Are your kitchen countertops killing you? Stop laughing -- I'm being serious here. There might be a very real and potentially deadly source of radioactive gas in your home--your granite countertops. According to this article from the New York Times, granite countertops can contain high levels of Uranium, which is radioactive in itself, and when it decays, it releases radon, a radioactive gas. If that's not frightening enough, consider this: radon can cause lung cancer.

Not all granite countertops are dangerous, but have the potential to be. What can you do to protect yourself? Test the merchandise before you buy it by hiring a certified technician to measure your radiation levels or picking up a DIY tester from the Environmental Protection Agency.

(Via Crabby McSlacker)

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60,000 people a day undergo some type of treatment or test that leaves small amounts of radioactive material in their bodies. If any of those folks happen to be part of the packed house at Dolphin Stadium this Sunday, they may have to explain to security officials why they're radioactive enough to set off "dirty bomb" alarms.

In the wake of the September 11th attacks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued over 12,000 hand-held radiation detectors for use at airports, border crossings, government buildings and large public events like the Superbowl. The people police pull aside may not be terrorists, however, but merely patients who've recently had medical treatments with radioisotopes in their bodies. That's what happened to six members of the crowd at New York City's tree-lighting party last November -- a mistake that, according to Richard Falkenrath, the city's deputy commissioner of counter-terrorism, "happens all the time."

There have been some embarrassing mistakes, but generally such cases are resolved after police use a more sophisticated device to detect the type of radiation present. That being said, if you're someone who's undergone this type of treatment, especially if you'll be at the game on Sunday, you might want to carry a note from your doctor.

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