterns and investigate health outcomes.

But every model contains choices and assumptions.

Understanding where a number came from — and what uncertainty surrounds it — is part of understanding what that number can actually tell us.

Good science doesn't eliminate uncertainty.

It makes the uncertainty visible.

Sources: Wu et al. | Mowrer et al. | Martel-Escobar et al. | Pescatore | 2026

When homeowners hire a radon professional, they're placing their trust in someone they may have just met.That trust matt...
10/12/2026

When homeowners hire a radon professional, they're placing their trust in someone they may have just met.

That trust matters.

NRPP certification represents more than technical knowledge. It demonstrates that a professional has met established certification requirements, agrees to uphold a code of ethics, and maintains their knowledge through continuing education and ongoing certification requirements.

For professionals, certification reflects a commitment to excellence.

For clients, it provides confidence that the person they're working with has invested in developing and maintaining their expertise.

Because professionalism isn't measured by what we say about ourselves.

It's demonstrated through the standards we choose to uphold.

**Confidence begins with competence.**

For Laura Armul, volunteering has always been about the people.With 27 years in the radon industry, Laura has helped pro...
10/11/2026

For Laura Armul, volunteering has always been about the people.

With 27 years in the radon industry, Laura has helped professionals across the country through product support, education, technical guidance, and industry collaboration. As Director of Sales and Marketing at SunRADON, she combines technical expertise with a passion for helping others succeed.

Her volunteer service with the Indoor Environments Association has included more than two decades of leadership in a variety of roles and currently serving on the Florida Chapter Board.

But when asked why she volunteers, Laura doesn't begin by talking about what she's given to the profession.

She talks about what the profession has given to her.

Through IEA, she has built lasting friendships, found trusted mentors, expanded her professional network, and collaborated with people who have helped her grow throughout her career.

And every year, those relationships come full circle.

*"The Annual Symposium feels like a reunion of family and friends."*

*"I volunteer because of the friendships, collaboration, and community."*

Thank you, Laura, for helping build the connections that make our profession stronger.

Interested in getting involved? Learn more at IndoorEnvironments.org.

What if the profession doesn't need another expert...What if it needs your perspective?One of the biggest misconceptions...
10/10/2026

What if the profession doesn't need another expert...

What if it needs your perspective?

One of the biggest misconceptions about volunteering is that you need decades of experience before you have something valuable to offer.

You don't.

Every profession grows because people contribute in different ways.

Some write standards.

Some mentor new professionals.

Some organize chapter meetings.

Some teach.

Some ask thoughtful questions that lead to better answers.

Some simply show up and become part of the conversation.

Every one of those contributions matters.

The Indoor Environments Association is stronger because professionals with different backgrounds, experiences, and ideas choose to participate.

You don't have to know everything to help move the profession forward.

You simply have to be willing to contribute.

**Building the profession starts with people willing to belong.**

*The greatest benefit isn't membership. It's the profession we build together.*

Planning to become certified?Before you begin, take a few minutes to understand your state's requirements.Some states re...
10/09/2026

Planning to become certified?

Before you begin, take a few minutes to understand your state's requirements.

Some states require professional certification or licensing to perform radon services. Others have different requirements—or may not regulate radon professionals at the state level.

Knowing the requirements where you work can help you choose the right certification path and avoid unnecessary delays.

NRPP certification supports professionals across the country, but state requirements are established by each state's radon program.

A little research at the beginning of your journey can save a lot of time later.

Professional decisions begin with reliable information.

For decades, discussions of radon in drinking water have relied on a familiar model:Most of the dose is attributed to ra...
10/08/2026

For decades, discussions of radon in drinking water have relied on a familiar model:

Most of the dose is attributed to radon released from water into indoor air and subsequently inhaled.

A much smaller portion — commonly modeled at roughly 10% — is attributed to ingestion.

But how certain are we about that 10%?

In a 2026 technical paper, Claudio Pescatore revisits the scientific basis for estimating radon exposure through ingestion and argues that this pathway may be considerably more uncertain and model-dependent than its conventional treatment suggests.

One of the key uncertainties is biological:

How much swallowed radon actually crosses the gastric wall before being eliminated through exhalation?

Historical assessments acknowledged substantial uncertainty around that parameter. Yet over time, the familiar approximately 90% inhalation / 10% ingestion partition became embedded in subsequent guidance and modeling.

That does not mean the conventional model is wrong.

And this paper does not demonstrate that ingestion risk is higher than currently estimated.

Instead, it asks an important scientific question:

Has continued use of a model gradually made an uncertain estimate feel more certain than the underlying evidence supports?

That distinction matters.

Models are necessary in radiation protection. They allow us to estimate pathways and doses that cannot always be measured directly.

But a model's longevity is not, by itself, evidence that its underlying uncertainty has been resolved.

Pescatore argues that the ingestion pathway remains uncertainty-dominated and deserves renewed examination rather than being treated as empirically settled.

Sometimes revisiting an old assumption is as important as developing a new model.

Source: Claudio Pescatore | Journal of Environmental Radioactivity | 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2026.107964

The strongest professions don't just meet once a year.They stay connected.Every article published.Every webinar presente...
10/08/2026

The strongest professions don't just meet once a year.

They stay connected.

Every article published.

Every webinar presented.

Every podcast recorded.

Every research update shared.

Every conversation between professionals...
..helps move knowledge from one person to another.

That's how ideas spread.

That's how innovation happens.

That's how professionals continue learning long after the conference ends.

Through publications like RnBiz, educational webinars, The Indoor Environments Project Podcast, newsletters, technical resources, and countless professional conversations, IEA helps keep the dialogue alive throughout the year.

Because when professionals continue talking, learning, and sharing...

The entire profession continues moving forward.

**Building the profession starts with people willing to belong.**

*The strongest professions grow where knowledge is shared.*

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