Is Radon Found In Granite

As stated earlier radon is naturally produced by the radioactive decay of the elements uranium and thorium found within the soils and rocks of the earth.

Is radon found in granite.

That discussed the possibility of granite emitting radon gas into your home. Radon that originates in the soil is the main cause of radon problems the epa says. The epa says that approximately one of every 15 homes throughout the country whether new or old has elevated radon levels. Picture courtesy of the national park service website.

Radon is produced naturally by chemical processes originating from local geology. Granites can contain parts per billion of radium providing for an extremely small amount of. After years of radon research independent researchers have not found any indication that using granite indoors puts homeowners at risk for increased radon exposure. Ok so the risk from granite is minuscule but how common is radon in u s.

Granite like any other stone may contain veins of naturally occurring radioactive elements like uranium thorium and their radioactive decay products. Granite is a natural and common source of radon. However some granite countertops were found to emit not only measurable amounts of radon but amounts at levels high enough to give one pause such as the case in the sugarman home mentioned above. The ny times article included a story about a new jersey resident who s new york summer home was found to emit high levels of radon traced to the granite countertops.

There are currently no regulations concerning granite countertops radon gas or radiation emissions. Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally found in granite due to the decay of radium to radon. We have seen no evidence that people who live in homes containing granite countertops receive any abnormal or elevated exposures to radon or radiation says macintosh. I had no idea that the granite can emit radon and of course the first thing i thought about the granite countertop in my kitchen.

Radon originating in the soil beneath homes is a more common problem and a far larger public health risk than radon from granite building materials. Granite countertops and radon gas science and technical committee of the american association of radon scientists and technologists aarst august 4 2008 2 pages.