Is There Radon In Granite Countertops?
There has been evidence recently that there can be small trace amounts of radon in some granite countertops. It is a very tiny amount, but, there is no safe level of radon that is documented for people to have to endure.
Buzz about Granite - Is it Safe?
Radon is a cancer causing radioactive natural gas that can be let off by some granite countertops. It is odorless, tasteless, and invisible. Granite countertop manufacturers refute that granite countertops are dangerous. It is indeed, rare, to find granite countertops that are letting off an amount of radon that is sizeable enough to cause harm to humans. Some exotic types of granite countertops mined form foreign parts of the world have been shown to be guilty more often than some others. Brazil and Namibia are a couple of exporters that may have a higher radon content than granite from other countries. Strongly colored granite slabs are more likely to contain higher amounts of radiation; red, blue, etc.
Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer besides smoking and is responsible for about 20,000 deaths per year. It is also more dangerous to smokers since their lungs are taxed by their smoking. According to the EPA, radon coming from underneath your home is a far larger problem than radon coming from your countertops. http://www.epa.gov/radiation/tenorm/granite-countertops.html
You can see there is a small chance that countertops can give off minute amounts of radon. Do not let this stop you from buying granite countertops. Most slabs do not have elevated levels of granite. Most are perfectly harmless. However, it is not a bad idea to pick up a radon testing kit. You can acquire a kit at your local hardware store for $20-30. It may be well worth it for the piece of mind to know you do not have the one in a million “hot” counters. You may search online or call 1-800-SOS-RADON (767-7236). It never hurts to error on the side of safety.
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