Is Granite toxic?
Yes, very much so! There are three main dangers, dust ingestion, dust inhalation, and heavy metal leaching caused by acidic food or drink. Granite contains Polonium, Lead, Plutonium, Uranium, and Thalium. Other heavy metals like Arsenic, Mercury, Tungsten, Cadiumand Vanadium are also present.
The dust ingestion could come from allowing a fabricator to grind or cut inside the home, a common practice on cut outs in fragile stones. Also minute particles, smaller than what we would normally call dust, can flake off some stones. Many consumers complain of a gritty feel to some tops, something that putting a heavy seal coat will reduce but not eliminate. Fabricators are at most risk for dust ingestion but homeowners should not place food, roll dough or use granite as a cutting board.
Dust inhalation can come from the same sources as ingested dust. Again fabricators are most at risk but homeowners are not risk free.
Heavy metal leaching is by far the worst danger. Granite contains three main sources of heavy metals and radiation. The three sources are Potassium 40, Thorium, and Uranium.
Keep in mind that all three of these elements are unstable and they do decay constantly into other elements.
Thoruim is more of a danger to fabricators than homeowners. If aerosolized or present in dust form it can lead to increased risk of cancers of the lungs, pancreas and blood. (I didn't know that blood can develop cancer until I looked it up!) If ingested, there is also an increased risk of a liver disease.
Granite has more poisonous substances in it than any other countertop material, by far.
So don't lick the granite!
You can’t see it, smell it or taste it but radon occurs naturally. It is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is found throughout Canada and the United States. It can seep into homes through air and water posing a health risk .
Radon causes lung cancer. In fact, radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and causes more deaths annually than drunk-driving accidents.
Recent radon testing (which often accompanies home inspections) has revealed that in addition to potential radon exposure through foundations or water, uranium in granite materials is releasing radon as it breaks down after installation in the home. While the presence of radiation from granite has been known and been found to emit radon at low levels in the past, recent radon test findings are revealing much higher levels.
Dangers of real granite on your health
“With increasing regularity in recent months, the Environmental Protection Agency has been receiving calls from radon inspectors as well as from concerned homeowners about granite countertops with radiation measurements several times above background levels,” according to The New York Times.
While not all granite poses a problem, the recent test results are an important development that shouldn't’t be ignored by health conscious consumers. If you’ve got granite in your home, you can reduce your risk of lung cancer from radon exposure by testing your home’s radon level.
It’s fairly easy and inexpensive to test for radon, you can even do it yourself with the proper kit. No level of radon is safe, but at a level higher than 4 picocuries per liter of air, the E.P.A. recommends taking action which would involve mitigation or removal of the source.
Click on the following link to read the a news item on Radon and Radiation in Granite Countertops
