Thread: Are Granite Countertops Bad For Your Health?

Are granite countertops bad for your health?


12:00 PM CDT on Friday, May 9, 2008

By Lee McGuire / 11 News

GOOD VIDEO TO WATCH ON LINK ABOUT RISK OF RADIATION AND RADON RISK OF LUNG CANCER


At the request of 11 News, Rice University physics professor Bill Llope conducted tests on granite countertops

It’s a popular upgrade for new homes, but could your granite countertop actually be a hazard to your health?

The family who agreed to have their granite countertop tested for radiation wants you to know the answer to that question.

They asked that their identity not be revealed, but they would like to share what was found at their home.

Also online

Independent report written for 11 News by Dr. Bill Llope, physics professor at Rice University

Marble Institute of America

BuildClean
“We’re living in a world that has radiation in it. And there’s nothing that you can do to stop it. However, that’s above background. That is an enhanced source of radiation,â€

Bad for your health if you fall head first on one in the kitchen always wear
your OSHA grade Tin Hat.

[quote="jimpasz"]Bad for your health if you fall head first on one in the kitchen always wear
your OSHA grade Tin Hat.[/quote]








And, of course, be prepared to be killed off by the toxins in the tin from your hat!!

Thats what's nice about being poor....I never have to worry about being exposed to such luxery.

I found this:

The Truth About Granite & Radon/Radiation

Over the past few years, there has been some consumer confusion and concern about
rumoured radiation levels occurring in natural granites used for residential countertops,
floor tiles, etc. The origins of this concern are advertisements published by
manufacturers of competing materials. Levels of radiation from granitic products,
while technically measurable, are in fact, just small fractional values of established
thresholds for environmental safety. The reader is encouraged to study the information
contained within this pamphlet to further understand how these levels are quantified
and to appreciate the relative insignificance of any radiation attributable to natural
stone surfaces.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________
Section 1: Granites, Radioactivity and Natural Stone
Radiation is all around us - in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, in the soil and rock
we stand on, and in the sun's rays we like to bask in! Added to this is the radiation we get
from man-made sources, such as X-rays, medical treatments, building materials and cigarette
smoke. This leaflet gives you information on radiation and how it relates to the use of
granite in the home, particularly tiles and granite countertops. If you have any questions that
are not answered here, please call the Marble Institute of America at (440) 250‑9222, or
send an email to miainfo@marble-institute.com, or visit www.marble-institute.com.
Is Radiation/Radon in Granite Dangerous? No
There are two ways in which countertops, tiles, and other finishes made of granite might
emit any level of radiation. The first is by release of tiny amounts of the radioactive gas
radon which can be breathed in; the second is by direct radiation from the surface itself to
the homeowner. In both cases, the radiation emitted is from the same process: natural radioactive
decay of one element into another. These two mechanisms are dealt with separately
in this MIA Technical Bulletin but the end result is the same: compared to other radiation
sources in the home and outside, the risk to the home-owner from radioactivity
emitted from a granite counter-top or tiles is practically non-existent. The description
below and the Q & A discussion in section 2 show that the amount of radon gas emitted by
a granite countertop is less than one millionth of that already present in household air from
other sources.
Radioactivity in Granite
All rocks have a small amount of radioactivity in them due to the presence of minerals containing
the radioactive elements uranium (U), thorium (Th) and potassium-40 (40K). Because
granite typically contains more of these elements than most other rocks, it will be
more radioactive than a slate or marble, for instance. All of the minerals in granite contain
some radioelements: the white or pink feldspars contain 40K, the black biotites and hornblendes
contain 40K, U and Th, and the small inclusions of minerals such as zircon, apatite,
sphene, etc. contain the most U and Th.

Volume IV, Issue 1 March 2007
© 2007 Marble Institute of America. May be reproduced with credit given to Marble Institute of America.

http://209.85.215.104/search?q=cache:JI ... cd=2&gl=us

Always funny Jimpasz!

I bet that their is more radiation coming off a Big MAC!

I love my granite. We got ours for a good price and if it kills us-oh well, something or another will get the job done sooner or later!

FCOL. ITS JUST ROCK. ROCK!!!!! THEY JUST WANT TO FREAK PEOPLE OUT SO THEY ALL TEAR OUT THEIR GRANITE AND REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE. I HAVE TILE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE GRANITE.