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According to an article in the New York Times, your granite counter top could be emitting radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.

That's what Lynn Sugarman's granite countertops were doing. She had them ripped out and analyzed -- they contained high levels of uranium (which is radioactive and releases radon gas as it decays).

We hate to be so alarmist -- so here's a quote from the article to bring the panic level down a hair:

“It’s not that all granite is dangerous,” said Stanley Liebert, the quality assurance director at CMT Laboratories in Clifton Park, N.Y., who took radiation measurements at Dr. Sugarman’s house. “But I’ve seen a few that might heat up your Cheerios a little.”

Read the article; it's an eye-opener.

Via OrganicArchitect

image via dotpolka; Flickr.com