Comments on: Controversy over Radiation Fetal Dose Limits http://solidsurfacealliance.org/blog/2008/07/20/controversy-over-radiation-fetal-dose-limits/ Everything you need to know about the granite/Radon/radiation issues. For more info, go to forum.solidsurfacealliance.org Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:09:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Administrator http://solidsurfacealliance.org/blog/2008/07/20/controversy-over-radiation-fetal-dose-limits/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Administrator Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:46:14 +0000 http://solidsurfacealliance.org/blog/2008/07/20/controversy-over-radiation-fetal-dose-limits/#comment-59 Hi Gary, great comments. You seem to be fixated on the idea that competitors brought up the issues first. However, that is usually the case in these things. Not much profit in the stone industry pointing out that some of their products carry a health risk. Most of the govt officials we have spoken with were clueless and are now playing catch up with the facts. Not blaming them, it wasn't on anyones radar. I think that the major difference between a nuclear worker and a homeowner is that the worker is accepting the risks, is trained to prevent as much exposure as possible, has a team of specialists monitoring her exposure, and most importanly, is taking a known risk in exchange for a paycheck. Also there is some sort of public gain for the exposure, nuclear weapons maintained, power generated, or medical knowledge gained. For an unaware homeowner, well, she has a pretty countertop. No experts telling her to limit exposure, heck she doesn't even know she is exposed to the risk. We are finding granite slabs with 3 mR/hr Gamma, and the experts with larger lab scintillators reporting far higher results on the same samples. If we take thet 3 mR/hr, that gives only 16 hours of using that countertop, about a half hour per day..... As to stepping away from the counter, we have tests complete with data logs, proving that some granite types have radiation that will reach six feet and futher. Sure it is lower, but plenty of radiation is still there. We are looking at block testing, but the majority of the stone industry is not very willing to go to the expense. Some are have already started crude testing, some are claiming to test and slapping stickers on their slabs that say "Radon Free". As for Hormesis, BEIR VII studied that issue to death, then specifically rejected it as unproven. I understand the Health Phyicists Society types will take issue, but they aren't exactly known for objectivity, more known for supporting the nuclear industry. The most important thing is this, will a woman willingly take even a small chance with the health and development of her baby? Absolute insanity to even consider spending time around a hot granite countertop. It is just not worth the risks. Hi Gary,
great comments. You seem to be fixated on the idea that competitors brought up the issues first. However, that is usually the case in these things. Not much profit in the stone industry pointing out that some of their products carry a health risk. Most of the govt officials we have spoken with were clueless and are now playing catch up with the facts. Not blaming them, it wasn’t on anyones radar.

I think that the major difference between a nuclear worker and a homeowner is that the worker is accepting the risks, is trained to prevent as much exposure as possible, has a team of specialists monitoring her exposure, and most importanly, is taking a known risk in exchange for a paycheck. Also there is some sort of public gain for the exposure, nuclear weapons maintained, power generated, or medical knowledge gained.

For an unaware homeowner, well, she has a pretty countertop. No experts telling her to limit exposure, heck she doesn’t even know she is exposed to the risk. We are finding granite slabs with 3 mR/hr Gamma, and the experts with larger lab scintillators reporting far higher results on the same samples. If we take thet 3 mR/hr, that gives only 16 hours of using that countertop, about a half hour per day…..

As to stepping away from the counter, we have tests complete with data logs, proving that some granite types have radiation that will reach six feet and futher. Sure it is lower, but plenty of radiation is still there.

We are looking at block testing, but the majority of the stone industry is not very willing to go to the expense. Some are have already started crude testing, some are claiming to test and slapping stickers on their slabs that say “Radon Free”.

As for Hormesis, BEIR VII studied that issue to death, then specifically rejected it as unproven. I understand the Health Phyicists Society types will take issue, but they aren’t exactly known for objectivity, more known for supporting the nuclear industry.

The most important thing is this, will a woman willingly take even a small chance with the health and development of her baby? Absolute insanity to even consider spending time around a hot granite countertop. It is just not worth the risks.

]]> By: Gary http://solidsurfacealliance.org/blog/2008/07/20/controversy-over-radiation-fetal-dose-limits/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Gary Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:25:16 +0000 http://solidsurfacealliance.org/blog/2008/07/20/controversy-over-radiation-fetal-dose-limits/#comment-58 The NRC sets a limit of 500 millirem for the 9 months of pregnancy of 500 millirem. Female nuclear workers trying to start a family are generally limited to 50 millirem a month, so that this limit will not be exceeded before the pregnancy is detected. Remember time, distance and shielding. As you step away from the counter, the dose rate decreases. The mother’s body and amniotic fluid provide shielding for the baby, and reducing time near the counter reduces dose. So do the dishes for your wife and take her out to dinner more! It seems that the industry is going to look at monitoring blocks before cutting slabs, and monitoring slabs before polishing. I think that is a great idea and should be implemented ASAP. Ludlum instruments makes a laundry monitor for the nuclear industry, that could be modified to monitor slabs.(they would have to beef up the conveyor belt a lot, or mount the detectors on equipment at the granite facility. The controversy seems to be driven by Silestone and Cambria funding CleanBuild, but if more becomes known about the origins of low and high level granite, and monitoring becomes common, some good may come of it. But to give you some peace of mind in the meantime, check out this study, in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons: http://www.jpands.org/vol9no1/chen.pdf 20 years from now, the question may be: Are we getting enough radiation? The NRC sets a limit of 500 millirem for the 9 months of pregnancy of 500 millirem. Female nuclear workers trying to start a family are generally limited to 50 millirem a month, so that this limit will not be exceeded before the pregnancy is detected. Remember time, distance and shielding. As you step away from the counter, the dose rate decreases. The mother’s body and amniotic fluid provide shielding for the baby, and reducing time near the counter reduces dose. So do the dishes for your wife and take her out to dinner more! It seems that the industry is going to look at monitoring blocks before cutting slabs, and monitoring slabs before polishing. I think that is a great idea and should be implemented ASAP. Ludlum instruments makes a laundry monitor for the nuclear industry, that could be modified to monitor slabs.(they would have to beef up the conveyor belt a lot, or mount the detectors on equipment at the granite facility. The controversy seems to be driven by Silestone and Cambria funding CleanBuild, but if more becomes known about the origins of low and high level granite, and monitoring becomes common, some good may come of it.

But to give you some peace of mind in the meantime, check out this study,
in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons:
http://www.jpands.org/vol9no1/chen.pdf
20 years from now, the question may be: Are we getting enough radiation?

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