Fly ash is the material left over from burning coal. A waste product with little other use, it is sometimes added to concrete or bricks. However, if the original coal contained radioactive isotopes, those isotopes will be greatly concentrated in the ash.

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Of homes that were less than 2 years old, every home we tested had at least 100 ppb of formaldehyde. The newer homes had 200 - 300 ppb.

The 300 ppb concentration we found in the newest home is equal to the 15-minute Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) for occupational exposures. A worker in that home should wear a respirator to remain inside the building for more than 15 minutes. An employer that exposes workers to 300 ppb of formaldehyde should have a Hazard Communication Program to inform workers about chemical hazards and ways to avoid illness.

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The showroom that sold Cathy her granite had a new shipment of Jupurana Bordeaux around the same time.  That stone was more radioactive than the granite they sold Cathy. However, sales staff told customers their granite was no more radioactive than soil or water.

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Persimmon trees are the ultimate carefree edible landscaping tree. Large enough to shade windows and attractive in leaf all summer, persimmons star in the late fall landscape. Foliage turns golden, and the tree is adorned with bright orange fruit that holds into winter. Hachiya persimmons are sweet while they are still crisp. Coffee Cake persimmons ripen earlier than Hachiya and have tantalizing cinnamon-color flesh.

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Part of the White House lawn is becoming a vegetable garden. For the first time since World War II, our First Family is setting the example of eating locally and sustainably. Lawns consume inordinate amounts of water and chemical fertilizers. Gardens produce fresh healthy food with far less inputs.

Suburbia can follow the example set by the Obamas. Vegetables fresh from the garden burst with flavor and nutrients. Kitchen gardens are enjoying a new popularity this season. With the renaissance of gardening, many Americans will “taste” vegetables for the first time.

The vegetables we find at the grocery store are attractive, but commercial varieties are selected to endure mechanical harvesting, storage, and transportation. Their flavors are a mere shadow of the more ephemeral heirloom vegetables grown by our grandparents. 

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Unfortunately, the peaches and plums that are now available have been shipped from Central or South America. Transportation gives these fruits a large environmental footprint and a high price. Although they may look enticing, these fruits were harvested green and have little flavor. The most delicious and the most environmentally friendly fruits come from our own gardens.

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Bing cherries were once grown throughout the Santa Clara Valley. However, the valley has warmed, and only lower chill cherry varieties now produce fruit in the same locations. Lapins and Stella cherries require less chill, and they rival Bing in flavor. Royal Rainier is a lower chill yellow cherry that is as scrumptious as Royal Ann.

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Edible landscaping is the best way to eat locally. We save the fossil fuels used to transport produce thousands of miles from farmers’ fields to the grocer. When grown organically, produce requires far less energy than conventional agriculture. We also save the chemical inputs needed to maintain a lawn.

Imagine harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables just steps from your door. Harvested at the peak of ripeness, homegrown produce is more flavorful and nutritious. Many of the best fruits are too delicate for transport and storage.  They are only available to home gardeners.

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Some granite emits substantial amounts of radiation and radon gas. There is no way to tell which stones are radioactive just by looking. Testing is the only way to know for sure. However, the problem granites are more likely to be exotic and to have a lot of “movement”, such as swirls or banding. 

Dr. Daniel Steck, a leading radon scientist, is conducting a nationwide survey of homes with suspect granite. Participation in the study is free, and homeowners get their homes tested for radon by one of the country’s most respected radon researchers. If a radon problem is discovered, Dr. Steck will help to identify and resolve the issue.

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Opening windows is the easiest way to reduce formaldehyde concentrations in homes. The best option is to use only building products that emit little or no formaldehyde. However, when conventional building materials are already in place and emitting formaldehyde, the problem will remedy itself with time. Materials that are several years old emit far less formaldehyde than new products.

Formaldehyde is a pungent-smelling gas that irritates eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. It can also trigger asthma attacks, and it is a carcinogen. Some individuals experience nausea and difficulty breathing at 0.1 ppm. New homes can have more than 0.3 ppm.  Some individuals become sensitized to formaldehyde and have symptoms at very low concentrations.

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Many of us think about green living and reducing our carbon footprints. But do we get enough fresh air into our homes? Energy efficient homes don’t get much ventilation, unless windows are opened regualrly. Airborne contaminants in homes can build up to many times the outdoor concentrations.

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Many chemicals in new homes can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Formaldehyde, a common chemical in new wood products and finishes, is an asthma trigger. New construction materials emit the largest amounts of these chemicals, with emission decreasing over time.

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Formaldehyde can cause red watery eyes, sore throats, skin rashes, and sinus infections. Persons with asthma are more likely to have asthma symptoms when exposed to formaldehyde. Health effects appear in many persons at about 0.1 ppm. Formaldehyde concentrations in some homes can exceed 0.3 ppm.

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Not long after Green Options posted my article Granite Counters: Uranium Ore In Disguise?, the Managing Editor received a communication from the publicity firm representing the Marble Institute of America (MIA).  That letter stated:

In order to demonstrate why these articles/posts are not only inaccurate but also misleading, I wanted to supply some additional information including results from the most comprehensive scientific study of granite to-date that found not a single stone slab that poses a health risk to consumers.

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The bill makes no provision for education about radon or testing of homes to detect elevated radon.  There is no assistance for homeowners needing mitigation.  There is no incentive for builders to use Radon Resistant New Construction.

Proposed by Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), the bill calls for $75 million in funding for drug research.  I met with Senator Feinstein’s Legislative Assistant, Kristen Wikelius, to ask that 10% of the funds go toward lung cancer prevention.  I reminded Ms. Wikelius that lung cancer treatment is rarely effective.  Lung cancer is nearly always fatal within five years.

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Liz Hoffman learned she had lung cancer at 37.  She never smoked.  She had no family history of cancer.  She believes her lung cancer was caused radon gas in her home.  Dennie Edwards, an Ohio real estate agent, learned he had 10 picoCuries/liter of radon in his home, 2 ½ times the EPA action level.  Two days later, surgeons removed his entire left lung.  Dennie passed away last June.

Ms. Hoffman founded Cancer Survivors Against Radon (CanSAR) to “put a face on radon”.  She hopes that stories like hers will convince people to test their homes for radon and mitigate if needed. 

 ”HUD requires a termite letter to qualify for a mortgage, yet to my knowledge a termite never killed anybody”, comments Dr. Lane Mathis Price (Decatur General Oncology Center).  “Why are they not requiring a radon test?”  Dr. Michael Dick (Decatur Adult Medicine) adds, “you’d be kicking yourself if you knew something as simple as a radon detection device would have allowed you to prevent this from occurring.”

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Disclosure reports use statistical sleight of hand to mislead consumers.

A Silicon Valley real estate agent told her clients, “There is no radon in California.  You don’t need to worry about it.”  The couple purchased a home in Sunnyvale, CA, which has some of the higher radon levels in Santa Clara County.  Based on their agent’s advice, they chose not to test for radon. 

Another home in Sunnyvale had 29 picoCuries/liter (pCi/L), more than 8 times the EPA action level (4 pCi/L).  A home in Los Gatos had 56 pCi/L, which is 14 times the action level.

Based on radon test data, about half of California’s 58 counties are in EPA Radon Zone 2, averaging 2-4 piCi/L of indoor radon.  Santa Clara County, where I live, has an average radon concentration of 2.9 pCi/L, and about one in twelve radon tests finds radon above 4 pCi/L.  Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are in EPA Radon Zone 1, indicating countywide averages above 4 pCi/L. 

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Erica and her husband are shopping for granite countertops, and Erica is asking questions about radiation. They are both “serious cooks”, and they have two young children. They do not want any chance of increased radiation in their kitchen, but Erica found that granite showrooms do not welcome her questions.

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Jim Lee thought he had asbestos panels in his laundry room.  When he bought his home last year, the property inspector flagged fibrous panels behind the washer and drier as possible “asbestos containing material”.  Jim called three different asbestos remediation companies for estimates.

Jim asked me for advice on selecting the best remediation company.  I did some environmental testing when Jim bought the home, and he respected my opinion.  I asked to see the lab report on the suspect material.

Jim did not have a lab report.  Not one of the remediation companies sent a sample to a laboratory.  All THREE inspectors claimed they could identify asbestos just by looking at it.  At that point, I knew all three companies were unethical.

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