Las Vegas, NVOne of the most difficult aspects of any health scare is uncertainty: Not knowing what symptoms of illness to look for, not knowing if something has caused an illness and not knowing what can be done about the problem--except a probable lawsuit. This is what people with granite countertops face. They have read the news about high radon levels associated with granite countertops but they are unsure about what it means for them.
Sarah S. (not her real name) is currently dealing with that uncertainty. She purchased her home, complete with granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, in May 2005. Since that time, Sarah says she has suffered from headaches and difficulty breathing.
"Every day off at home, I have to take four Advil because of my headaches," Sarah says. "I never have headaches at work. Since I bought the house, every time I stay home, I'm kind of sick. I try to get out of the house on my days off, but if I don't have a reason to leave, I don't want to go out. Now, I don't like having days off work. I have the headaches even with the doors open and the air conditioning on.
"I just have a general feeling of being unwell when I'm at home. There are the headaches and I also have some difficulty breathing. I did not have these problems before I moved into the house—only in the last three years since I moved here. At home, I don't feel well but at work I'm fine.
"I never knew that there was a problem with the countertops before I read an email last week. It kind of freaked me out. I was shocked to read it. I don't know if anything that happened with me is because of the countertops.
"I like the granite countertops. They look nice, but they didn't make up my mind to buy the house. I would like to test the house for radon and see if this is what is causing me to not feel well. I looked at the countertops to see if they are sealed. On the top, they are shiny and nice but on the bottom, they are kind of raw—they are not sealed. I don't think they should be raw like that."
Sarah says that if she had known about the problem when she bought the house, she would have looked into having the countertops replaced so there would be no threat to her health. As it stands right now, she still has headaches when she is at home and is trying to figure out if the headaches are caused by her countertops.
Consumers who are concerned about granite countertops emitting radon in their homes can look into having radon testing done to determine if the levels of the radioactive material are too high.
If you own a home with granite countertops and believe your health was affected by high radon levels, contact a lawyer to discuss your legal options.