Granite Countertops: Radiation,Radon Gas

There's radiation and then there's RADIATION. Living about 15 miles from Oak Ridge, Tennessee where the US works on it's nuclear weapons we get more than passing knowledge about radiation and how it works.

For example UV radiation from the sun and radon gas from the earth have both been present literally from day 1. Neither are particularly harmful except in large doses.

Lots of construction materials like cinder blocks, bricks, and granite, have trace amounts of radioactive materials that are found naturally in the materials used to make them.

Somehow I don't think Home Depot and others would be selling so much of this stuff if there was a threat to be concerned with.

As many of you are already aware this is not the first time this issue has come up and, like many professionals in the area I have received about 10 requests for testing in the last few days. 3 tests are back and None had any real elevation. Averaging only about .5 pCi/L, these results are encouraging. This group also included a very recent "Brazillian" slab. So as the results come back I'll let you know what's happening. 

We must also remember that while radiation from Uranium decay which ultimately results in Radon Gas production is not measured by our testing methods. So harmful effects from the amount of Radiarion that one is subject to can of course be far different than the effects of Radon Gas we might inhale.

I dont have Granite in my kitchen yet but I am going to install it next year

Granite is a naturally occurring igneous rock, meaning that it was formed by the cooling of molten rock. It is quarried and processed to produce commercial products such as countertops. It is possible for any granite sample to contain varying concentrations of uranium that can produce radon gas, a source of alpha and beta particles and gamma rays. Some granite used for countertops may contribute variably to indoor radon levels.

While natural rocks such as granite may emit radon gas, the EPA believes that the levels of radon attributable to such sources are not typically high. According to the EPA, the principal source of radon in homes is soil gas that is drawn indoors through a natural suction process.  At this time, the EPA does not believe sufficient data exists to conclude that the types of granite commonly used in countertops are significantly increasing indoor radon levels.

Most people do not know this, but radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is believed to be responsible for an estimated 21,000 deaths per year. 

I'm writing from Michigan.  According to the CDC, more than 600 radon-related deaths are projected to occur in Michigan this year alone.  According to the EPA, one in eight homes in Michigan is expected to have an elevated indoor radon level, and in some counties more than 40% of the homes are expected to have a problem. The only way to know if YOUR home has a problem is to test.

If you are a real estate professional, radon and indoor air is something you should know about. It is a serious health risk, but there are simple and inexpensive ways to test for it and fix it if necessary. Like any health risk today, it is something that more and more people know about either through a home sale or through the media.

This is such an important issue for real estate professionals that I'm in the process of preparing a continuing education course exclusively on radon for my online continuing education school. The course will inform Michigan real estate professionals all about radon and what they need to know in order to properly advise buyers and sellers.