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Dear Henry,
The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists has released the
following advisory statement regarding radon and granite countertops:
Position Statement
Granite Countertops and Radon Gas
From the Technical
and Science Committee
of the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST)
Radon Risk
The primary concern about indoor radon gas is the increased risk of lung
cancer that exists from breathing radon and its byproducts. The magnitude of the
risk depends on the radon concentration in the air you breathe and how long you
are breathing it. Radon gas is a serious national concern. The risk of
radon-related lung cancer increases the longer you are exposed although any
exposure to radon poses some risk.
Testing for radon in the air you breathe should be a high priority and the first
step for anyone concerned about radon gas. The US Surgeon General, US EPA, AARST
and the American Lung Association recommend that all homes be tested for radon
gas.
At this time, the EPA does not believe sufficient data exists to conclude that
the types of granite commonly used in countertops are significantly increasing
indoor radon levels.
Radon Sources Including Granite
Soil, sand, and rock underneath the home are the primary sources of indoor radon
gas. The soil under a house always contains traces of uranium that eventually
decays into radium that then decays directly into radon. This soil constitutes
an enormous surface area for release of radon gas into the air and into
buildings. Materials inside a building such as concrete, granite, slate, marble,
sand, shale and other stones can also contain traces of radium that release
radon with varying intensities. While natural rocks such as granite may emit
some radon gas, the subsequent levels of radon in the building that are
attributable to such sources are not typically high. The contribution from
building materials to the indoor radon concentration is very dependent upon the
building ventilation rate.
Appropriate Radon Testing Methods
Direct measurements in a building of the gamma radiation or radon emanation
from a material, such as granite, is not a reliable indicator of radon
concentrations that will be in the air you breathe. Attempts to use such
measurements for estimating risk are subject to large errors due to the:
a) wide variability of radon emanation rates across the surface of
granite.
b) significant variability in ventilation rates from home to home
and room to room.
c) volume of space that the building material is contained in.
This position statement does not address the risk, if any, of gamma radiation
from indoor building materials.
Practical Diagnostic Test
Diagnostic measurements of the radon in the air you breathe can provide
better risk estimates.
Perform a radon measurement according to testing protocols (specified by EPA or
AARST as noted below) in the lowest level (or lived-in level) of your home.
At the same time, perform another test in the room where the granite countertop
or other suspect building material exists. You may also want to test in a highly
occupied room, like your bedroom. (Use different rooms if these locations are on
the same floor.)
Place the test devices at least 20 inches off the floor according to testing
protocols and at least 20 inches away from the countertop or suspect material.
Carefully follow all manufacturers' test kit instructions.
You may also contact a State licensed or nationally certified radon measurement
professional to conduct the measurements for you.
If any of the test results are at or above the EPA recommended action levels
retest these areas to confirm the initial results.
Interpreting Radon Test Results
For guidance on test results and protocols for measurements of radon in the air,
see documents such as EPA's Citizens Guide to Radon or other EPA publications
at
http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs. Other information and publications for
measuring radon in the air for home and multi-family dwellings can also be found
at
http://www.aarst.org.
If confirmed measurements are at, or above, the EPA recommended action levels,
contact a State licensed or nationally certified mitigation professional to fix
the home to reduce the radon levels.
Reducing Radon Concentrations
The best approach to reduce radon in the home is to install an active soil
depressurization system (ASD) and reduce the entry of radon coming from the
soil. In some cases, increasing the entry of outdoor air to the home is an
appropriate method to reduce radon levels by dilution and improve indoor air
quality. Both of these methods require a qualified radon mitigation professional
to design and install the appropriate radon reduction system. Only in extreme
cases would removal of the granite be necessary to reduce the radon
concentration, assuming appropriate measurements confirm it as the significant
source.
In Conclusion
Testing the air you breathe is the best method to determine your risk from
radon, whether the source of the radon is from the soil or from a material
inside the building.
We support peer-reviewed research to identify and quantify the contributions of
various building materials to indoor radon concentrations.
This statement was provided by the Science and Technical Committee of the
American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST).
This statement was prepared by AARST professionals with no external funding or
other support. The sole purpose of this statement is educational and to reduce
lung cancer deaths from elevated concentrations of indoor radon.
For More Information Contact:
Peter Hendrick, Executive Director
AARST
14 Pratt RD
Alstead, NH 03602
603-756-9259
director@aarst.org
The U.S.
Surgeon General, Richard Carmona, Issues New National Health Advisory on Radon
On January 13, 2005 the Surgeon General of the
United States issued a Health Advisory warning Americans about the health risk
from exposure to radon in indoor air. The Nation’s Chief Physician urged
Americans to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be
breathing. Dr. Carmona also stressed the need to remedy the problem as soon as
possible when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or more. Dr. Carmona noted that more
than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year. You can view
the
EPA news release and the
Surgeon
General's press release
Why not just measure radon?
Measurement devices that measure only radon gas, provide an indication of
potential health risk. However, the primary health risk associated with the
presence of radon gas is due to the solid particles that radon decays into. It
is these radon decay products that actually "stick" in the lungs that cause an
increased potential for lung cancer. Since the amount of radon decay products
available for inhalation can vary with house and atmospheric conditions, a radon
gas measurement alone does not fully characterize the actual health risk present
in a building. This is particularly true in buildings where high air
circulation and the use of air filters can have a large impact of reducing
exposure to radon decay products.
Why not just measure radon decay products?
Since it
is the decay products of radon that present the primary health risk associated
with the presence of radon, it is logical that measurement of radon decay
products would be preferable over radon gas measurements. In fact, health risk
studies are based upon either the direct measurement or estimation of radon
decay product levels. Historically, radon decay product measurement devices
have been expensive and required complicated instrumentation, but not anymore!
PGL in combination with distinguished researchers and manufacturers have
redeveloped technologies to make these types of measurements very
cost-effective. Nonetheless, PGL believes that measuring radon decay products
alone does not provide an indication of the potential risk that could occur from
a given radon gas level.
Why measure both radon and radon decay products?
By
measuring both radon and radon and radon decay products, one is provided with a
measure of the actual risk (from radon decay products) and the potential risk
(from radon gas). This provides a much more thorough characterization than
either measurement would by itself. More importantly, the use of both
measurements allows one to identify the beneficial effects of air circulation,
particulate air filters and clean indoor air that serve to reduce exposure to
radon decay products, that otherwise would not be detected by a radon gas
measurement alone. This can provide significant economies, especially for
buildings with high air circulation (schools, commercial buildings, homes with
forced air circulation, etc.) and also provide alternative risk reduction
techniques that can serve to improve other indoor air quality concerns.
What if a Radon Decay Product measurement is below EPA's action level, but the
Radon measurement is above EPA's action level?
"The
question is often asked: Is radon decay product measurement an acceptable
procedure? The answer to this question is yes. EPA recognizes two testing
procedures. One is the direct measurement of radon decay products and the
second is the measurement of radon gas. Now if all factors are equal, the
direct measurement of radon decay products is the preferable approach and this
is because it provides the most accurate assessment of health risk."
Dr. Milton Lammering, Radiation Program Manager, Region VIII, US EPA (ret.)
Residential Home and Commercial Building Inspections available 7 Days a week to fit your busy
schedule. Call now until 8:pm to schedule your appointment.
Contact Information
- Telephone
- 719-635-6425
- FAX
- 719-635-8223
- Postal address
- 1705 N. Chestnut St., Colorado Springs, CO 80907
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
Hank@DCHI.com
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