Radon and Granite Countertops

Some people have expressed concern that granite countertops may be emitting radon gas and endangering the health of homeowners. While it's true that granite can emit radon gas, the amount of radon exposure that results is negligible. According to Donald Langmuir, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Geochemistry at the Colorado School of Mines, scientific analysis has shown that "the radon release from a granite countertop is orders of magnitude below detection by any known analytical method."

Langmuir goes on to point out that some varieties of granite may emit more radon than others because of unusual porosity, also known as the cracks and fissures that expose interior portions of the rock. But granite or any other stone with these properties, would not be a suitable countertop material unless it was filled and sealed, thus eliminating any radon release problems.

Published by National Radon Defense on 08/04/2010