New Study Confirms Commonly Used Granite is Safe for Countertops

CLEVELAND, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study of the most popular granites
used for kitchen countertops in the United States concludes that granite is
safe to use in kitchens.
The study, designed to determine whether radon gas sometimes released by
natural stone poses any health risk, was released by the Marble Institute of
America, an industry trade association, and conducted by an independent
geochemistry researcher. Included in this study were 13 of the most popular
types of granites used in countertop applications, representing up to 85
percent of the granite countertops sold in the United States.
"This is the first time anyone has taken a comprehensive, scientific look
at the array of granite actually being used in kitchens across the U.S.," said
L. L. Chyi, a Ph.D. and professor of Geology and Civil Engineering at The
University of Akron, Akron, OH. "Based on the testing results and EPA
standards, we can conclude that the most popular granites used as countertop
surfaces pose no health threat to homeowners."
The issue of granite containing radon has surfaced repeatedly over the
years, often fueled by manufacturers of radon detection devices and producers
of synthetic stone countertops. Each time, the Marble Institute of America
and several natural stone producing companies, have responded by engaging
independent researchers to determine if any potential health hazard exists.
Studies have consistently verified that granite countertops are safe.
The 13 granites used in the study were selected because they are among the
most popular countertop surfaces in the United States. They include:
1. New Venetian Gold, which is imported from Brazil. It is a medium
grained, yellow-beige gneiss with many dark red garnets.

2. Uba Tuba, also imported from Brazil. It is a medium- to
coarse-grained, olive-green granite.

3. Santa Cecilia, from Brazil. It is a coarse-grained, yellow-grey gneiss
with up to pie-sized, red garnets.

4. Tropic Brown, from Saudi Arabia. It is a medium-grained, brown
granite.

5. Absolute Black, from India. It is black basalt.

6. Tan Brown, from India. It is a black-brown igneous rock with big,
shapeless, brown-red feldspar crystals.

7. Giallo Ornemental, from Brazil. It is a coarse-grained, brown-yellow
granulite with some brown-red garnets.

8. Crema Bordeaux, from Brazil. It is also known as Juparana Crema
Bordeaux (Brunello), an exceptionally coarse exotic material that is
commercially sold as granite, even though it is not geologically a
granite.

9. Baltic Brown, from Finland. It is a brown-black granite.

10. Giallo Veneziano, from Brazil. It is a medium- to coarse-grained,
ochre-yellow to golden-brown, also light pink, gneiss.

11. Dakota Mahogany, from the U.S. It is a medium- to coarse-grained,
brown-red granite.

12. China Black, from China. It is a fine-grained basalt.

13. Yellow Star, from China. It is a medium-grained yellow to pink
granite.

The results found that Crema Bordeaux, which emitted the greatest amount
of radon, contributes less than 7 percent of the EPA's standard for action.
The stone emitted 0.27 pCi/L, or less than 7 percent of the EPA's level of 4.0
pCi/L, well below any cause for health concerns. Tropic Brown and Baltic
Brown, second and third in radon emanation based on Dr. Chyi's testing,
amounted to only 1 percent of the standard for action. The other granites
added almost immeasurable amounts of radon to the house.
Tests were designed to measure the amount of radon each granite type added
to the interior of a 2,000 square foot home with 8-foot ceilings. However, the
study did not reflect the ventilation normally found in a typical home,
through windows, vents, heating and air conditioning. A typical heating,
ventilation, air-conditioning system can exchange a home's air up to six times
per hour. This natural ventilation would dissipate radon gas levels
significantly.
"Because the study does not reflect the natural ventilation typically
found in homes, real-world radon concentrations are likely to be even lower
than those measured in this study," said Dr. Chyi.
The test results are available on MIA's website,
http://www.marble-institute.com.
About the Marble Institute of America
For over 60 years the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has been the
world's leading information resource and advocate for the natural dimension
stone industry. MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and
other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers,
distributors, and contractors around the world.
SOURCE Marble Institute of America

Ashley Currie of GCI Group, +1-312-596-3313, acurrie@gcigroup.com