Health Matters: Glass and Stone

The many uses of laminated glass include applications where non-porous, bacteria and fungicide free surfaces are desirable. Hospitals would, of course, be the first to come to mind, however, most of us do not want to encounter mold or, worse, traces of radiation in our homes.

• Let us examine the widely popular granite countertops. Even though, many people are familiar with possible inherent dangers hidden inside granite slabs in a form of Uranium and Radon, public awareness has not been raised to the point where stone fabricators became compelled to conduct testing for radioactive elements prior to sale. Many stone products contain amounts of Uranium ore that are comparable to the natural background radiation level but some pose a significant health threat. It is left to the homeowner to discover what health risks their granite countertop or tile harbors within.

Here is some recent information from the EPA: https://www.epa.gov/radiation/granite-countertops-and-radiation and a more detailed research article from Rice University: http://wjllope.physics.wayne.edu/SaxumSubluceo/LLOPE_StoneRadRn.pdf

• The well-known fact that glass is one of the cleanest and easiest to maintain surfaces holds true for laminated glass but what goes in-between, the interlayer, makes a significant difference.

Nowadays, liquid pour resins are increasingly used for production of laminated glass panels. They are quite versatile, as no sophisticated equipment is required and it allows for thicker materials to be incorporated between two glass panes.

What often goes unnoticed is that, unlike autoclave processed thermoplastics, this liquid resin for glass lamination, known as Aliphatic Polyurethane, contains various levels of esther that is prone to fungicide degradation. Laminated glass made with such interlayer may exhibit signs of mold growth inside the panel depending on the amount of moisture and light it is exposed to.

Choose wisely.

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