Don't Take it for Granite

Granite can be dangerous to your health. Not all granite, mind you, but some exotic granites, especially from countries like Brazil and Namibia, can be hazardous because of its radioactive nature. And radon is a bi-product of decaying granite. As granite has gotten more popular it's been mined from other areas

Most granite surfaces emit radon and radiation at low levels, insignificant levels compared to our normal surroundings of ground and air, and from manmade sources like luminous watches and smoke detectors. You absorb this amount of radiation being in Denver for two days or watching TV for an average amount of time each year.

On average, according to the EPA, we are subjected to radiation from various sources amounting to 360 millirem (a millirem is a unit of absorbed radiation dose) annually. Compare that to a cross-country flight exposing a passenger to 3 millirem to get a perspective on your real exposure issues.

The possible concern comes though from where the granite counters tend to expose people -- at their waistline. If you have a granite that emits high levels of radiation and spend lots of time at that counter, like two or more hours a day, you can experience a localized dose of 100 millirem in a few months, that's about 28 percent of your average annual dose, radiation you have added to your regular exposure.

According to David J. Brenner, the director of Columbia University's Center for Radiological Research, the risk of getting cancer from granite counters, even those emitting radiation, is one in a million. But, he goes on, if you can avoid the additional radiation exposure by using something other than granite for your counters, it sure makes sense.

Radon could be another issue though. The second leading cause of lung cancer is radon. Developing fetuses, children and smokers are especially vulnerable to radon radiation. The problem is there hasn't been much research on the health risks from granite counters, so we don't know how much risk there is. Some research that is being done shows some granite can have higher levels of radiation than is healthy.

Granite radiation issues may become like radon and mold issues for legal proceedings and mitigation -- a hot issue, if you'll excuse the pun. Be proactive with your decision to use granite for your counter tops and have it tested before installation.

According to the New York Times article I read you can find testers by contacting the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists. You can do a radon test yourself, buying the kits both online and at hardware stores. But you can't test for radiation at home, unless you happen to have your own radiation detector.

Granite makes a beautiful counter top surface. But beauty can sometimes be skin deep. What problems could you be introducing by going with granite counters? Possibly more than you are avoiding by granite and going with another durable, beautiful product. If you are set on having granite counters at least have them tested for radon and radiation levels before committing to and installing them.