My Countertops are Killing Me!

Filed under: Kitchen, Health hazards 09:38 am - August 5, 2008 Or so I thought, after reading a New York Times article a few days ago about the amount of radon emitted by granite countertops. Honestly, I rent, so I have no idea what my countertops are made of (I highly doubt they're granite), but my sister just had granite countertops installed in her new kitchen and the article had me concerned. Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas abundant in soil, water and hard rocks because it forms as naturally occurring uranium decays. It's also the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. (the leading cause among non-smokers). But according to the EPA, "the types of granite commonly used in countertops are [not] significantly increasing indoor radon levels." And just because you have granite countertops doesn't guarantee that they're emitting dangerous amounts of radon; the amount of uranium in granite can vary widely, depending on the source of the granite. Phew…but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take this issue seriously. Radon is like lead. It tends to crop up where you least expect it and there really is no "safe" exposure level. In its warnings about radon levels in homes, the EPA states that any home can have a radon problem, granite countertops or not. Because it forms primarily in soil, radon can seep into basements and ground floors through cracks in the foundation, and it builds up in our indoor air. Some areas of the country have higher levels than others, but the EPA still estimates that one in every 15 homes nationwide has more radon than is considered healthy. Fortunately, it's easy to test for radon, either with professionals or with do-it-yourself kits available at most hardware stores (if you can't find one, call the American Lung Association at 800-LUNGUSA for suggestions on where to look). You may even be able to get a free kit from your local or county health department. If your home has concentrations above 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), these levels should be quickly reduced by a professional (for both testing and mitigation, choose someone approved by the National Radon Safety Board). But lower concentrations are dangerous as well. A study published in the March 2005 issue of the journal Epidemiology found that average residential radon levels of 3.0 pCi/L triggered an 11 to 21 percent increase in lung-cancer risk over the course of five to 30 years. All in all, if you've got granite countertops, it's not a bad idea to test for radon in your home on an annual or semi-annual basis. And if you're installing new countertops in the near future, you might want to buy something with a little less uranium, such as tiles, concrete or even Icestone, a product made from recycled glass and concrete. But when it comes to home renovations, decorating your basement or ground floor with a new radon detector is some design advice we could all stand to follow. © The Green Guide, 2008 | Email this post Discuss this blog What Granite Types posted by sfahrendorf on 2008-08-13 06:39:58   It would be great if the Green Guide would review which varieties (with photos) of granite are most/least likely to have uranium/radon issues. Of course such a review would be only a rule of thumb. But it would be helpful. I have read that the problems are more often because of the "exotic" varieties (one site mentioned was Brazil as I recall). Radon in Countertops posted by MaryK28 on 2008-08-13 11:16:27   I think I heard from one of those home shows on cable, that all you need to do is to have a sealant applied to the granite countertop which reduces or eliminates the problem. Has anyone else heard this?