Sunday, July 18, 2010

Do my granite counters emit dangerous levels of radon?

Recently I have heard this question from at least 2 clients for whom we installed granite counters. Following a story published by The New York Times in July 2008, consumers started to question whether they made a mistake by choosing granite for their homes. They had frightening images of the Three-Mile Kitchen island. The reports were about granite counters that contained radium which can emit radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.
While some granite counters have been found to give off trace amounts of radon, very few granite countertops pose a real threat. The EPA has even issued a statement saying that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that granite countertops are a source of radon. EPA lists a safety limit of 4 picocuries per liter of air so if you are worried, pick up a home testing kit for about $25. If you see levels above the EPA's limit, call in a specialist.


I have included a few web links that explain this topic in more detail.


http://safegranite.blogspot.com/
http://www.khou.com/images/0805/trifoldradonbrochure_080507.pdf
http://www.marble-institute.com/
http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/radontesting_u-akron2008.pdf
http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/assessingexposureexecutivesummary.pdf
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS179560+11-Aug-2008+PRN20080811

16 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  3. Yikes! I would have never thought about that, how scary. I just called the guys who did my granite countertops in NH to confirm that there is no level of radon in mine.

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  4. dear its a very nice blog and the info about the granite is really interesting.

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  5. Is there any assurance or methods to follow to insure that this devices do not contain the said radioactive material? I'm planning to buy one for use by my contractor.

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  6. I didn't know this and it makes me sad, mainly because I really like granite counter tops. I didn't know that the type of stone could have that affect on it.

    Jim Tracy | http://www.mbabuildinggroup.com/home-renovations.jsp

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  7. That’s really extraordinary. I’ve not experienced whatever thing like that. www.absolutedp.com

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  8. I was impressed with the granite countertops seattle doing the measuring. I was also impressed by the scheduling to have the whole job completed. When they installed the counters they were very respectful even though we were in remodel mode, the rest of the house was a disaster. One of the counters was not complete so they took it back to the shop to add a piece and in 2 days they were back to reinstall. I thought it would take at least another week. Great job! granite countertops seattle

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