The smug will kill them first.

Oh for fark's sake, everything has some level of radioactivity. Also if it's alpha radiation, not much to worry about since it can't even get through a sheet of paper, let alone your skin.

WhyteRaven74: Also if it's alpha radiation, not much to worry about since it can't even get through a sheet of paper, let alone your skin.

Except that...

11 News turned to him after a Houston research group discovered elevated levels of potentially dangerous gamma radiation coming from the home’s granite countertop.

Surprise! The two big funders of this project are makers of quartz countertops. Who'd have guessed? Anyway, I like the quartz composite ones a little better. They're just so much cheaper.

I guess wjllope got a greenlight!

remus
WhyteRaven74: Also if it's alpha radiation, not much to worry about since it can't even get through a sheet of paper, let alone your skin.

Except that...

11 News turned to him after a Houston research group discovered elevated levels of potentially dangerous gamma radiation coming from the home’s granite countertop.

Surely everyone already knows this?

Granite is a normal, geological, source of radiation in the natural environment. Granite contains around 10 to 20 parts per million of uranium. By contrast, more mafic rocks such as tonalite, gabbro or diorite have 1 to 5 ppm uranium, and limestones and sedimentary rocks usually have equally low amounts.

Many large granite plutons are the sources for palaeochannel-hosted or roll front uranium ore deposits, where the uranium washes into the sediments from the granite uplands and associated, often highly radioactive, pegmatites.

Granite could be considered a potential natural radiological hazard as, for instance, villages located over granite may be susceptible to higher doses of radiation than other communities.[6] Cellars and basements sunk into soils formed over or from particularly uraniferous granites can become a trap for radon gas, which is heavier than air.

However, in the majority of cases, although granite is a significant source of natural radiation as compared to other rocks it is not often an acute health threat or significant risk factor. Various resources from national geological survey organisations are accessible online to assist in assessing the risk factors in granite country and design rules relating, in particular, to preventing accumulation of radon gas in enclosed basements and dwellings.

Turn the microwave off, dumbass.

My wife is clearly trying to kill us all.

feba: Turn the microwave off, dumbass.

Different kind of radiation. Microwaves emit microwave radiation. Your light bulb emits radiation too. As does your computer screen. We call that "light".

Granite OTOH contains traces of Uranium and other materials that break down over time and emit Alpha, Beta, and Gamma particles.

Only a 2% increased risk of Hulkism.

This is dumb...there is blood shooting out of my eyes

/has nice granite counter tops

//that explains the blood shooting out of my eyes

Counters are the least of my worries

/ran through a 698 mrem/hr field the other day.
//that probably isn't half of what my balls were in as I ran past that hot spot.

Terrx: I guess wjllope got a greenlight!

i didn't submit this.... i guess i should have!

xria: Surely everyone already knows this?

you'd be surprised - i'm getting a boatload of email from people asking about it...

in fact - most people think the "natural" in natural stone countertops means it's perfectly safe - as in only man-made things could possible be dangerous... cheers

Well, it'll keep the utensils sterilized.

xria
Don't forget about Potassium decay from all the K-spar.

/mmm science

nopokerface: My wife is clearly trying to kill us all.

Meh.

My wife was radioactive twice in the last year or so. One time so bad that my son and I couldn't stay in the same house for about 3 days, and I couldn't sleep in the same bed for a week after that.

/Iodine-131 treatment for thyroid cancer
//Was hoping it would give her super sexual powers.
///I was disappointed.

dittybopper: Iodine-131 treatment for thyroid cancer

Hope everything goes well. Best wishes to you, and her.

SomeGeologist: Don't forget about Potassium decay from all the K-spar.

or the 232-Thorium.... i took a gamma spectrum from this counter (the plot is in the writeup that accompanies the story - it's linked to in the "Also online" box in the article)...

most of the peaks are coming from the uranium ore. one also sees the 1.46 MeV peak from 40-K and the 2.6 MeV peak from 232-Th....

cheers

On the plus side, all that radiation will keep the countertop free of bacteria.

wjllope
xria: Surely everyone already knows this?

you'd be surprised - i'm getting a boatload of email from people asking about it...

in fact - most people think the "natural" in natural stone countertops means it's perfectly safe - as in only man-made things could possible be dangerous... cheers

I have been tempted before to make things like 'Hemlock and Black Bryony Soda - 100% Natural ingredients' and see how many people would drink it.

xria: 100% Natural ingredients' and see how many people would drink it.

they would drink it.... as a business model, though, it probably won't work... a person could only drink one, then they'd be out of the market...

here's the site (new window) where i'm keeping all my stuff on this story. some of the more common questions i'm getting are collected at the bottom... feel free to email me at the address on that page if you have any questions on this stuff... cheers

anyone know about how much an average 4'x3' quartz countertop would cost?

From the article:

“Granite countertops have had a tremendous explosion in this country,” she said.

Please, please don't use the phrase "tremendous explosion" when talking about radioactive things...

According to the lecturer at my 40-hr HAZWOPER class (Haz-Mat procedural training) there is a higher instance of cancer in DC because of all the granite buildings. I wouldn't be surprised Vermont has a similar issue.

Of course this is only one side of the story. OSHA has guidelines for how much radiation one can encounter in both chronic and acute situations without suffering ill effects. I'd be shocked if putting a granite countertop in your McMansion would even approach those limits. Even if you laid naked on it day in and out.

nopokerface: dittybopper: Iodine-131 treatment for thyroid cancer

Hope everything goes well. Best wishes to you, and her.

She's fine. If you *HAVE* to get cancer, thyroid cancer is the way to go. Survival rates are in the 90+ % range, and the treatment consists of:
A. Thyroidectomy
B. Radioactive Iodine
C. Taking Levothyroxine to both replace the thyroid hormone not being produced anymore, and to suppress the production of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (which makes the thyroid cancer grow).

No chemo!

The downside is that it takes a while to get your levothyroxin level correct. Even now, a year and a half after she discovered the lump in her neck, she still doesn't feel as peppy as she used to, and she is a little more forgetful.

On the upside, she has a really cool scar on her lower neck. She told our (then 3 year old) son it was her "smile". She's actually proud of it.

When I walk into a house these days the first thing I see is granite and stainless steel -- it is the new avocado and orange of our generation.

When I see this in a home I know I don't want to buy it, chances are it has been flipped and there are a multitude of sins behind the newly skim coated walls.

I so hope this is true.

merklitl: Even if you laid naked on it day in and out.

Well, why in the hell else would you install granite counter tops?

wjllope: in fact - most people think the "natural" in natural stone countertops means it's perfectly safe - as in only man-made things could possible be dangerous... cheers

I guess I shouldn't take my stone countertop for granite.

dittybopper: The downside is that it takes a while to get your levothyroxin level correct.

Wait until she misses a dose or two, makes PMS seem pleasant.

xria: Surely everyone already knows this?

Granite is a normal, geological, source of radiation in the natural environment.

Why yes, this is common knowledge in the general population. In fact, why don't you take an informal survey at your nearest gas station for confirmation?

xria: I have been tempted before to make things like 'Hemlock and Black Bryony Soda - 100% Natural ingredients' and see how many people would drink it.

Only if you use sugar. None of that high fructose corn syrup. That shiat is poison.

I hate granite countertops. Not because they're bad, but just because every schmuck assumes that granite = classy. There are plenty of materials out there that you can use that are as good or better.

FTA, emphasis mine: They’re being set up as a non-profit, and they’re funded with two large donations.

The first is $250,000 from the makers of ‘Silestone.’ They manufacture quartz countertops, which is a direct competitor to granite.

BuildClean is also getting money from Cambria, another quartz manufacturer.

Therefore we must take all of the findings reported in this article with a huge grain of salt.

/Not saying granite doesn't emit radiation. I'm just saying you need to look at who funds studies and see if there is any conflict of interest and there's a whole steaming pile of it here.

Just make sure to not use your depleted uranium meat cleavers or this might result:

You know what else emits dangerous levels of radiation? The sun. Since you can protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen, the solution, clearly, is to slather your granite with Coppertone. Your kitchen will be safe again, and will smell like the beach.

You're welcome. My work here is done.

Anyone looking for help getting that terribly dangerous radioactive stuff out of your kitchen ASAP let me know. I'll have someone come over free of charge to take that off your hands. My kitchen counters will thank you.

47 is the new 42: Therefore we must take all of the findings reported in this article with a huge grain of salt.

one can question buildclean's motivations, but i am not supported by buildclean, the granite industry, or its competitors.

everything i did (and summarized in my writeup) is from published literature, or it's data i took myself.

i'm all about the data

Years ago there was a brilliant article in the (sadly defunct) Journal of Irreproducible Results called "Ralph Nader is Radioactive."

It detailed how yes, there was a non-trivial risk of contracting cancer just by standing next to Ralph Nader, how much alpha radiation he could be expected to put out, etc. I have a paper copy around here somewhere but I'm too lazy to find it and type it in, and the google is doing nothing.

You're at far greater risk from cinder block, which is made from... You know... Those heavy metals that don't burn and happen to end up as cinders, and which make up most house foundations.

wjllope. proof that fark isnt always the populated by the lowest common denominator.

Well, duh! Any stone, brick, concrete, etc., is likely to have some radioactive radon, etc. Granite is worse than most because it is dense and ancient rock from the continental backbone, so to speak, so it had a lot of heavy radioactive elements in it, from when it formed one billion to three billion years ago.

Canada's uranium mines are mostly in the Canadian Shield--the great arc of granite and other ancient rock that surround Hudson's Bay and James Bay.

Many areas of the US have so much radon in the ground and water you might as well enjoy your granite counters while you can.

Fun fact*: about 86% of the people who get cancer from radon exposure are also smokers. There's synergy between the lung damage caused by smoking and the lung damage caused by radon.

Don't go into the basement.

Especially if it is finished with plywood and shag carpeting and there's a lot of creepy old 1970s style furniture down there. Rich people don't smoke and they don't build rec rooms in the basement, so I expect this is just another piece of sweeps week- type alarmism.

*Fun for non-smokers.

As brantgoose mentioned, many stone and earth based products emit radon gas and/or directly emit alpha radiation. In some parts of the country, the ground itself emits radon gas.

Historically, homes had enough cracks and drafts that the gas escaped naturally. However, as energy efficiency has increased, homes have become air tight. Radon has nowhere to go.

Today, homes can be equipped with a heat recovery exchanger, a device that brings in fresh air while capturing some of the heat/cold of the dirty exhaust air.

Radon mitigation systems are a fairly common need in the newer denver area developments. not very expensive around 1k as well for the long term benefit

Nobody gets out alive. Enjoy your countertops.

I took it for granite that everyone knew this.

well anyone in New England should know this.
every year the state mandates that commercial buildings (schools at least) be tested for the gas. that shiat is everywhere.

I wonder if all that Hokie Stone ramps up the cancer rates in Bburg..

In other news, radiation can

render you unable to compose

a paragraph containing more than

five words.

SpeckledJim: In other news, radiation can

render you unable to compose

a paragraph containing more than

five words.

heh.

the linked article is just the "script" of the story exactly as aired.... i presume khou keeps things simple by just taking the script of the story and serving that on the web instead of asking the reporter to write both the story's script and a more-englishy web article separately...
cheers

wjllope: xria: Surely everyone already knows this?

you'd be surprised - i'm getting a boatload of email from people asking about it...

in fact - most people think the "natural" in natural stone countertops means it's perfectly safe - as in only man-made things could possible be dangerous... cheers

Yeah, my wife was sitting in rounds with a dumbass doctor who advised another dumbass doctor to use digitalis on a heart patient, because it was a plant and wouldn't be that harmful.

She spoke up and said, "like hemlock?" Rattlesnakes are all natural too.