Is your granite countertop toxic?
Monday, December 1, 2008 | 10:57 am
If you’re too broke to afford granite countertops, like me, you might take some consolation in this fascinating story from the New York Times.
It turns out certain types of granite, certainly not all, contain elevated levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.
Natural stone can contain uranium (and other radioactive materials such as thorium and potassium), “which is not only radioactive but releases radon gas as it decays,” according to the story.
Though “health physicists and radiation experts agree that most granite countertops emit radiation and radon at extremely low levels,” the Environmental Protection Agency has been receiving calls from radon inspectors as well as from concerned homeowners about granite countertops.
Check out the story and post your comments below.
It turns out certain types of granite, certainly not all, contain elevated levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.
Natural stone can contain uranium (and other radioactive materials such as thorium and potassium), “which is not only radioactive but releases radon gas as it decays,” according to the story.
Though “health physicists and radiation experts agree that most granite countertops emit radiation and radon at extremely low levels,” the Environmental Protection Agency has been receiving calls from radon inspectors as well as from concerned homeowners about granite countertops.
Check out the story and post your comments below.
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