Should granite countertops be tested for radon?

There has been some media attention about granite countertops and whether they can increase indoor radon levels.  

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon1.com and RadonZone all recommend that you periodically use readily available and easy to use short term or long term radon tests and monitor the concentration of radon in the air of your home.

We know that radon enters a home from the soil around the foundation, but radon can also enter your home from outdoor air, through water faucets and showers from well water or public water and also from building products.

With the increased use of granite countertops there is some concern as to how much radon might “outgas” from this popular building material.

The fact is that granite like other building materials can contain trace amounts of radon gas. It is very unlikely that granite countertops could emit enough radon to be hazardous. 

All About Radon

Radon has been in the earth since the earth was created; radon can be found on the Periodic Table of Elements identified as RN-222.  Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil ad is actually a decay product of uranium.

Radon escapes through the soil everywhere but is not a concern in outdoor air where it can disperse.  Once radon seeps into a home or commercial building it builds up and can reach harmful or even fatal exposure levels.  

Every home and and day care center has some radon and the only way to know if your family is safe or not is to have an annual radon test or install a digital radon monitor or radon detector in your home.  Radon occurs sporadically so there are no "safe" neighborhoods or areas.  1 out of every 14 houses has a significant radon problem.  Even if your neighbors house has safe radon levels, even if all the other houses in your neighborhood have safe radon levels, your house may have harmful radon levels and the only way to know is to test your home.  If your kids spend a lot of time with grandma or grandpa their house needs a radon monitor or radon detector too. (The elderly are also at increased risk.)  Your daycare home or center should have one; urge them to get one or donate one to them - its that important to your children's health.

Scientists have positively determined that exposure to elevated radon levels causes lung cancer.  It is estimated that in the United States alone, up to 22,000 people per year die from exposure to radon and no other cause.  The average member of the U.S. population receives 55% of the annual average radon dosage from radon in their own home.  Many more people die from radon exposure and exposure to some other hazard such as cigarette smoke:  Both smokers and former smokers are at increased risk.  Children and seniors and anyone with a chronic disorder or compromised immune system are more susceptible than healthy adults.

In Great Britain radon testing and research is a function of the government and so all data is collected and analyzed in a central location.  the Brit's were the first to assemble scientific evidence that radon exposure is linked not only to lung cancer but also to stomach and liver cancer and leukemia and can cause or aggravate allergies, asthma and other respiratory conditions.        

Geology is dynamic; there is constant underground movement and change.  Radon can travel underground for miles and so every house and commercial building needs a radon test every year or a digital reading in-home radon monitor - also called a radon detector.  A radon monitor or radon detector displays the current radon concentration in your home's air just like your thermostat displays the current temperature.  Also, the radon monitor or detector sounds an alarm if the radon concentration rises above safe levels.  Every house should have a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector and a radon monitor or detector.    

Do-it-yourself test kits are also available:  Do-it-yourself kits is accurate it you do it properly.  Operate 2 test kits simultaneously, side by side, 4" apart.  This method provides verification of results; if test results from the 2 tests vary by more than 10%, you must test again.  Do-it-yourself tests are very economical and even 2 kits for side by side tests are inexpensive.

Elevated radon levels in a home can be reduced by a certified radon mitigation contractor and the results are guaranteed.  Radon correction generally costs substantially less than a new furnace and is one of the best health care values.  Your family's health depends on regular radon testing and correction if elevated radon levels are detected.