Radon Emissions From Granite Countertops

However keep in mind that avoiding granite countertops does not mean you avoid radiation or radon gas emissions in your home.

Radon emissions from granite countertops.

This concentration is less than. So are granite countertops a real risk. In july 2008 news articles appearing in the new york times and the houston chronicle cast light upon a household toxin. 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.

You might even find it in the water. Some granite countertops may emit radon. Call 1 800 sos radon 767 7236 or purchase do it yourself home radon test kits at home store retail locations or online. Radiation from granite countertops.

Not all the radiation coming from the granite that makes the clicking sound comes from radon producing radium. The radon scare has been an on and off hot subject of contention for some time. Some granite countertops have been found to give off trace amounts of radon and reporters cited a few kitchens with radon levels as high as 25 times the epa s safety limit of 4 picocuries per liter of. This means they will almost always over respond when attempting to measure the radon emissions.

There are currently no regulations concerning granite countertops radon gas or radiation emissions. The reports were about granite countertops that contain radium which can emit radon a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. To find out if your granite or other stone countertops or anything else in the home is emitting radon gas you will need to call 1 800 sos radon 767 7236 to get your home tested. Here are some frequently asked questions about radon and the risks associated with granite.

Homeowners with quartz countertops may or may not be aware of what radon is and how it can affect specific areas of a home but many new or older homes are often tested for it through a home inspector or individual home radon test kits to help alleviate the worries associated with it. People love granite countertops though some may worry that it will emit radon a colorless odorless radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of rocks and natural stones. At issue is whether some granite countertops emit dangerous levels of radiation especially the gas radon which is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.