Some granite countertops have dangerously high emissions of radiation particularly radon gas.
Radon emissions from granite.
Here are some frequently asked questions about radon and the risks associated with granite.
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 air.
Radium is the immediate precursor to radon in the uranium decay series.
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.
While natural rocks such as granite may emit radiation and radon gas the levels attributable to such sources are not typically high.
Radon originating in the soil beneath homes is a more common problem and a far larger public health risk than radon from granite building materials.
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.
Not all the radiation coming from the granite that makes the clicking sound comes from radon producing radium.
This is a colorless gas that comes from decaying uranium.
Granite like any other stone may contain veins of naturally occurring radioactive elements like uranium thorium and their radioactive decay products.
Experts agree that most.
Granite is very popular as material for buildings and homes especially as kitchen countertops because of their beauty durability and function.
Granite countertop radon emissions researchers currently studying the most commonly used granite in kitchen countertops have found that all the 55 samples they ve tested emit radon radiation at.
Both articles reported on elevated levels of radon a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer being emitted by some granite countertops.
In fact up to 95 of the geiger counter clicks may come from the potassium.
Therefore radon emission is directly proportional to radium content it is likely that radiation damage caused by uranium imparts a pinkish or reddish color to certain minerals in the granite.
