After all there are always exceptions to the rule.
Is black granite radioactive.
The lowdown on granite radiation.
Whether granite countertops could cause lung cancer due to the emission of radon gas has been a matter of some debate.
Granite contains radioactive materials.
Radioactive minerals in the granite can decay into radon a colorless odorless radioactive gas which may be released from the surface of the granite over time.
Granites can be predominantly white pink or gray in color depending on their mineralogy the word granite comes from the latin granum a grain in reference to the coarse grained structure of such a completely crystalline rock.
Granite ˈ ɡ r æ n ɪ t is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granular and phaneritic in texture.
However since the granite is not porous and exposed surfaces are treated with sealant it is harder for the radon escape from the granite than from more porous stones such as.
Assuming a relatively tight house with an air change rate of 0 5 per hour h 1 and using average measured dose rates from granite countertop slabs the estimated radon concentration in kitchen air would be 4 8 becquerels per cubic meter bq m 3.
At most only a tiny percentage of them have been tested for radon or radiation levels but a recent test of 13 types of granite typically used for countertops found no radon or very low levels of.
Granite is the most abundant type of natural stone in the world.
Radon is an odorless colorless gas produced by the breakdown of uranium that seeps out of the earth more commonly in some places on the planet than others.
It does pay to find out for sure if there are harmful levels of radioactive elements in your granite countertops.
The story here appears to be that some granite countertops have been found to emit high levels of radon a strongly carcinogenic natural radioactive element.
However it is undeniable that granite does contain radioactive materials some more so than others do.
This concentration is less than.
It forms as a result of magma cooling over millions of years under intense pressure and heat.
These trace concentrations may vary from stone to stone or even within a single slab of granite.
With the concern over the radioactive risk potential of granite countertops it is important to remember that we are always exposed to a certain level of background radiation.
Strictly speaking granite is an.
On one side is that dangerously high levels have been found in some countertops while arguments on the other claim that the amount of radon emitted is very small relative to radon that may occur in homes otherwise.
However keep in mind that avoiding granite countertops does not mean you avoid radiation or radon gas emissions in your home.