By Annie Messier

After all these months, my husband has finally finished the biggest home renovation of them all: the kitchen, last updated under Lyndon B. Johnson. And now it looks like our granite countertops will be the death of us.

The E.P.A. recommends taking action if radon gas levels in the home exceeds 4 picocuries per liter of air (a measure of radioactive emis sion); about the same risk for cancer as smoking a half a pack of cigarettes per day. In Dr. Sugarman’s kitchen, the readings were 100 picocuries per liter. In her basement, where radon readings are expected to be higher because the gas usually seeps into homes from decaying uranium underground, the readings were 6 picocuries per liter.

Is anything safe anymore? Should I just take up smoking and be done with it?

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