Testing your granite countertops for radon is typically more expensive, requiring more sophisticated equipment and the expertise of a qualified radon mitigation expert, who still may not be able to indicate the percentage of indoor radon attributable to granite. Recent media attention has focused on granite counter tops and whether they can increase your indoor radon levels. While testing your home is always a good idea, a few clarifications are in order. ClaiSome granite countertops may emit radon. Dear Michelle, To the best of my knowledge, yes it is possible to get aradon free granite countertop.
However, figuring outwhich one in your local stone slab yard will be 1 radon free will be the tough part because two slabscoming out of the same quarry can have completelydifferent levels of radon. No further studies are planned from the agency and consumers are advised to get their quartz countertops tested privately if they are still concerned about their safety. At the present there is no process or test available to certify a natural stone as being radon - free.
Do quartz countertops emit radon ? Limestone, soapstone, and marble are said to be free of radon risks. Update: The company, Cambria, sells radon free quartz countertops. More Info: Natural quartz is the fourth-hardest substance on our planet. It can emit trace amounts of radon , much like any other natural stone product used in replacement countertops , tile or hardscape.
Radon originating in the soil beneath homes is a more common problem and a far larger public health risk than radon from granite building materials. But Bill Brodhea president of WPB Enterprises, a Pennsylvania radon mitigation company, says, Very few granite countertops pose a real threat. Harry Smith discusses ways to test countertops with an expert in radiation testing. Radon testing can be a simple first step for determining if there is any chance that the granite in your home could be a significant radiation risk. If you perform a radon test and the radon level is low, then the likelihood of there being a significant amount of radiation emanation from your countertops is extremely low.
Are They Safe for Your Home? With both granite and quartz countertops , we are concerned about two primary ways in which consumers can be exposed to radiation: by inhaling radon gas released when uranium and thorium decay and by exposure to gamma radiation emitted by natural radionuclides. Granite Countertops and Radon. Popular granite countertops may emit radon at dangerous levels.
Many manufactured household materials, like granite countertops , emit small levels of radon. The only way to know about radon levels from your granite countertops , and in your home in general, is to test for them, and the EPA says. Since radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, which has an extremely high mortality rate, that’s more than a little disconcerting. Does granite emit radon gas?
Is there radon in granite countertops ? The EPA says, “While natural minerals such as granite may occasionally emit radon gas, the levels of radon attributable to such sources are not typically high. Actually, findings consistently show that granite poses no health risk in the home. Cambria is radon free and does not emit radiation into the air. Cambria surfaces have been tested for radon emissions by Air Quality Sciences, Inc. International Organization for Standard accredited Indoor Air Quality Company.
M ost formal radon testing has been done on raw granite block. There have been few tests run on finished and sealed granite countertops , and in almost all formal tests on finished granite countertops there has been no discernable radon emissions. At this time, Health Canada has determined that the main source of radon in a home comes from soil around it, not from the countertops inside. Well the truth is, more radon is emitted from the soil outside your home than will ever come from your granite countertops. Homes are also generally ventilated well enough to significantly dilute any radon emissions.
Allegations that granite countertops may emit dangerous levels of radon and radiation have been raised periodically over the past decade, mostly by makers and distributors of competing countertop. Radon is in the environment all around us. FREE GRANITE COUNTERTOP RADON EMISSIONS LAWSUIT EVALUATION.
So in-demand is this beautiful and durable material that sales have grown 10-fold in the last decade, reported a recent New York Times article. 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. Radon Testing of Various Countertop Materials. See page of radon from the ground through cracks in the foundation is the usual cause of radon in homes. Subscribe to get free weekly updates on the latest news on innovation and design.
Could your granite countertops be leaking radon gas? For example, one of the tests was on a granite slab sealed in a plastic box. The radon level there was 17.
Or four times greater than what the EPA says is an actionable level,†said Selber. Quartz generally has less radon , but it’s not necessarily radon - free , either. Keep in min however, that a bit of radiation is around us all the time. Finding a tiny bit in a building material actually doesn’t need to be concerning.
Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. We are buying a new home that has granite countertops. I am concerned about radon being emitted from them, though our home inspector told us that white granite countertops tend to have more radon emitting than what we have.
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