Is My Granite Countertop Hazardous

There's been a lot of talk on the Internet and several TV and newspaper reports that may indicate that granite is unsafe for use in the home. These reports claim that granite emits hazardous levels of radon gas, or radiation. If you already have granite in your home, you're no doubt concerned by these claims and worry about how it may affect your family's health. If you're simply looking into installing granite countertops or tiles in your home, you may hesitate after hearing or reading such reports. But do granite countertops really pose such serious health risks?

Radiation - All Around Us
Whether you're already aware of this or not, you're exposed to small levels of radiation every day. For example, you're exposed to small levels of radiation when you stand in the sun. Many household products, natural or man-made, emit degrees of radiation. Such products include TVs, smoke detectors, and even foods such as Brazil nuts, bananas, and potatoes. These low levels of exposure are blanketed under environmental radiation and considered normal and safe by the government. Proof of radiation does not necessarily mean there is a health risk attached to it. So how dangerous is the radon gas found in granite?

Radon and Granite
Radon gas is a naturally occurring form of radiation. It's most commonly found in the soil surrounding your house, and is often found in basements throughout the Midwest and East especially. (Health risks associated with radon can be minimized by installing proper ventilation in basements.) The concentrations of radon emitted outside are most likely higher than what's found in your granite countertop. While high levels of radiation are dangerous in any environment, studies have shown that granite countertops found in the United States do not emit such dangerous levels of radon.

Because radon is a gas, you may worry if it acts like carbon monoxide. Radon and carbon monoxide are completely different. High concentrations of radon (or other forms of radiation) do pose health risks but it is not the quick and silent killer that carbon monoxide is. If your home or basement is properly ventilated, you should not experience health problems due to radon.

According to the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST), "the subsequent levels of radon in the building that are attributable to such sources [granite] are not typically high." Other experts in the field of radiation agree. Granite countertops are safe.

Radon and Granite in Review
There is natural concern over radiation emissions, regardless of how small. However, scientific studies indicate that there is no reason to fear your granite countertops are hurting your family. Though granite does emit small levels of radon gas, even at its highest concentrations it's not usually enough to cause harm. However, if you still have reason to worry about the radon emissions in your home, seek the advice of a radon organization in your area. Otherwise, there is little to fear from the small exposure we have to radiation every day, even from our soil and food.