Is Granite Can Cause Cancer

Rutland herald granite dust may 28 2000 by john dillon staff writer the federal government has concluded that the tiny crystalline rock particles found in granite dust can cause lung cancer a finding that may lead to stricter regulation of vermont s stone industry.

Is granite can cause cancer. Granite countertops emit an insignificant amount of radon gas that is not high enough to cause cancer or any other serious health issues. Radon can be found in soil rock air and even water. Several national and international agencies study different substances in the environment to determine if they can cause cancer. Concern has been raised over the levels of radon gas emitted by granite and its potential harm to homeowners with.

But marble manufacturers say flat out that radiation in granite is not dangerous. Research reveals that some granite countertops release radon gas which has left homeowners worried. Radon is a cancer causing natural radioactive gas that you can t see smell or taste the environmental. This allegation has been mostly made by competing countertop material distributors.

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. When materials such as granite are mined from the earth they naturally contain these radioactive elements and may occasionally emit radon gas. Not really says mike brennan a radiation health physicist with the washington state department of health in olympia. And radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.

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. After all radiation has the potential to cause cancer and birth defects. Radon gas is a radioactive element and is a leading cause for lung cancer. Over years of exposure radon can cause cancer the primary health concern with this gas.

Whether granite countertops could cause lung cancer due to the emission of radon gas has been a matter of some debate. But can a granite countertop emit enough radiation to pose a health risk. 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.