Radon and Granite Countertops-

My mother, the consummate reader and researcher, just sent me an article from the New York Times about granite counter tops and the radioactive gas, radon.

She knows that in the throws of our house renovation, we are making decisions about what counter tops to use in our kitchen, and on top of the vanities in our bathrooms. I've written here about some environmentally friendly(er) options such as PaperStone and Richlite, but we are still considering all options.

So I read with great interest this article about granite counter tops possibly causing radon gas problems in people's homes. I'd never heard about this.

I knew most granite comes from far away (South America is the source at our local tile and granite store), is heavy and shipped using lots of ozone depleting gas, and it needs some sort of chemical treatment to look nice. Although, at my good friend's house, the granite looks beautiful and she has never treated it in the 8 years since I have known her.

One homeowner from the article had a granite counter top that was emitting radon and contained uranium (which is radioactive and emits radon). Check this out:

"The E.P.A. recommends taking action if radon gas levels in the home exceeds 4 picocuries per liter of air (a measure of radioactive emission); about the same risk for cancer as smoking a half a pack of cigarettes per day. In Dr. Sugarman’s kitchen, the readings were 100 picocuries per liter. In her basement, where radon readings are expected to be higher because the gas usually seeps into homes from decaying uranium underground, the readings were 6 picocuries per liter."

The Director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University in New York, David J. Brenner, says the cancer risk from granite counter tops, is “on the order of one in a million.” Being struck by lightning is more likely. But, he says, “It makes sense. If you can choose another counter that doesn’t elevate your risk, however slightly, why wouldn’t you?”

I had pretty much ruled out granite for our counter tops for other reasons, but this helps me make that decision more firmly, even though the risk is unclear and probably minimal.

The EPA and the Marble Institute of America insist that all granite counter tops are safe and there is no cause for alarm.

If you are interested in testing your already existing counter tops for radon, the article suggests using a radon test kit available on-line and in hardware stores. They run about 20 to 30 dollars.

image: Grand Installations LLC on Flikr