Are granite workers exposed to radiation well above the federal safety limit?



Linda Kincaid, an industrial hygienist in California, said workers cutting granite might be exposed to inhaling the airborne dust filled with alpha particles, which could elevate cancer risks due to the radioactivity of the stone, according to a recent Scripps Howard News Service article.



Ed Wright, owner of INcounters, said that anyone reading studies done by Kincaid should check out the rest of the story.



“This is a marketing ploy to scare the public,” Wright said.



Wright said about a year ago the national media picked up on a story done by the same woman about granite counter tops raising radiation levels in homes and the fear was unfounded and dropped.



There is more radiation in concrete and sheetrock than granite, Wright said. Environmental Protection Agency studies show that it is a non-issue, he said.



Wright said he sells both quartz and granite products. On a few occasions he said people have chosen the quartz product over granite because of worry over radiation, but he said it does not happen often.



As far as the people cutting granite, he said the silica dust is more problematic. All of the fabricators working for him wear masks, he said, and every cut is made with a wet saw, which minimizes dust and protects diamond tooling from overheating.



Cheryl Bradfield, office manager at Quality Marble, said the fabricators at her shop also wear masks and cut with wet saws. She said there is no concern over radiation contaminates.



Wright said while it’s true granite can contain radon, so can any other product dug from the earth.



The Marble Institute of America slammed the new research.



“This report has no scientific credibility and cannot be relied upon,” said Jim Hieb, vice president of the Marble Institute, which is based in Cleveland, Ohio, according to the SHNS article.



It was reported that Kincaid tested air quality and captured samples of airborne dust while granite was being cut at an Oklahoma City cutting shop. The results showed workers could be exposed to radiation levels more than 3,000 times above the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions radiation exposure limit or up to 320 rem annually. The exposure limit for the general public is 0.1 rem per year.