Minnesota Tracking Program Reports

Testing Trends for Radon in Indoor Air in Public Schools

MN Tracking analyzed school radon tests to identify how many schools and school districts tested for radon. We looked at differences in equity by the percent of students with Free and Reduced Priced-Lunch and school district facilities funding. Radon testing and mitigation could improve the health of staff and students.
Testing trends for radon in indoor air in public schools Data Brief (PDF)

Life and Breath: Health impact of air pollution

Minnesota’s most vulnerable populations – seniors, the poor, people without health insurance and people with chronic health conditions are being hurt by poor air quality. Inequities in income, education, and housing, and other examples of structural racism, are major contributors to how health in vulnerable populations is affected by air pollution.

Learn more about the health impacts of air pollution at Health and Air Quality.

Hazards and exposures

Central Sands Community profile

Developed in response to health concerns of community members and, local and tribal health in a six-county region of North Central Minnesota (the “Central Sands” region) the Minnesota Department of Health Tracking and Biomonitoring Programs developed this community health profile.

NE Minneapolis Community Vermiculite Health Study

In this latest study, MDH is taking a closer look at whether Northeast Minneapolis residents, who were interviewed between 2001 and 2004 for the exposure investigation, actually experienced higher levels of asbestos-related diseases. NE Minneapolis Community Vermiculite Health Study 2014 (PDF)

East Metro Birth Outcomes

East Metro (Minneapolis and St. Paul) communities expressed concern about legacy perfluorochemicals (PFCs) contamination and adverse birth outcomes. This East Metro and Birth Outcomes (PDF) report summarizes the analysis of vital records data for two key indicators: low birth weight and prematurity.

Chronic diseases

Cancer Facts and Figures (2015)

Cancer is not a single disease. It is a group of diseases that share in common the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Although the cause of cancer in an individual can only rarely be determined, scientists believe that the first steps in developing the disease is damage to a cell. The Cancer Facts and Figures 2015 (PDF) report covers the incidence of several cancer types in Minnesota, cancer disparities and lifestyle choices that can impact your health.

The Scope of Lung Cancer

Economic burden

Childhood diseases have substantial impacts on families and communities. To estimate the economic value of preventive actions, these reports demonstrate a method for using quality environmental public health tracking (surveillance) data. These economic burden reports document the economic cost of environmentally-related health conditions from current surveillance data and estimates the fraction that is attributable to environmental causes, and focus on environmental factors that are amenable to interventions. Using this approach, policy decisions and
resources can be directed towards actions that have a measurable impact both in reducing childhood disease and saving money.

• The Economic Burden of the Environment on Two Childhood Diseases, Asthma and Lead Exposure
• Economic Burden of Prenatal Mercury Exposure in Minnesota

Find environmental health charts, maps and more on the MN Public Health Data Access Portal.

Related links

Minnesota Biomonitoring