Granite countertops - Hazardous to your health?!
Categories: In the news, Weird but true
Parents are well aware that kitchens are not the safest of places for kids. However, when you think of danger, sharp knives and hot stoves are what come to mind. The only harm a counter top poses a child is if they happen to if catch their head on a sharp edge or corner.
But an odd thing has been discovered in some kitchens: certain granite countertops have been emitting dangerous levels of radon and radioation. "It's not that all granite is dangerous," said Stanley Liebert, the quality assurance director at CMT Laboratories in Clifton Park, N.Y. "But I've seen a few that might heat up your Cheerios a little."
Radon is the silver medalist behind smoking as a leading cause of lung cancer and is most dangerous to smokers who already have compromised lungs. Cancer-causing radation has the most profound effects on developing fetuses and children. Neither is what anyone wants in the room families spend the most time in.
The Marble Institute of America is working on a testing protocol for granite. "We want to reassure the public that their granite countertops are safe," Jim Hogan, the group's president, said. "We know the vast majority of granites are safe, but there are some new exotic varieties coming in now that we've never seen before, and we need to use sound science to evaluate them."
If you have granite countertops you'd like tested for radon or radiation, contact the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (aarst.org). Testing costs between $100 and $300. Radon tests are available at hardware stores for around $20, but there are no do-it-yourself radiation kits.
Confession: I'd totally dig through the dumpster of discarded granite countertops for installation after my kids are grown and gone. I'm going to die eventually anyway and granite countertops would make my remaining years so much more enjoyable than builder-grade laminate!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RB 7-30-2008 @ 3:44PM
Don't forget most laminate countertops are made with formaldehyde which can also offgas for some time after being manufactured. Formaldehyde is not only a cancer causing agent but also a reproductive hazard. We shouldn't have to worry at low levels of course but what are the levels when you counter tops, cabinets, flooring, insulation etc all contain formaldehyde. Granite is the least of our worries.
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Ku 7-30-2008 @ 8:41PM
We might as well just start food prepping on the side walk. >.
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Cy 7-31-2008 @ 12:48PM
Well actually you can have concrete countertops installed and because they come in a variety of colors and finishes some are really beautiful.
Connie 7-31-2008 @ 9:46AM
This is the most ridiculous trumped-up allegation I've ever heard. Remember the 80s when people were testing their basements for radon? SHEESH - get a life and do some reporting on some REAL issues!
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Cy 7-31-2008 @ 1:55PM
Uh yeah, and remember when some of those basements actually were full of radon, I know because we live in an area that tests very high and that is why we chose not to have our new house all in brick (According to the research I did at the time, houses that have an all brick exterior, seemed to "breathe" less and the basements had higher readings. Radon is not a joke. Though it is odorless, colorless and tasteless it can cause real lung cancer, which is a real issue for some people Connie, particularly if your kids spend a lot of time playing there when the weather is bad outside, or for people who always do their laundry in the basement. Better to be safe than sorry, get your counters and your basements tested. And if you can afford granite countertops, what's another $1-300 to be sure they are safe for your family's sake?
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Allison 8-01-2008 @ 2:16PM
We understand why people are alarmed by this issue, but the Marble Institute of America wants to assure people that the granite most commonly used in U.S. countertops is safe. The highest radon emissions ever reported in scientific studies are still lower than the EPA’s guidelines. The MIA recognizes that radon and radiation may vary by sample, but studies have yet to find any stone that poses any significant health risk. Unfortunately, much of the confusion is being created by inconsistent methodologies used in measuring radon emissions from granite countertops. The MIA is working to help develop testing standards to eliminate the inconsistencies.
Allison Robino, Cohn & Wolfe on behalf of the Marble Institute of America
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