Are granite countertops radioactive

Granite ’s durability and decorative appearance make it a popular building material in homes and buildings. Some granite and other natural stones contains trace amounts of uranium. If it emits radon, it typically does so at very low levels. However, in some instances, tests have found that granite countertops give off potentially dangerous levels of radiation. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) have received a number of calls with questions regarding the safety of granite countertops.

A granite countertop that emits an extremely high level of radiation , as a small number of commercially available samples have in recent tests, could conceivably expose body parts that were in. Summary: Assuming a relatively tight house with an air change rate of 0. Radiation From Granite Countertops. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (smoking is the first) and is considered especially dangerous to smokers, whose lungs are already. Radon is a radioactive gas which granite can release into its surrounding atmosphere – does this make granite a hazard in the kitchen?

You’re more likely to get high levels of radon from the soil beneath your home than from your granite countertops , according to the EPA. At issue is whether some granite countertops emit dangerous levels of radiation , especially the gas radon, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Homeowners gulped after reading newspaper stories that conjured up frightening images of a Three-Mile Kitchen Island.

The reports were about granite countertops that contain radium, which can emit radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. Granite , like any other rock, can contain naturally occurring radioactive elements like radium, uranium and thorium. Some pieces of granite contain more of these elements than others. If present, these radioactive elements will decay into radon, a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas. Learn more about the decay of radioactive elements.

Why is radon a possibility with granite ? Like all rocks, granite may contain naturally occurring radioactive elements like radium, uranium and thorium. These radioactive elements are solids, but, over time, they may decay into radon, says the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What about radon and radioactivity in granite countertops ? Does the EPA believe there is a danger of radon gas or associated radiation being emitted from granite countertops ? It is possible for any granite sample to contain varying concentrations of uranium and other naturally occurring radioactive elements. Although quartz countertops will have less to zero radon, it does not preclude granite as a less safe choice in kitchen countertops.

Given the radiation naturally encountered through flying. Letter to the Editor in response to the New York Times article. In July, the EPA released an official statement on radiation emitted by granite countertops.

Granite is a natural source of radiation , like most natural stones. Potassium-is a radioactive isotope of weak emission, and a constituent of alkali feldspar, which in turn is a common component of granitic rocks, more abundant in alkali feldspar granite and syenites. Almost all granite counter tops have some naturally occurring radiation.

The amount varies by where it was. Due to my concern about the radiation that granite emits, I decided to pursue quartz countertops. But I have become aware that granite comprises quartz. On checking with some of the quartz countertop companies, I was informed that quartz does contain some radioactive materials. The EPA recommends that our exposure to background radiation should not exceed 1millirems a year.

The real problem with owning a granite countertop that no one ever talks about is that radon gas is a natural residue of the radioactive decay of radium. Granite countertops have been in the news lately, due to concerns about some of them being radioactive. Here are some questions we have been receiving lately: Is my granite countertop radioactive ? Yes, all granite countertops are radioactive , however, the level is probably quite low. This issue has been widely reporte but the public remains unconcerned because of a popular misconception that there is no risk.

Granite and radiation is the flavor of the month for scaremongers, but many homeowners are not buying into the hype. Many, including those that have personal experience with granite with high levels of radiation , continue to prefer granite countertops. Before installing any granite slab, they have it tested first. Because of its aesthetic appeal, granite is often a favorite material for countertops , floors and wall cladding. All types of granite contain various amounts of uranium, an element that produces radon gas.

It is extremely unlikely that radiation from granite countertops would increase annual radiation doses above normal, natural background levels. Bottom Line Both granite and quartz (engineered stone) are premium countertop materials that add real estate value to a home. ASSESSING EXPOSURE TO RADON AND RADIATION FROM GRANITE COUNTERTOPS. Health physicists and radiation experts agree that most granite countertops emit radiation and radon at extremely low levels. Allegations that granite countertops may emit dangerous levels of radon and radiation have been raised periodically over the past decade.

The possibility of granite countertops being radioactive has been highly magnified by the media over the past decade. We’ve filtered through all the hype and headed straight to a reliable source who has recently commissioned two new studies on the relationship between granite and radiation. Read more on what the EPA has to say now. A Green Building client of ours is busy selecting interior finishes for their new healthy home. Radioactive Granite and Quartzite – Risks from Radon.

When we get to countertops the inevitable question is aske “Are there any health concerns about natural radioactive granite and quartzite? The second is by direct radiation from the surface itselfto thehomeowner. In both cases, the radia-tion emitted is from the same process – natural radioactive decay of one element into another.