Radon In Granite Testing

[Huligar]

This is our test kitchen; we will be testing the air for trace of radon before we install the granite and after the granite has been installed. We will then send the test kits off to a EPA approve lab, where they can tell us how much radon the granite introduce to the home.

Click Here You view Videos by members of the stone industry

In what seems to be a genuine concern of the effects of radon emissions in residential homes, a certain website from a non-profit organization out of Houston has made it a point to imply without scientific proof, that natural stone could be a major contributor of radon in a household.

From what may be perceived on the surface as perhaps another “going green” ad campaign, seems to be a different slant on the ongoing battle of the engineered stone manufacturers against natural stone.

You can read more about that here.

The quickest way to test is with short-term tests. Short-term tests remain in your home for two days to 90 days, depending on the device. "Charcoal canisters," "alpha track," "electret ion chamber," "continuous monitors," and "charcoal liquid scintillation" detectors are most commonly used for short-term testing. Because radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, a short-term test is less likely than a long-term test to tell you your year-round average radon level. If you need results quickly, however, a short-term test followed by a second short-term test may be used to decide whether to fix your home.

How To Use a Test Kit:

Testing is easy and should only take a few minutes of your time.

Follow the instructions that come with your test kit. If you are doing a short-term test, close your windows and outside doors and keep them closed as much as possible during the test. Heating and air-conditioning system fans that re-circulate air may be operated. Do not operate fans or other machines which bring in air from outside. Fans that are part of a radon-reduction system or small exhaust fans operating only for short periods of time may run during the test. If you are doing a short-term test lasting just 2 or 3 days, be sure to close your windows and outside doors at least 12 hours before beginning the test, too. You should not conduct short-term tests lasting just 2 or 3 days during unusually severe storms or periods of unusually high winds. The test kit should be placed in the lowest lived-in level of the home (for example, the basement if it is frequently used, otherwise the first floor). It should be put in a room that is used regularly (like a living room, playroom, den or bedroom) but not your kitchen or bathroom. Place the kit at least 20 inches above the floor in a location where it won't be disturbed - away from drafts, high heat, high humidity, and exterior walls. Leave the kit in place for as long as the package says. Once you've finished the test, reseal the package and send it to the lab specified on the package right away for analysis. You should receive your test results within a few weeks.

[Huligar]

The testing begins 9/6/08 at 10 am

As you are probably very aware, there have been on-going accusations that have been consistently made against natural granite products having the ability to cause cancer, because of the high levels of radon that they have been said to produce. These accusations have been going on for quite a while, and it is time to put them to rest.

Who better to accomplish this, than professionals who strive to ensure the safety, as well as the satisfaction of all customers? The National Stone Restoration Alliance is ready to put accusations to rest. Josveek Huligar, a proud member of the NSRA is willing to conduct a very important test in his own home. This is a test that can ultimately change the world of granite, as we know it.

Huligar plans to have the very slab of granite, which was said to be ‘hot’ and to have contained radon, installed in his own home. The entire process will be on camera no less, for the entire world to see. Before the slab of granite is to be installed, samples will be taken, and the air will be tested in the home, as described by the EPA, and then sent to be evaluated by AirChek (Air Chek - The Radon Information Center), to check for traces of radon and radiation. When this test is complete, the granite will be installed, and then his home will be tested once again to check the levels of radon and radiation. You can monitor this entire process yourself on a public web cam at Natural Stone Restoration Alliance | Home.

The slab being used for this test has been provided by Mr. Tim Scarlata of Atlantic Granite & Marble (Atlantic Granite & Marble), located in Rochester N.Y. After searching extensively to find the perfect slab for the test, Scarlata was able to locate two slabs of granite that did in fact produce higher than normal readings of radiation. Atlantic Granite & Marble will also be fabricating and installing the counter top while on video for the public to view.

There have been some individuals who have spent large amounts of money on not only the installation of natural granite in their homes, but then they have turned right around and paid tons more money in having the granite removed because of the scare that has been put on society with the radon issues. Huligar, being in the business of ensuring customer satisfaction and quality, also takes this issue very seriously, because the health and well being of his customers are at stake. He plans to do everything possible to ensure the continued safety and reliability of NSRA customers.

You could certainly be seriously hurt, or even killed if granite were to fall on top of you, but at this time, this is the only way that has been proven to cause harm to anyone.

It is the believed that the radon scare is nothing more than marketing strategies, and it has done exactly what it was intended to do, and that is cause fear of using granite in the general public. Huligar and associates of NSRA do not believe this to be true. However, he knows how important it is for the public to see that he stands behind the good name of The Natural Stone Restoration Alliance and their objective to supply clients with the natural beauty of stone, and that every effort will always be taken to do so in a safe manner. To further put the publics mind at rest, solutions to any unfavorable characteristics have already been found.

This test is vital to the natural stone industry, and Huligar is ready to stand up to the test to prove that granite is not harmful to the general public. People need to be able to see these accusations called upon.

The Natural Stone Restoration Alliance (NSRA) has already done their own research, and released their information that looked at both past and present studies, as well as the marketing strategies used by manufacturers that birthed the scare of radon in the home. The findings of this research are quite simply that levels of radon have no significant difference when granite has been installed in a home.

Do not let yourself fall into the trap of letting unproven fears cost you hundreds of dollars, find out the truth yourself by watching the web cam at Natural Stone Restoration Alliance | Home, and let this door be closed once and for all. Viewers can also comment on the research that is being performed at http://www.nsraweb.com/forums/news-5...nite-9010.html (Live testing of a kitchen for Radon before Granite is install)

	Marble MARBLE: CHARACTERISTICS This standard includes general information on the characteristics and common uses of marble and identifies typical problems associated with the material. INTRODUCTION Marble is an extremely hard, metamorphic stone composed of calcite (CaCO3). It is formed as a result of the recrystallization of limestone under the intense pressure and heat of geologic processes. The effect of this process is the creation of a stone with a very tight crystalline structure and small but definite porosity. Because of its structure, marble can take a very high polish and is a very popular decorative stone for architectural and sculptural uses. The limited porosity of marble, especially polished marble, makes it less vulnerable to the leaching effects of water. Calcium carbonate, however, of which marble is composed, is highly susceptible to attack by acidic agents. Marble is readily dissolved by acids, even very dilute acids, however the actual results of acidic exposure will vary with the nature of the acid. Chlorides, nitrates, sulfates and other chemical compounds react differently with marble and produce various by-products, which have a wide range of solubility and impact on the durability of marble. For this reason, it is always important to determine the exact type of pollutants causing marble deterioration. Marble itself can be of two types, one composed of calcite and the other of dolomite. Dolomitic marble is much more resistant to acid attack than calcite marble. The color of marble ranges from the brilliant white of calcite to black, including blue-gray, red, yellow and green, depending upon the mineral composition. TYPICAL USES Marble has many decorative and structural uses. It is used for outdoor sculpture as well as for sculpture bases; in architecture it is used in exterior walls and veneers, flooring, decorative features, stairways and walkways. The way in which the stone is used may be a factor in limiting or controlling the severity of exposure. The use or function of the marble may also affect the feasibility of applying certain treatments, but type of use is not the primary factor in the major types of deterioration and damage to which marble is susceptible.

[Huligar]

Here are some images from the testing.
The stone is call Niagra Gold

meter reading from one of six areas on the slab




Here is the lay out of the template as we did our best to keep all the hot spots. As you can see we had a lot of room to get our kitchen with out touching the spots and get a more attractive looking kitchen.





First cut

[Huligar]

Thanks for waiting. I just got back from Vegas where the people who come up with programs to deal with Radon and Radiation were having a conference and one of the topics was building materials.

I personally spoke to Stanley P. Liebert of CMT Laboratories who denied any direct or indirect correspondence with our Al or the SSA. Mr. Liebert went on to say that the only thing that he is hoping to point out is the fact that 10 out of the 2000 granites emit some radiation. This however, does not directly translate to what we have been reading on the web. That is, if you have a slab that has some traces of radiation it will give off radon with in the next ten generations. Mr. Liebert is also the proud owner of granite as well. He thinks it’s crazy for someone to remove a counter top simply because of one area that may show a reading.

I also had the pleasure of speaking with Erik Listou of Build Responsible, Gary Hodgden of AAIR Professionals, Bill Brodhead of WPB Enterprises Inc, and Shawn Price of Air Chek, Inc. These guys gave me a crash course in radiation and radon while confirming that we had the hottest stone measured to date.

Everyone that I spoke to all had the same conclusion. At this time the radiation from natural stone has no significant bearing on the radon levels in a home. It was also explained and demonstrated that the meters on the market are not the best tools to go hunting for radon coming from natural stone. The areas of a slab can be easily avoided or even removed if deemed necessary.

In the NSRA test kitchen, the numbers before the installation were all very low. All were less than 0.3 pCi/l on the days of testing (about as low as anyone can measure.)

The test kit in the hall was 0.6 pCi/l
The test kit hanging in the door way was 0.8
The test kit hanging from the cabinets was 0.7
And the one we hung 12" over the "hottest" spot was 1.0 pCi/l

This test was done in a way to make sure we got the highest readings possible. We now intend on testing the home as if we were simply testing for radon in the home.


Sponsors

[Huligar]

Ok, if one of you pm me these questions he rest of you may want the same answers.
here are the new est kits





Yes I did meet Stan as well as a great time at the show.





At the show they had a bunch of cool tools and they demonstrate how to locate the source of radiation and read it correctly.


Yes the kitchen looks a lot better than it did before.


Yes the little one is my youngest child and she is the boss

[Huligar]

Al, I did not think it was going to take you this long to see where and how you misunderstood his paper.
As for Dr. Kitto, He has taken no position at this time, like others he doesn't see granite making significant changes and wishes to do more testing.

As far as us not believing we can not find a hot slab, we believe no matter how hot of slab you think you have, the radon is insignificant when place in a home, hence our own testing.

I see you have like 12 versions of the same video in hopes to scare people.
Do you have any idea of what that little meter is reading?

When you find one of the rare slabs that consistently measures 25 uR/h or more (over the current background), you may have found one that has too much of one or more of the following minerals that may produce gamma radiation:

Potassium (Produces some gamma radiation but no radon gas. It is found in most rocks and soil and in many foods and your own bones too.)
Uranium (Produces Thorium and Radium.)
Thorium (Produces Thoron gas, which the US EPA does not consider to be a major hazard at this time.)
Radium (Produces radon gas.)
Radon Gas (May be trapped deep in the stone, but has not yet escaped the stone's surface. The gas then breaks down into Radon's daughter products.)
Radon's decay (daughter) products (That are trapped in the stone and will never escape, but instead they will decay into very tiny particles of non-radioactive lead.)

Al, do not feel bad that Stan disowned you. If he lies and said that he does not know you for what ever reason you need to take that up with him, but I still find it funny that he would toss you to side like some kind of trash. Al, it is not too late to redeem yourself, all you have to do is start looking for the truth as we are doing and it will be all good once again. My report stands as follows and so does our first research paper and we are confident that the testing my all will draw the same conclusion in the end.

Al, if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem, and as I see it now, you are the problem with all of your blogging with out the facts and your personal vendetta with the stone fabricator that open up shop five years ago that almost crushed your business, and forced you to start using natural stone. I am very sorry that you have not mastered the techniques that are required to fabricate, template, install, and repair natural stone. We are willing to help you in the area of repair, this way you would not have to bash the stone industry for your own shortcomings.

Lets get back on topic, what else about this test do you find wrong?
You are still welcome to come to NY and run your own nondestructive test in this kitchen.

Thanks for waiting. I just got back from Vegas where the people who come up with programs to deal with Radon and Radiation were having a conference and one of the topics was building materials.

I personally spoke to Stanley P. Liebert of CMT Laboratories who denied any direct or indirect correspondence with our Al or the SSA. Mr. Liebert went on to say that the only thing that he is hoping to point out is the fact that 10 out of the 2000 granites emit some radiation. This however, does not directly translate to what we have been reading on the web. That is, if you have a slab that has some traces of radiation it will give off radon with in the next ten generations. Mr. Liebert is also the proud owner of granite as well. He thinks it’s crazy for someone to remove a counter top simply because of one area that may show a reading.

I also had the pleasure of speaking with Erik Listou of Build Responsible, Gary Hodgden of AAIR Professionals, Bill Brodhead of WPB Enterprises Inc, and Shawn Price of Air Chek, Inc. These guys gave me a crash course in radiation and radon while confirming that we had the hottest stone measured to date.

Everyone that I spoke to all had the same conclusion. At this time the radiation from natural stone has no significant bearing on the radon levels in a home. It was also explained and demonstrated that the meters on the market are not the best tools to go hunting for radon coming from natural stone. The areas of a slab can be easily avoided or even removed if deemed necessary.

In the NSRA test kitchen, the numbers before the installation were all very low. All were less than 0.3 pCi/l on the days of testing (about as low as anyone can measure.)

The test kit in the hall was 0.6 pCi/l
The test kit hanging in the door way was 0.8
The test kit hanging from the cabinets was 0.7
And the one we hung 12" over the "hottest" spot was 1.0 pCi/l

This test was done in a way to make sure we got the highest readings possible. We now intend on testing the home as if we were simply testing for radon in the home.

[Huligar]

As of this moment we have four instruments that was requested by viewers like yourself.

The big blue box that is on the top is the CRM 510 Continuous Radon monitor from Femto Tech Radon Monitors || Radon Inspections || Femto-Tech, Inc.

The small device next to the yellow tag is the Safety Siren Pro Series II Radon Gas Detector. SafetySiren PRO-II Radon Gas Detector

next to that we have the Telaire that will make sure we are not cheating,it check how often fresh air comes into the space. 7001D - Telaire 7001 Carbon Dioxide Monitor

You will also see two of four Short Term
Radon Test Kit from air chck. https://securechek.com/DIY/index.html

we also have the clock just so you see we are still alive.
I believe we will get some more kits on Monday.

If you all have any ideas or doubts about what we are doing, please speak up so we can come up with the correct conclusion at the end of the testing.

[Huligar]

Last night we did our air exchange test. Some people believe that the apartment was getting too much fresh air, do to the fact that our radon levels were so low in the second round of testing.

We fill the apartment with CO2 with the aid of dry ice, use a fan to blow it off the floor and keep it mixed in the air. I for one do not understand why I had to do some thing that I do not do on a normal day, but if this is what they want this is what they get.





I set up my little D200, to take an image ever 15 minutes so we can have a record of the readings as well as kept it live on the net.

The test started at 6pm and the readings were at 4026 ppm


The test ended at 6:43 with readings at 1486 ppm


We also place a grid on the counter so we can mark all the readings from the meter


we had readings well over 500




The Safety Siren Pro Series II Radon Gas Detector is only showing 1