Radon testing in the home is generally a good idea even if you have laminate countertops.
Marble countertops radon.
Call 1 800 sos radon 767 7236 or purchase do it yourself home radon test kits at home store retail locations or online.
Recent media attention has focused on granite counter tops and whether they can increase your indoor radon levels.
Testing the air in your home for radon.
To reduce the risk of lung cancer from exposure to radon epa recommends testing all homes for radon regardless of whether the home contains granite countertops.
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.
Granite countertops and radon gas science and technical committee of the american association of radon scientists and technologists aarst august 4 2008 2 pages.
Here are some frequently asked questions about radon and the risks associated with granite.
It is relieving to hear that the radioactive levels in granite and marble are too small to be of any concern but all construction materials in general emit a small amount of radon gas which is radioactive and can easily accumulate in poorly ventilated buildings.
If you see high levels of radon present call in a specialist.
There are currently no regulations concerning granite countertops radon gas or radiation emissions.
If you have any questions about radon and your granite countertops don t hesitate to call us.
November 2013 thanks to quick and forceful action by the marble institute of america and its legal team the doctor s show has retracted a show segment in which it reported that living in a home with granite countertops could be as bad as smoking a half package of cigarettes a day.
We recommend picking up a home testing kit for about 25.
The epa has not conducted studies on radon in countertops and has no plans to do so at this time.
While testing your home is always a good idea a few clarifications are in order.
So are granite countertops a real risk.
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.
The doctors show admits it erred in granite radon segment.
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.
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Inhaling the accumulated radon could give rise to small degree of radiation.