The "dangers" of granite countertops

[James G. Barnes <mail15077@pop.net>]

Today, this passed my email desk.

I'll leave commentary to those who enjoy such things.

Jim Barnes, CHP
Radiation Safety Officer
Rocketdyne Division; Boeing North American

mail15077@pop.net

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This message was posted to the SAFETY listserver.
From:  <Name omitted>
To: SAFETY@UVMVM.UVM.EDU
Subject: Granite Counter Tops and Radon Emissions (!)
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 1997 5:48AM


Yesterday XXX wrote to ask if anyone had a telephone number for
the Marble Institute of America.  I happened to have that (and got it to
him) but then I checked their home page (http://www.marble-institute.com/)
and noticed the following controversy.  As this is the kind of silliness we
get involved in occasionally, I thought I would alert you to it. Here's
enough of a quote to let you see if you're interested.  Enjoy.

 - from the Marble Institute of America:

Solid Surface, The Journal of the Solid Surface Industry (Volume 1 Number
1) that was published several weeks ago, included an article entitled "Granite
& Radon". The introduction to the article stated "Scientific research poses
disturbing questions about the safety of granite countertops" and copies of
this article have circulated around the stone industry raising questions
about radon gas emissions from granite countertops. The key advertisers in
this journal were Corian and Formica.

The MIA has called upon several of the country's leading scientists in
geology and geochemistry to assist in preparing a response to the
allegations in this article that radon gas emissions from granite
countertops may be hazardous. On reading the article, our consultants
reacted with such comments as "ludicrous", "a fabulous collage of
nonsense", "politically motivated", "unethical", and "bizarre".

(...more at http://www.marble-institute.com/radon.html)