I highly doubt that radon and radioactivity of granite or decomposed granite will be a hazard to your health at all. The only time you would need to worry if the granite contains a significant amount of radioactive elements, which is extremely unlikely.

Nothing to worry about whatsoever. (Source: I work with radiation of many types: alpha/beta/gamma/neutron.)

Feel free to ask any questions regarding radiation and I am happy to answer. =)

I second the response that this is nothing to worry about. Radon is sometimes monitored in basements in my province because many of us are basically living on a granite slab, but the introduction of a bit of grit to your house would be inconsequential...

ive never heard the concerns about granite countertops...

Thank you guys, Im just concerned as I was looking to head to a local quarry and pick out a few bags of decomposed granite/granite and other rock items and keep them on the ground level. I wish I had a geiger counter, would have been fun to take that to the quarry and see how long it would take before they'd boot me lol.

Thanks for the reassurance mayo, but since I cant measure anything it leaves me with much uncertainty/worry :/.

It seems certain types of granite release more radon than others, and I dont have benchmark to go by

some articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/garden/24granite.html?_r=0

https://fcs.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Radon-and-Countertops.pdf?fwd=no

Not an issue. Radon from countertops is insignificant. The term "decomposed granite" means its ground up, not decomposing any more than any rocks are decomposing. If anything, it would release any radon quicker, as in before you get it.

More info.

tj

Are you guys sure? Maybe eating granite chicken grit is why chickens have no arms.

(oh, my sense of humor, sigh, be patient with me).

I had heard of the granite counter top issue as well, but not that radon was at any significant level to subvert human health, so I concur with all above. I use chicken grit in my potting mix, and the only thing that suffers is...well... my humor.

As to decomposed granite, my understanding is that it is from an older source, and has become more pitted, thus is able to hold a little more water. That was from a single, albeit reliable, source.

ez

Mayo thank you for the breaking the info down, and making better sense of radioactivity. That comparison chart is very cool, bookmarking!

We are all exposed to various hazards in (hopefully) small doses
everyday, and that if you can avoid just a little bit here and there,
you could keep yourself in the clear. Maybe its safe to say that small children and women who are planning on becoming pregnant or pregnant to stay away, from certain materials to err on the side of caution. I agree, being exposed to a little bit of granite or a slab of granite here and there might not be detrimental, but I think over time the accumulation of various exposures can potentially be problematic.

On a slightly different tangent this reminds me of the discussion regarding preservatives and chemical compounds in skincare, haircare, nailcare etc. Using one item is okay, but the bioaccumulation and interaction of hundreds of ingredients over time is not something that is fully understood or at the present time regulated.

HAHA that actually got a chuckle out of me Ez, lol ... I guess the main reason I was concerned was because the plants are going to be kept indoors for the next 5-6 months, and the remaining bags of the material would be near living spaces... I tend to err on the side of caution, especially with things I cant detect at all. That makes sense with the decomposed granite, I just assumed every time it split/broke more radioactivity would be released.

Ez - agreed that just physical properties of decomposed granite change. Radiologically, highly unlikely any difference.

Minty - I can understand the worries and yes, the damage from ionizing radiation is cumulative.

The law says that once you get pregnant, you must inform your employer to get reassigned on different tasks away from radiation hazards. But before then, there is no unusual risk (within allotted exposure limits).

Having stood in front, beside, and on top of nuclear reactors (even running ones), I don't consider environmental exposure a risk to human health.

Probably the most common and dangerous source of radiation is smoking. A smoker will subjected to a higher dose than a nuclear worker is allowed to in a year, which I think is scary.

I agree re: caution Minty. Some of my fellow bonsaists use diatomaceous earth for potting soil. The risk may be small to breathe enough dust from it to cause pulmonary fibrosis, but it is cumulative. And that particular lung disease is horrid.

Thanks Eww for putting smoking in perspective.

ez

Have you ate any fish lately? Just eating and breathing is dangerous these days.

I wish I had an inexpensive source for decomposed granite. It is interesting.

I read an article in a newspaper a while ago about the granite counter tops. Some granite counter tops give off more radiation than the average granite counter top. I'm not sure but I think the tops with bluish circular areas were more radioactive. However, they are more interesting to look at, too.

Is decomposed granite the same thing as chicken grit (ie: Gran-i-Grit and similar)?

Or is it changed somehow beyond being smashed into small pieces?

Poly - I would take the more interesting one, ha! Virtually all rock is radioactive to some extent, for sure some more than others.

Daniel - Not the same. The point of using granite is that it doesn't break down in the chicken's gizzards (rather it breaks down other things).

When crushed (and then sifted), it doesn't really change anything.

Ez - Normally I use a half mask respirator (silicone type for industrial use) for sifting perlite. Looks crazy but is definitely safe!

I work in the radon mitigation industry and we get lots of questions about granite countertops being the source of elevated indoor radon levels. I have to agree with many of the other comments in that the risk from granite, along with other common household items is too small to worry about. Yes, they undergoing radioactive decay, but the amount of gas coming from that decay is not anything to worry about. The concentration is too low to pose any health risks. Feel free to use it in your potting soil!

ewwmayo(ON-CA 6a) could you let me know what kind of Geiger counter measuring device I could purchase if I wanted to test radiation levels on things like food and DG for landscaping?

I wouldn't recommend any for granite because the hazard is essentially nothing.

For food, there is no issue unless you eat an extremely large amount of bananas or Brazil nuts.

If you want something to play with, you could get a Ludlum. In case you wanted to see how radioactive your China plates or antiques are.

Yeah well, half-lives, you know. I'll just say it takes more than a year.

Hey Kevin, I'm curious about how to flip that around. Specifically, how long will it take and what kind of magnetic container do you have to be sealed within in order to get a respectable amount of toxin from radioactive decay from a pot of granite? I don't want to do the maths lol

Kevin, I am not getting worried or anything, but I find it interesting that bananas and Brazil nuts have comparatively high amounts of radioactivity. Is that because they are accumulators of radioactive materials in the soil, or is the soil they are grown in more radioactive? I seem to remember that Brazil nuts have high levels of selenium (at least when grown in Brazil?). Does that have anything to do with it?

It's the potassium decay. But you'll have to eat something like 10 million bananas in one sitting. I'm not sure which potassium isotope is in bananas or maybe there's more than one but the half-life is something like a billion years. That is, a potassium isotope will decay into something else in about a couple of billion years and give off one form of radioactivity or the other.

It's been so long since Physics 1, yo lol

We've had people trigger the radiation detectors coming into the nuclear plant due to eating too many bananas. One person in the USA I believe had radiation poisoning from eating too many Brazil nuts. I think the max you should eat are 1 or 2 per day.

It does have to do with where they are grown and natural soil radiation. It's everywhere around us and some places just have higher levels than others. Not necessarily dangerous - that's how it is.

Shielding is not necessary from such low radiation levels. You will get much more radiation directly from the sun, flights, medical x-rays, rain, snow, etc.

I also assume nobody sleeps in their plants, soil mixes, smoke detectors, antiques, propane lanterns, or counter tops all day long every day of their lives.

For shielding against significant radiation levels we primarily use heavy concrete, water, lead, and distance.

I love this thread. Who knew you could set off radiation detectors with eating too many bananas??? LOL.

Even weirder, dinie, you can test positive for morphine and codeine if you ate bagels with poppy seeds.

Poppyseed bagels with smoked salmon, followed by banana split with slivered Brazil nuts. Interesting meal...

Something simple as wearing fleece or synthetic clothing will attract natural radioactive particles in the air. While not a problem at home and while going to the mall, at work this can set off the radiation detectors so I try to wear cottons only instead!

So.... moral of the story is no poppyseed bagels and banana splits with brazil nuts on china plates while raining in a fleece sweater?