Granite Countertops Radiation Facts
The story here appears to be that some granite countertops have been found to emit high levels of radon a strongly carcinogenic natural radioactive element.
Granite countertops radiation facts. Radon gas is undoubtedly dangerous. Identifying the presence and concentration of radioactive elements in each. Testing the air in your. Radiation from granite countertops fact sheet.
Assuming a relatively tight house with an air change rate of 0 5 per hour h 1 and using average measured dose rates from granite countertop slabs the estimated radon concentration in kitchen air would be 4 8 becquerels per cubic meter bq m 3. Granite is very popular as material for buildings and homes especially as kitchen countertops because of their beauty durability and function. Radon originating in the soil beneath homes is a more common. Research indicates that is only second to cigarettes as the leading cause of lung.
Granite contains radioactive materials. It is associated with high risk of developing lung cancer. Radiation from granite countertops. Radon is a colorless and odorless toxic gas linked to lung cancer.
This is a colorless gas that comes from decaying uranium. Radon is an odorless colorless gas produced by the breakdown of uranium that seeps out of the earth more commonly in some places on the planet than others. As someone who s owned a granite countertop for years i can assure you first hand that it s perfectly safe for homes. Identifying radiation in granite countertops.
Granite countertops and radiation about granite countertops and radiation. One of the commonest search terms about granite is granite countertop radiation. While radon is the immediate concern of alarmists regarding granite countertops other types of. While natural rocks such as granite may emit radiation and radon gas the levels attributable to such sources are not typically high.
Some granite countertops have dangerously high emissions of radiation particularly radon gas. The radiation from a granite countertop wouldn t even register on a test. If your home has a radon level of 4 picocuries per liter pci l of air or more you should take steps to fix your home and reduce the radon level.