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.
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(*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
HOME SAFETY SYSTEMS IS AFFILIATED AND HAS BOARD MEMBERS THAT OWN SILAS & CAMBRIA (MAN MADE SOLID SURFACE STONE USED ON COUNTER TOPS).
THIS IS A TACTIC TO INCREASE THEIR MARKET SHARE.
GRANITE HAS BEEN USED FOR CENTURYS AND IS SAFER THAN THE SOIL THAT YOUR HOUSE SITS ON AND THE WATER AND ENVIORNMENTAL RADON ALL AROUND US.
IT IS TOO BAD THAT THEY HAD TO RESORT TO THIS TO SELL THEIR PRODUCT. IT IS BECAUSE GRANITE IS SO MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ANY THING MAN MADE!
THEY ARE JUST JEALOUS!
I LOVE MY GRANITE!
YOU WOULD NEED TO BE SEALED IN YOUR HOUSE WITH YOUR GRANITE 24/7 FOR 72 YEARS FOR IT TO BE AT A DANGEROUS LEVEL.
TESTS WERE NOT DONE THAT ALLOWED FOR DISIPATION IN TO THE AIR.
THIS IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
As a fabricator and importer of natural stone I have concerns and am trying to learn all I can about this subject.
One thought that has not surfaced in these discussions has been from the worker’s point of view. We are grinding and cutting this stone into mirocscopic dust in the shop every day.
Yet the insurance companies which have all the exposure in providing workmans comp have not taken a stand in this issue.
Wouldn’t you think that they have the most to lose if all of this is true.
Just try gettting insurance for asbestos work today.
Until I hear it from them the jury is still out.
P.S. I have ordered a geiger counter to reassure myself and our customers.
The world of high falutin countertops. Who cares!
The National Health Physics Society should be contacted as to the confusion on radiation in granite.
Matters related to particle and electromagnetic radiation will find the position papers issued by the NHPS, on subjects of radiaion, is free from bias and is based on current technology. go to HPS.ORG
I would like to see any actual exposure figures as to any biological effects caused by exposure to Radon gas. This is not to include estimated calculations.
“An independent study done by the EPA would be a good start.”
Which is it…an independent study, or a study done by the EPA? You can’t have both.
I’ve worked in the granite business for ten years. I’m not sick or in poor health. I’ve fabricated and installed for most of the ten years. I don’t know of anyone whom has had any health problems. Other than back problems! OSHA seems to be concerned with silica in our lungs. Also, why don’t you go to an indoor slab yard and conduct some testing. I know people who have worked in slab yards for years with no ill effects. It all sounds like BS to me. What about all the other things you surround yourself with. How about the powerlines over your house, or the crap coming out of your exhaust pipe. Oh my God!, is this computer making me sick? This all garbage. Solid Surface Alliance conspiracy theories. They don’t tell you about the VOCs and the petroleum used to manufacture these products. Why aren’t these products manufactured in the states? EPA? I’m not sure. But, don’t slam another industry because yours isn’t selling. That’s pathetic. I’m done ranting. I hope I didn’t lose any precious time off my life. Gotta go, I need a smoke and cup of coffee.
Looks like a lot of stone fabricators trying to shout down a civil discussion on the issues. I wonder why they don’t calmly state their case and let the readers decide?
Just because something is old doesn’t make it safe, think lead paint as an excellent example. Just because someone worked with it for the last 10 years doesn’t mean that they haven’t done damage, the latency period for this type of cancer is decades.
As to conspiracy theories, that canard was shattered once the scientists took up the issue. Some might not like it that Cosentino (Silestone) brought up the questions, but they also sell Sensa, natural stone that has been sealed as well as tested for high radiation and Radon.
Let’s face it, we have homeowners here that said they bought granite after much research without knowing of any potential risk or need to test. That is not good for anyone. Now it seems we have a few stone fabricators here screaming that it isn’t fair that the issue was brought up, that it is nonsense, and that other products are dangerous too.
As to solid surface, some of it is made here in the USA, it is made using FDA approved materials, continually tested by the NSF for NSF51 rating, is used in dental work (and ya want to claim it is dangerous?), and has zero outgassing of anything. But that doesn’t stop a few in the stone industry from trying to call it unsafe with outright lies.
Sure oil is used in the manufacture of solid surface, but so are the resins used in granite tops, the epoxy, and the sealers. However our product is 100% inert when installed, no toxic sealers need be applied. I would be careful if I were the kettle calling the pot black.
Now, this is a diversion. The topic is about the varieties of granite that are hot enough to cause concern. One of the leading Radon researchers in the country, one of the authors and researchers of the Iowa study, the largest Radon study ever done, emailed me this morning with the results from some of the granite samples I sent him.
Fifty to one hundred times more Radon exhalation than the hottest granite he has ever tested. Once you understand that Dr. Steck did work for the granite industry back in 1988, you get an understanding that few will reject his results.
On health effects, well the EPA says that 4 pCi/L of Radon is like smoking a half pack of cigarettes a day. Let’s see a show of hands here on those willing to allow their small kids to smoke a half pack a day.
Like D. Lowrie, we are learning all we can and testing to protect our customers as well as our employees. Our limit is 25 uR/hr Gamma radiation from a slab, past that and we pass on the job. Testing for Radon prior to purchasing slabs is not possible at this time, but rejecting high radiation slabs removes any large Radon emitting products. The Radon will be in equilibrium to the other radioactive elements, including the daughter particles, so their radiation provides a safe, simple, quick test for countertop safety.
The insurance industry is waking up to these issues, so is the Radon testing and mitigation industry. The EPA has stated that the radiation risk is the most important and has asked that radiation measuring protocols be started immeadiately. AARST and ANSI have negociated who does what, with ANSI leading the radiation effort (most likely with Dr. Llope at the head) and AARST doing the Radon standards since they are the experts. After that, ANSI will set the standards as advised.
“GRANITE HAS BEEN USED FOR CENTURYS AND IS SAFER THAN THE SOIL ”
That is ignorant talk. The average soil has around 5 pCi/G of Radium (the parent element of Radon). The EPA once thought that granite countertops had less than 1.5 pCi/G of Radium, the average “country rock” granite levels. We showed them lab reports stating over 1,130 pCi/G of Radium, along with all the other radioactive elements that are always present with Radium.
One of the clean up standards used by the EPA is 2 uR/hr above average soil levels, around 7 or 8 uR/hr. If they take that as the standard, very, very little granite will be “safe” enough to sell. More likely they will accept from four to five times background radiation levels (24 to 30 uR/hr Gamma).
At background radiation levels, 3 people per 10,000 exposed will develop cancer. That is an additional 3 cancers over what those 10,000 people will develop without any radiation. The risk is known to be linear no threshold (LNT), so if you triple the radiation, you triple the excess cancers to 9 per 10,000 or .9 per 1,000. Like the moderator said, the more granit tops in existence, the more people will come down with cancer.
“YOU WOULD NEED TO BE SEALED IN YOUR HOUSE WITH YOUR GRANITE 24/7 FOR 72 YEARS FOR IT TO BE AT A DANGEROUS LEVEL.”
More ignorant talk, please do some simple research before quoting the MIA experts. Radon has a half life of 3.8 days, which means it will quickly reach equilibrium in a room, say a few weeks. After that, the older Radon is decaying into the next element as fast as the Radium is decaying into new Radon. It reaches a certain point and goes no higher. To say that it takes 72 years to reach maximum levels is ignorant, to say it takes 72 years of exposure before health problems start is also ignorant.
“TESTS WERE NOT DONE THAT ALLOWED FOR DISIPATION IN TO THE AIR”
More ignorance. This person is confusing the tests done under a bowl to prove it was the granite based Radon that raised the room level. Would you rather someone rip out their expensive granite top before making sure of the source? The separate tests showed the high room levels of Radon.
“THIS IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT”
Is your profit more important that lives? Does the hideous manner of a cancer death not give you any pause? Do you have any empathy at all for the small kids and women that will be harmed more than anyone else? The Stone Fabricatators Alliance recently admited that some granites have the potential to be deadly “should be boxed up and buried” was one of their leaders comments.
Look, the science is proven, radiation and Radon both cause cancer. Granite emits both radiation and Radon, the risk has no threshold, ie., small levels have small risks. End of story. Tell people what risks they are accepting BEFORE you sell them the product and let them make an INFORMED desicion.
In what seems to be a genuine concern of the effects of radon emissions in residential homes, a certain website from a non-profit organization out of Houston has made it a point to imply without scientific proof, that natural stone could be a major contributor of radon in a household.
From what may be perceived on the surface as perhaps another “going green” ad campaign, seems to be a different slant on the ongoing battle of the engineered stone manufacturers against natural stone.
The quickest way to test is with short-term tests. Short-term tests remain in your home for two days to 90 days, depending on the device. “Charcoal canisters,” “alpha track,” “electret ion chamber,” “continuous monitors,” and “charcoal liquid scintillation” detectors are most commonly used for short-term testing. Because radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, a short-term test is less likely than a long-term test to tell you your year-round average radon level. If you need results quickly, however, a short-term test followed by a second short-term test may be used to decide whether to fix your home.
How To Use a Test Kit:
Testing is easy and should only take a few minutes of your time.
Follow the instructions that come with your test kit. If you are doing a short-term test, close your windows and outside doors and keep them closed as much as possible during the test. Heating and air-conditioning system fans that re-circulate air may be operated. Do not operate fans or other machines which bring in air from outside. Fans that are part of a radon-reduction system or small exhaust fans operating only for short periods of time may run during the test. If you are doing a short-term test lasting just 2 or 3 days, be sure to close your windows and outside doors at least 12 hours before beginning the test, too. You should not conduct short-term tests lasting just 2 or 3 days during unusually severe storms or periods of unusually high winds. The test kit should be placed in the lowest lived-in level of the home (for example, the basement if it is frequently used, otherwise the first floor). It should be put in a room that is used regularly (like a living room, playroom, den or bedroom) but not your kitchen or bathroom. Place the kit at least 20 inches above the floor in a location where it won’t be disturbed - away from drafts, high heat, high humidity, and exterior walls. Leave the kit in place for as long as the package says. Once you’ve finished the test, reseal the package and send it to the lab specified on the package right away for analysis. You should receive your test results within a few weeks.
You can view the testing @ http://www.nsraweb.com/forums/news-5/live-testing-kitchen-radon-before-granite-9010.html
Al, Lets keep it short, I now fall asleep when I read your comments so if you did have a point it gets lost.
would a house with granite walls be just as dangerous?
I was searching for a place to see slabs of granite for my in process new kitchen. When I came across this, I was shocked. I had never heard of any problems with granite. I was leaning toward Silestone or Corian anyway, but checking out all options. Thanks for the info.