Our Home & Garden bloggers have looked into recent reports that some granite countertops can release dangerous levels of radon. The presence of radon in the home can pose a danger to your health, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in this country.

The EPA emphasizes the importance of testing the air in your home for radon, whether or not you have countertops made from granite. The agency adds that there are too many variables and too little information to generalize about the radon risk granite counters pose to humans.

Consumer Reports is preparing a report on short-term radon tests kits for the September 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, on sale and online this August. In the meantime, if you have granite countertops and want to test them for radon, the Home & Garden blog tells you how.