[ RadSafe ] Radioactivity in Granite Countertops NYT had anarticle on the topic

Tue Feb 28 16:08:15 CST 2012

I agree with you , Jerry, but many of us also use ALARA or ALAP, to keep
the risk low.

John R Johnson

On Tue, Feb 28, 2012 at 2:01 PM, Jerry Cohen <jjc105 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> So, who should a concerned public listen to regarding the danger of granite
> counter-tops? The "voices in the wilderness" who post on radsafe, or the
> official authorities (NCRP, EPA, NRC, etc) who promote  LNT which holds
> that
> ANY radiation exposure (no matter how low) carries some degree of risk.
> Officially, there is no such thing as a safe level of radiation exposure.
> Jerry Cohen
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Maury <maurysis at peoplepc.com>
> To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu; Mike Brennan <Mike.Brennan at DOH.WA.GOV>
> Sent: Tue, February 28, 2012 9:19:48 AM
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radioactivity in Granite Countertops NYT had
> anarticle
> on the topic
>
> Geez, how else can we get a daily hormetic dose of irraniation --
> admittedly it is a kinda' stony cot ........
> Maury&Dog
> ==================================
>
> On 2/28/2012 11:00 AM, Brennan, Mike (DOH) wrote:
> > Granite countertops are a reoccurring issue in the radon biz.  People
> who can't
> >be bothered to test for radon assumed to be entering their home from the
> ground
> >become desperate to test their countertop for radon emission (something
> there is
> >no reasonable test for).  And when they hear that there is direct
> radiation,
> >too, their brains start to melt.
> >
> > I usually tell them that to get noticeable dose they would need to lay
> (lie?)
> >full length on their counter for most of each day.  And if they find that
> they
> >ARE spending that much time on a stone slab, perhaps they might want to
> examine
> >their lifestyle choices.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
> >[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of parthasarathy
> k s
> > Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 8:26 PM
> > To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radioactivity in Granite Countertops NYT had
> anarticle
> >on the topic
> >
> > Dear radsafers
> >
> >
> > A few years ago there were a few articles in newspapers on the radiation
> levels
> >on the surface of granite counter tops. At least one of them was in the
> New York
> >Times. "Excess" radiation levels on some geological samples displayed in a
> >British Museum has led to convictions!
> >
> > In UK , granite containing regions are well known for high background
> radiation
> >levels.
> >
> > Regards
> > Parthasarathy
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >   From: "JPreisig at aol.com"<JPreisig at aol.com>
> > To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
> > Sent: Tuesday, 28 February 2012, 3:16
> > Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radioactivity in Granite Countertops
> >
> > Dear Stewart Farber,
> >
> >       Are these gammas from granite wimpy little gammas,  energetically
> > speaking, or highly
> > energetic????
> >
> >       Is it possible that your friend's granite counter  top has had a
> layer
> > of plastic laminate
> > applied over top of the granite????
> >
> >       Joe Preisig
> >
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 2/27/2012 1:41:57 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> > SAFarber at optonline.net writes:
> >
> > Does  anyone know if there some types of granite that contain NO enhanced
> > levels  of natural radioactivity? This has never been my experience, but
> I'm
> > no  geologist.
> >
> >
> >
> > I've done studies with high-pressure ionization  chambers in many places
> >
> > showing clearly elevated levels of radioactivity  contained in granite in
> > construction throughout the Northeastern US as  indicated by elevated
> gamma
> > dose rates of 20 micro-R/hr [200 nSv/hr] or  more  [ in close proximity
> to
> > granite walls -approx. 1 foot distant]  vs. typical background dose rates
> > of
> > about 8 micro-R/hr [ 80 nSv/hr]  for the area.
> >
> >
> >
> > Every HPIC measurement near granite I've made  around Boston [ at the
> > Christian Science Church, South Station, Bunker Hill  Monument, steps of
> the
> > MA Statehouse, granite Colonial era wharf  buildings]  or all around
> >
> > Westerly, RI [a town where almost every  building is made of granite],
> or in
> > NH or Maine, or  the Harrisburg,  PA Capitol granite steps,  has shown
> about
> > a doubling of background  dose rate measured with a HPIC a  foot  or so
> from
> > the granite  used in construction.
> >
> >
> >
> > Another interesting measurement was of a  doubling of background dose
> rate
> > near a large piece of Aswan red granite  from Egypt which was used to
> make a
> > sarcophagus for a princess many  thousands of  years ago. This ancient
> >
> > granite ceremonial Egyptian  coffin is currently displayed in front of
> the
> > Boston, MA Museum of  Science.
> >
> >
> >
> > All  granite mentioned  above would show  greatly elevated count rates
> when
> > measured on contact with a standard  pancake GM like an Ludlum 44-9 or
> > HP-360.
> >
> >
> >
> > However, a  friend has recently installed granite countertops which shows
> > background  rad levels on contact. So has my friend purchased "real"
> granite
> > with all  the  natural radioactivity it "should" contain or has she been
> > cheated  of her little bit of residual elevated U-238, Th-232, and  K-40
> > radioactivity from the Big  Bang?
> >
> >
> >
> > Thoughts?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Stewart  Farber
> >
> >
> >
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