Granite Countertops Harmful?

I received an email about the dangers of Radon poisoning with granite countertops.  Like everything else, before I am going to make any remarks about it - or forward the email - I try to do my due diligence and research it. 

This is the message I got via email:

January is Radon Awareness Month - a good time to learn more about this carcinogenic natural radioactive element. Radon is an odorless, colorless gas produced by the breakdown of uranium that seeps out of the earth. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 21,000 lung cancer deaths are caused by radon each year. In the home, radon sometimes enters basements through concrete cracks and becomes concentrated in the air that we breathe. It can also be present in natural materials that are brought into the home - including granite countertops.  Some granite and other natural stones contain trace amounts of uranium; if it emits radon, it typically does so at very low levels. But in some instances, tests have found that granite countertops give off potentially dangerous levels of radiation: The New York Times reported in July 2008 that the increased popularity of granite countertops over the past decade has resulted in an expansion of the kinds of granite available and that reports of "hot" countertops seem to come from "the more exotic and striated varieties from Brazil and Namibia."

Hmm.. so, doing my research I found a very good - seemingly unbiased - article written by Joel Bittle for Green Building Elements.  http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/09/18/a-rational-discussion-on-radon-in-granite-countertops/

I also found a good article written for the radon.com website: http://www.radon.com/radon/granite.html.  They give you lots of good information - how to test, what to expect from any stone product, etc.

And here is one more link from The Marble Institute http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/granite_radoninfo.cfm.

Every article I read was written in or around 2008 which I found to be very interesting.  The most practical deductions from everything I read is that all stone and soil has some type of naturally occurring radiation.  This makes sense as it is all breaking down - and as it does trapped gases are released.  As for the levels of dangerous gases - I would expect it depends on where the stone was mined - and what was around it.  So, be careful and do your research before you buy stuff for your home.  Like everything else - there are always positives and negatives, weigh both sides and decide.  Don't listen to all the marketing hype they will NEVER tell you the bad stuff - you have to ask for that. 

Blessings... E