Is Your Granite Countertop Radioactive
Granite Countertop
The fad for granite kitchen countertops looks like it may last a couple of million years, the radiation that is, not the fad. According to Rice University physics professor, W.J. Llope, some granite countertops have enough uranium to pose a danger to humans. Some of the countertops produce both radon and radiation. Radon is the number two cause of lung cancer just behind smoking.
Some granite countertops emit radiation at levels much higher than typical atmosphere exposure. Some samples have levels 25 times higher than recommended EPA levels. Not much testing has been done on kitchen radiation and radon levels but it appears most countertops are in the safe range according to the Marble Institute of America. None the less, if it were my home I would go for the testing.
The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologist have a web site that can help you find someone local and qualified to test your counters. The cost can run several hundred dollars. Also, if you Google “radon test kits” you can find them for under $12.00 at Amazon but they will not test for radiation. I would recommend the professional over the self-test kits.
Most of Marin County real estate does not have an issue with radon from the ground so not many properties here have been tested but it looks like this might be a newly popular test, for the kitchen anyway.
August 11th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
This is unbelievable…Considering that’s where I prepare my food! I have to get mine tested too!
August 14th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Radioactive method (by an irradiation streams of elementary particles high energy with the help of the nuclear reactors working on uranium or plutonium) is usually hide from the consumers, it is the most dangerous to health a method of improvement of qualities of stones. At the best case consumer will be informed, that a mineral has irradiated. At full illiteracy of the population the consumer simply will not pay to it attention. And familiar to much badge of radiation beside will not be. Agate, cornelians, topazes, diamonds and other valuable and expensive minerals can be exposed to a radioactive irradiation. As an attribute of the irradiation, is unusual too bright or uncharacteristic color of a minerals, but not always.
November 30th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Oh, please don’t prepare food directly on a granite countertop. Some of it is loaded with heavy metals like Cadium,lead,Arsenic, along with the leachable radioactive elements like uranium, polonium, and Radium.
Granite is porous as well,NASA found over 100,000 bacteria per gram of stone, bacterial living and repoducing inside the stone itself.
Use a cutting board, please!
April 12th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
I read this information in the New York Times. According to scientists, “the emissions from granite are insignificant compared with so-called background radiation that is constantly raining down from outer space or seeping up from the earth’s crust, not to mention emanating from manmade sources like X-rays, luminous watches and smoke detectors.”
The E.P.A. only 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.”
No reason to be alarmed, folks.