Can Granite Cause Cancer

The reports were about granite countertops that contain radium which can emit radon a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.

Can granite cause cancer.

At issue is whether some granite countertops emit dangerous levels of radiation especially the gas radon which is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon gas is a radioactive element and is a leading cause for lung cancer. This allegation has been mostly made by competing countertop material distributors. Not really says mike brennan a radiation health physicist with the washington state department of health in olympia.

But marble manufacturers say flat out that radiation in granite is not dangerous. In addition to radon naturally occurring radioactive elements in the granite can. Research reveals that some granite countertops release radon gas which has left homeowners worried. Granite is an increasingly popular choice for countertops due to its classy yet natural look as well as its durability.

Radon is a cancer causing natural radioactive gas that you can t see smell or taste the environmental. After all radiation has the potential to cause cancer and birth defects. Granite countertops are prized for their durability and beautiful appearance but they can give off radon gas that could potentially be higher than the levels considered safe. And radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.

Some granite countertops have been found to give off trace amounts of radon and reporters cited a few kitchens with radon levels as high as 25 times the epa s safety limit of 4 picocuries per liter. 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. Radon is a cancer causing natural radioactive gas that you can t see smell or taste according to the environmental protection agency. For more information on the classification systems used by these agencies see known and probable human carcinogens.

The epa lists radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer and the number one cause of lung cancer among non smokers estimating it is responsible for about 20 000 lung cancer deaths every year. Whether granite countertops could cause lung cancer due to the emission of radon gas has been a matter of some debate. Radon released from granite building materials can be released over the lifetime of use but typically will be diluted by ventilation. If present uranium thorium or radium will decay into radon a colorless odorless radioactive gas that may cause lung cancer.