Fight over Radon in Granite Countertops Heats Up
Please visit an updated post on radon in granite countertops here: A Rational Discussion on Radon in Granite Countertops
The Marble Institute of America better get ready for another round of fighting because the issue of radon in granite countertops is back. For the past decade, the MIA has been trying, with much success, to squash the rumor that granite countertops have the potential to add dangerous amounts of radon in the home. A new study being conducted by Houston area not-for-profit BuildClean is raising old fears about the dangers of granite countertops, and its preliminary results show that while most granite countertops in the study contain very little to no radon at all, the countertops that do contain radon have levels that are frighteningly high. While consumers can be secure in the fact that the vast majority of granite is perfectly safe, a small percentage is still in question, and no independent scientific study exists to assuage consumer fears.
The first issue of Solid Surface in 1995 explored the possibility that granite countertops may pose a health risk. Soon, the MIA issued their response, which attacked the credibility of the science involved in the study as well as the fact that the advertisers in the journal included companies that competed with granite countertop manufacturers. But one phrase in the response, a highlighted phrase no less, is troubling: “…actual levels of radon gas emmissions are so low as to be insignificant and generally represent no threat.” As a father, I don’t want to be assured that there is “generally” no threat to my family. I want to know there is no threat. And after BuildClean* found that 3 of 95 granite countertops contained harmful amounts of radon, would the MIA consider such a small number to be “generally” no threat? I’m sure the owners of those three countertops are not reassured.
(*Correction: BuildClean did not find that 3 of 95 countertops contained harmful amounts of radon. Rather, the results are from a study by Dr. William Llope, a Rice University Physicist, who is not associated with either BuildClean or the MIA. His comments can be found on the third page of comments below.)
Look around for information on radon in granite and you will find many sites telling you the “truth” or uncovering “myths” about radon. Since many of the statistics cited are the same, it’s clear that much of the information comes from the MIA response linked above or from an updated (though with the same references) MIA PDF. My personal favorite was a site titled “Ask an Expert – 9 Myths about Granite” where they claim that “No one today takes credit for starting the rumor, and certainly no one supports it.” No one? They then make the claim that granite actually has healing properties. Most troubling is the fact that, as experts, they don’t seem to know that “lose” is spelled with only one “o.” The most common argument you’ll find, that radon occurs naturally, really needs to be taken out of their playbook. Just because it’s on the periodic table of the elements doesn’t mean I want it in my house. I’m talking to you, Californium.
In late 2007, the MIA scuffled with Home Safety Systems, which sells radon detectors. Like the fight over the original journal article, this seems to be another example of competing companies arguing science, which doesn’t sit right with me. The current BuildClean study is funded in part by Silestone and Cambria, two competitors of granite countertops. (Ironically, Silestone is a sponsor of the “Ask the Experts” article above – their logo is at the bottom of the page.)
So how do we start trusting that granite is safe? An independent study done by the EPA would be a good start. Leave corporate interests out of it. And don’t give us general findings – tell us exactly what was found. Since radon is found naturally in some parts of the earth, the MIA needs to admit that there is a possibility that some granite will contain radon, and then show how they are making sure such slabs do not make their way into our homes. Are granite countertops screened for radon before reaching the consumer? (Maybe the folks over at Home Safety Systems can help the MIA out with that.) Otherwise, without solid assurances, it won’t be long until consumers reject granite outright.
For information on green alternatives to granite, try Green Counter Culture.
Before commenting, please visit our updated post on radon in granite countertops here: A Rational Discussion on Radon in Granite Countertops
Looks like head cheese!
This is an issue that I didn’t know about, but I’m glad now that I do. Thanks.
We’ve been doing quite a bit research into this issue & purchased a Scintillator & a Geiger counter to find out for ourselves if this is true. We run a custom cabinet & countertop shop & we don’t want to sell our customers something that could be potentially hazardous to their health. Generally if the material is radioactive it is also giving off alpha particles which lead to radon gas (do the research on this). We have found already several slabs to be extremely considered about. We have posted videos on YouTube showing our results of one slab. What it’s looking like is that the exotic granites, the “movement” types, more expensive colors, are the ones most likely to be suspect. And you can’t tell by color alone. We used to think it was confined to Bordeaux but we’re finding other colors, one that was emitting in one spot 1030 uR/hr. (microrem) or 1.03 mR/hr. (millirem per hour), the whole slab averaged about 200 uR/hr. The color is similar to http://www.graniteland.com/stone/bege-amendoa.html but it is not this color. The salesman would not give our guy the correct name of the color. The one in the video is called Niagara Gold and in one spot it was emitting 409 uR/hr. (actually in a video soon to be posted from a second trip it holds at 430 uR/hr.). The whole slab averaged 150 – 200 uR/hr. These results are with a Scintillator which measures Gamma radiation only not Beta or Alpha. We haven’t had a chance to measure the 1030 uR/hr. slab with a Geiger counter but the Niagara Gold with our Geiger counter was data logged at emitting 7.5 mR/hr. The Geiger counter measures Gamma, Beta & Alpha radiation. Do some research online about what limits of radiation the government reccommends that you should be exposed to and you’ll see that normal exposure to radiation should be at 360 millirems per year. If that slab of granite was put into someone’s kitchen & if they spend 2 hours in the kitchen a day lets say for 350 days of the year, at 7.5 mR/hr they’re being exposed to 5250 millirems per year! That’s higher than occupational exposure limits, people working with radioactive materials.
I thought the webpage for the YouTube video would post, if not, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hligNicCGRc
Apparently the salesperson did give the real name of the slab I just had a hard time finding it online. It’s called Savannah. The salesperson said that it was from Brazil but the only place I could find it was on Alibaba which is from China. http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/202197060/Savannah_Yellow_granite/showimage.html?
Yikes, now I have something else to resent about the remodel that was done to this house before we bought it.
Remember that even if some granite countertops contain radon, which hasn’t been scientifically proven, they appear to be a very small percentage. To label them all as dangerous would be as irresponsible as labeling them all as safe without scientific proof.
EPA regulations on radiation in buildings deal with radon ONLY. As long as EPA regulations do no touch gamma radiation, the popuation is not protected.
Perhaps, it is a time for the Americans to learn from European and other countries how to handle this issue?
Please see, for example, the EC Guidelines “Radiological Protection Principles concerning the Natural Radioactivity of Building Materials” available in http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/radioprotection/publication/112_en.htm
Thank you for your comments, Christina. I certainly need to learn more about the science of the potential health risks discussed here. You projected the risk of a particular slab of granite over a year – do you know how proximity to the countertop affects radiation risk or how much is naturally depleted over time?
Plenty of studies have proven Radon, Joel. If you want some info, try Google Scholar search. A few dozen that tested both marble and granite.
Label them as needing to be tested, not dangerous.
Christina, the Alpha particles are actually a by product of the radioactive decay of Radium into Radon. It is the Radon’s daughter products, not the Radon that is the problem. If they decay in your lungs, damage can occur.
Proximity to radiation does affect the risk, but anything over forty or fifty uR/hr measured at an inch or so is not a good thing. Those 400 and 1000 uR/hr readings would drop at two or three feet, but they would reach out six, seven,or eight feet.
That is hazardous waste levels by law.