The controversy regarding radon and radioactivity from granite has been fueled by BuildClean, a new non-profit organization in Houston. This year, it began advertising free in-home tests for radon and radiation as part of a pilot study to determine whether natural stone products emit harmful levels of radon or radiation over time. Products of concern included granite, shale, ceramic tile travertine and concrete.
Sara Speer Selber, BuildClean's executive director, says the concern was initially raised by a company in the Houston area that sells granite and Silestone, a manufactured stone product, after officials received some preliminary test results.
"It has long been known that granite, an igneous rock, emits radon," she says. "What we don't have adequate data on is whether the popular consumer colors of commercial/residential granite being used for indoor applications such as countertops, wall covering and floors may emit levels of radon that may be harmful to human health."
Speer Selber says test results from the pilot study's 300 homes, 200 with granite and 100 with other materials, are expected by the end of November.
She stresses that there is no premarket testing of granite or other building materials for radiation in the United States, although the European Union and China recently set standards.
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