Are Granite Countertops Hazardous?
July 31st, 2008
Mosby clients are safe with their choice of granite countertops.
A flurry of questions and concerns has sprung up due to a recent New York Times article on radon levels in granite countertops.
We at Mosby are committed to knowledge-guided performance, so we immediately looked for answers in anticipation of clients’ concerns.
Our first thought was: The marble industry will be all over this, as it’s in their best interest to explain or disprove this information. Sure enough, the Marble Institute of America has issued this press statement, sharing their thoughts on the issue:
“On July 24, The New York Times Home Section published an article headlined, “What’s Lurking in Your Countertop.”
Typical of stories that seek to excite, rather than inform, the article repeatedly talks about “radiation levels” without explaining what they mean. The article plays to the emotions, rather than basing its focus on scientific fact. In short, it follows the playbook used by two of the largest synthetic stone manufacturers who seek to increase their own sales by raising fears about natural stone.
For example, the piece fails to point out that repeated studies have found that granite most commonly used in home countertops is safe. Instead, it vaguely mentions one or two stones that someone deemed to be problematic, then goes on to suggest that the only solution is to remove granite from the home.
We all know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s solution for radon infiltration is venting. But that fact is also absent from the article.
We are disappointed that the New York Times has compromised the ultimate goal of sharing truth with its readers. But it is precisely because individuals and companies seek to prey on consumer fears and confusion that the Marble Institute of America is working with the independent scientific community to set standards to test granite for radon.”
For a full account of scientific and functional facts on the safety of granite countertops, click here.
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August 2nd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
It’s not surprising to me that such misleading information is published in “The New York Times!” Everything they print is suspect in my mind.
Pat…