Posts Tagged ‘media’
Countertops in Tampa not Concerned with Radon/Radiation; Marble Institute of America on the Case
Posted by Kolleen | Filed under Articles, Shopping
A Tampa granite countertop company is informing their customers about the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and their efforts to put an end to baseless claims that granite countertops could pose a health risk to homeowners and their families. MIA has announced the “Home Approved Stone” national safety testing program.
Manufacturers of products that compete with granite countertops have purposely misled consumers about granite’s safety by promoting questionable science. The claims stem from the fact that no single, universal standard has existed to measure radon and radiation emanations from stone. In addition, the situation has been compounded by inaccurate stories in the media about this issue.
MIA wants to reassure homeowners that purchasing granite countertops for their homes poses no health risk to their families. There is no credible research to date, including a comprehensive scientific study of granite countertops completed in February 2009, which has ever found a single stone slab that would pose a health risk.
Countertops in Tampa says the lack of a universal standard enabled some organizations with questionable motives to promote result of research based upon testing that was at best inconsistent and at worst, completely flawed.
MIA began distributing rigorous testing protocols across the nation, which granite fabricators and distributors could use to test granite or the presence of radiation and radon. The tested materials will then have a sticker which will read “Home Approved” placed upon them so that consumers will know their granite countertops are free from radon or radiation.
If ongoing testing of granite slabs identifies specific types of stone that poses any health risks, the MIA will issue an industry caution to its associates, to create an awareness of the impending dilemma.
The MIA is not the only organization concerned with radon or radiation in granite countertops. The EPA – Environmental Protection Agency – had this to say through their website – “most types of granite used in countertops and other aspects of home construction are probably not major contributors of radiation and radon in the home.” The website goes on to announce “that any radon from granite probably is somewhat diluted because kitchens and baths are among the most ventilated rooms in a home.”