Is Your House Really Trying to Kill You?

Every now and then a news report gets people worked up about hidden dangers lurking in their homes. But were the boys from Lonely Island right in their new SNL Digital Short "YOLO" —should you be afraid that the radiation coming from your granite countertop or the flame retardants in your furniture are trying to kill you?

1 Granite Countertops

A beautiful granite countertop can make any kitchen pop. Yet every once in a while people go into panic mode, freaking out about the fact that granite is a rock that can have some radioactive elements and could potentially give off radon, which can be harmful in high concentrations. But while the very mention of the word radiation is enough to stoke fears, you don't really need to worry about this one. The EPA says that radon is more likely to come into your house from the soil than from your kitchen counters (and granite isn't a very porous stone to begin with, meaning it doesn't give out as much radiation as others). Furthermore, any buildup of radon in the kitchen or bathroom is unlikely, as those rooms tend to have good ventilation systems. "It is extremely unlikely that granite countertops in homes could increase the radiation dose above the normal, natural background dose that comes from soil and rocks," the EPA says.

Fear Rating: Extremely Low


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2 Particleboard and Formaldehyde

Particleboard-based furniture may be great for furnishing your place on a budget. But pressed wood products such as particleboard tend to contain formaldehyde resins in the adhesives that hold the wood particles together. Formaldehyde is a surprisingly common volatile chemical, but it's definitely not good for you. Luckily, good ventilation and keeping heat and humidity to a minimum can reduce the amount of formaldehyde released from furniture.

Fear Rating: Low


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3 Flame Retardants

A recent study found that 85 percent of couches tested in California contained untested flame retardants, meaning those that have not been evaluated for human safety. Couches in California are required to have flame-retardant properties, but some scientists worry that the chemicals used to prevent flaming sofas might be linked to hormone disruption, cancer, and neurological issues—not to mention that these flame retardants aren't necessarily present at levels in which they are effective at fire prevention.

No decisive link to health problems has been proved yet. The problem is that the replacements for pentabromodiphenyl ether, which the EPA banned from new products after 2005, haven't been fully tested, according to study author Heather Stapleton of Duke University. Stapleton says that she and her colleagues are pursuing long-term health studies. The presence of these chemicals in the air outside the couch is worrying—especially as the same kinds of foam are currently used in baby mattresses and supplies.

Look for a label that mentions Technical Bulletin 117—if it's there then your couch probably has flame retardants. If it's not, that doesn't necessarily mean that there aren't flame retardants, it just means that you don't know for certain.

Fear Rating: Medium


4 Microwaves

Maybe you made a New Year's resolution to cook more this year, but Super Bowl Sunday is coming up, and after that it's awards season. Let's face it, you'll be microwaving plenty of leftover wings and takeout.

Microwaves have been in our homes long enough to inspire lots of fearmongering, worries, and urban legends. Rumors that microwaving plastic will poison your food, or that the radiation will disrupt pacemakers, have been around for years. According to the FDA, most of this is nonsense. No, you shouldn't use some kinds of plastic in the microwave—because they could melt—but you can solve that problem by just checking the bottom of the package to see what's allowed; if the item is microwave-safe, there is sometimes a symbol (a box with wavy lines inside it) that indicates it is safe for microwave use. Pacemakers used to be affected by microwaves, but are now shielded. And you're not going to get radiation injuries from a microwave; it just isn't powerful enough to do any damage.


Fear Rating: Medium

Precautions: Check labels, and don't heat that cup of water for tea for too long.