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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.)
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