Custom Stone Countertops
Selection of stone is a multi step process, which varies according to application and personal taste. For example, granite is preferred for most kitchen countertops because of its durability, hardness, resistance to bacteria and heat. Alternatively, marble while quite beautiful, is softer, more porous than granite and somewhat susceptible to staining and scratching.
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Radon and Radiation Exposure From Granite Countertops
There has been a great deal of recent media attention about the safety of granite countertops in your home. On July 24, The New York Times published an article headlined, “What’s Lurking in Your Countertop?” which made several references to radon, radiation and speculation about associated health risks attributed to granite countertops. The tone of this article did more to excite rather than to inform the public and largely ignores extensive research which independently concludes there is no significant health risk attributed to granite countertops in the home.
According to Dr. John McCarthy, a leading environmental safety expert and President of Environmental Health & Engineering (a private consulting company), "A considerable amount of research has been published in scientific literature and all of it comes to the same conclusion: the levels of radon emitted into the air from a granite countertops are not excessive and not showing any risk for the population in their homes". Some news stories about radon and granite have failed to address the critical role that air dilution plays in testing, measuring and interpreting radon levels in homes. "To properly measure radon, one must calculate the emission rate in connection with the area of granite and the volume of air in the home," McCarthy said. "Much like paint fumes do, radon generally will dilute into a home's air. These concentrated emissions will generally dilute down to harmless levels.
Meanwhile, the Health Physics Society (HPS), a scientific and professional organization whose members specialize in occupational and environmental radiation safety (with no connection to the granite countertop industry) also took issue with the New York Times story. According to HPS, the procedure used by the contractor was not appropriate and did not provide a real idea of the amount of radon in the ambient kitchen. An HPS fact sheet concludes that no action needs to be taken to remove granite countertops in existing homes.
The Natural Stone Council has also stated that granite is safe for indoor use. The NSC announcement came about a week after a New York Times' report stating that granite countertops include trace elements of uranium, a metallic element that can emit a cancer-linked substance called radon. However, an independently organized study funded by the Marble Institute of America found granite safe to use. The research covered some of the most common types of granites used in countertop surfaces in the United States, including Baltic Brown, China Black, New Venetian Gold, Tropic Brown, Yellow Star, and Dakota Mahogany. The Environmental Protection Agency has backed up the Marble Institute's stance, declaring that there is no evidence that suggest granite countertops present a health risk.
In response to customer concerns, Bridgewater Marble and Granite has checked all current granite in our warehouse and all incoming shipments utilizing a digital Geiger counter and has found no slabs to be individually measurable above background scattering effects. We will continue to monitor granite before installation and interpret results for concerned customers.
For the latest information visit the Marble Institute of America website at www.marble-institute.com
9/9/2008