Browse Forums Kitchen Corner 1 Jul 25, 2010 7:13 pm I was shopping for benchtops last week. I was surprized to hear from more than one person that engineered stonebenchtops contain resins that are full of cancer producing carcinogens and should never be used as food preparation areas. They are banned in some countries? Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 2Jul 25, 2010 7:15 pm this will be an interesting topic. I hope someone can shed some lighht on it. www.themaxbuild.blogspot.com forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=20717&start=300 www.leahspaperpassion.blogspot.com Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 4Jul 25, 2010 8:19 pm A quick test - oh but you have to bake your own bread (sorry I'm trying to go away on hols tomorrow YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!) When the loaf is ready to remove from the baking tin, place it on the benchtop for 5 minutes, then slice the end off and try and eat it. If it tastes wrong you know the answer. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 5Jul 25, 2010 8:52 pm onc_artisan A quick test - oh but you have to bake your own bread (sorry I'm trying to go away on hols tomorrow YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!) When the loaf is ready to remove from the baking tin, place it on the benchtop for 5 minutes, then slice the end off and try and eat it. If it tastes wrong you know the answer. onc, I really think you do need a holiday... www.themaxbuild.blogspot.com forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=20717&start=300 www.leahspaperpassion.blogspot.com Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 6Jul 25, 2010 8:57 pm flippin' well hope not! "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 9Jul 25, 2010 10:07 pm Perhaps if you were burning the resin, else how is a compound that is 'set' and contains a stone powder going to interact with the foodstuffs? Yes it is a technically porous material, but its not like your licking straight off the bench and sucking up any captured material, well at least i hope not . Like any plastic/resin/PET surface it is capable of absorbing some liquids, but releasing carcinogens , exactly what is being referred to? A gas during the production phase as the exothermic reaction occurs to set the product? What exactly is supposed to be coming out of the solid structure? I probably wouldn't want to stand over it breathing deeply if it was on fire, but seriously? Drink some diet coke, i hear that stuff will kill you. I prefer leaded (red top) meself. For the record, QQ has the MSDS for the product at http://www.wk.com.au/images/msds.pdf?phpMyAdmin=uwCyZwsVcgaFNsis8rPkpGLcVjc And CS at http://www.caesarstoneus.com/downloads/pdf/CaesarStone%20MSDS%2020Mar2010.pdf My interpretation of both is that they only present any risk when in a dust form which can be inhaled which has potentially carcinogenic results, but in its solid state does not have any listed risks. Again when its on fire (thermal decomposition) it may pose a danger but again this is through inhalation. Short answer, don't cut it with a circular saw or sand it or do anything which could potentially lead to it being inhaled without taking the appropriate safety precautions. Its not like you could snort a slab of it anyway. Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 10Jul 25, 2010 10:55 pm What about the under side... covering the inside of the cupboards? I have notices chalky stuff in my glasses which I assume has dropped down when banged from the benchtop. Built with New Generation (Summit Homes) We own land!... with a slab on it! Plus a shell of a house with stuff inside ! Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 11Jul 26, 2010 12:30 am All I can find is this: Google search CaesarStone – Quartz Surfaces [ECG-Premium] [Cat. 3 – Office, Distributor or Agent] Overview: Nonporous, scratch resistant low maintenance quartz surfaces suitable for commercial and residential interior applications. Product Description: CaesarStone’s Quartz Surfaces have proven properties of stain, crack, scratch, chemical and heat resistance, and are suitable for carefree kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, tabletops, working surfaces, wall paneling and floors. CaesarStone Quartz Surfaces are nonporous, a quality that prevents the growth of surface mould and microbes. They are low VOC, GREENGUARD Certified and do not require any chemical sealers or treatments. Made from a minimum of 76% and up to 93% quartz content, the quartz surfaces are manufactured under ISO 14001 standards and recycle waste water and waste materials used in production. Click here for Supplier contact details or make an enquiry directly to the supplier using the Product Enquiry Form at the bottom of the page. PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS Options Slabs 305cm x 144cm in gauges 30mm, 20mm and 13mm Colours 30 colours Warranty Lifetime Residential Warranty 10 years Commercial Expected Life 20 to lifetime for Residential, 20 years Commercial Indicative Costs Please contact distributor for pricing Purchase Options Outright purchase only Constituents Crystalline Silica (Quartz) – 76% Polymeric Resin – 15% Mineral Additives – 9% Technical Specifications Flexural Strength 593kg/cm² Water Absorption .02% by weight Bulk SpecificGravity 2.411gr/cm³ Density 2409.98 kg/m National & International Standards NSF 51 ISO 14001 IS0 9001 OHSAS 18001 GREENGUARD GREENGUARD for Children and Schools UBC Flame Spread Class 1 Country of Origin Israel Projects Caesarstone success stories Preparation Does not require any sealing or treatment after installation. Installation procedure is standard for solid surfaces. ECOSPECIFIER LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT INTEGRATED DESIGN AND POLICY ISSUES None HUMAN HEALTH Health The nonporous quality of quartz surfaces prevents the growth of surface moulds and microbes, while its low-maintenance nature requires less chemical detergent use. The surfaces are certified for food grade use (NSF 51). Comfort Not Applicable Indoor Environment Quality Requires no chemical sealants and is therefore a very low VOC product having GREENGUARD certification. Electromagnetic Radiation Not Applicable Safety Not Applicable Accessibility Not Applicable ECOLOGICAL QUALITY Terrestrial Emissions – Quartzmining and processing can produce emissions to land from surface impoundments of liquids, solids and slurries and from storage facilities and cause siltation and erosion if not handled correctly. Physical – Mining causes localized impacts on land, causing erosion and disturbance of soil profiles. The quarries that CaesarStone sources from are required by local authorities to restore the quarry after they consume the quartz from the site. Aquatic Emissions – The manufacturing of the product has limited toxic emissions to surface water. During the manufacturing process, waste water is recycled and dust particles filtered out and compacted for disposal, sale, or reuse. Physical – Physical impacts are limited because water used in manufacture is recycled limiting the use of clean water and creation of waste water. Atmosphere Greenhouse intensity – 55kgCO2e/m²*of 20mm thick bench top *Calculation is based on combination of data sourced from supplier and Bath University, UK. Transport intensity – Product is manufactured in Israel. GHG intensities for shipping product are shown below. Shipping port from country of origin is Haifa, Israel. Destination port is Durban, South Africa. Product weight Distance to destination port Energy Intensity - Container Shipping GHG Intensity - Container Shipping 56.82kg / per functional unit 8765.5km 0.000135MJ / kg.km 0.000011kgCO2e / kg.km Greenhouse Intensity for Container Shipping of Quartz Surfaces – 5.5 kgCO2e / m² of 20mm thick bench top Table below provides land transportation greenhouse intensity figures to help calculate the greenhouse gas intensity of land transportation from shipping port. Light commercial vehicle Rigid Truck Articulated Truck 0.001451kgCO2e / kg.km 0.000195kgCO2e / kg.km 0.000169kgCO2e / kg.km Transport intensity figures sourced from Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990, 1995 and 1999 and WWF International, Inland Navigations and Emissions, 2005. Operational efficiency – Not Applicable Re-use Efficiency – Product can easily be removed and reused during its life Toxics and Pollutants – Silica dust is collected and controlled during the production stage. There are no toxic or chemical pollutants from this product once in use. Ozone Depletion – Information unavailable Urban Heat Island Effects – Not Applicable Noise – Not Applicable Biodiversity Sand mining can lead to loss of biodiversity, modified soil profiles, topography and drainage patterns which additionally impact natural vegetation and surrounding biodiversity. RESOURCE DEPLETION Resource Efficiency CaesarStone re-uses production waste, recycles waste water, and uses post consumer recycled mirror and glass in a selection of its products. CaesarStone sources its quartz from a variety of locations, most quartz comes from crushed boulders rather than sand mining. Recycled Collection - Technical Data Embodied Fossil Fuel Energy 1247.75 MJ/m²* of 20mm thick slab *Calculation is based on combination of data sourced from supplier and Bath University, UK. Transport intensity – Product is manufactured in Israel. Energy intensities for shipping product are shown below. Shipping port from country of origin is Haifa, Israel. Destination port is Durban South Africa. Energy Intensity for Container Shipping of Quartz Surfaces – 67.2 MJ / m² of 20mm thick slab Embodied Water Production process recycles 97% of water. Values for extraction process are unknown as raw materials are sourced from a variety of locations. Durability Product is durable with a hardness rating of 6.5 and high flexural strength compared to other bench top materials. Reusability Product can be removed and reused during its life. Repairability No Design for Dematerialisation Reduces need for chemical cleaners, sealers and maintenance. Design for Disassembly Designed to be securely fastened with adhesives Recyclability No Maintenance Occasional scrubbing with nonabrasive detergent and water. Product Takeback Scheme No Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) No CORPORATE AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Audits and Environmental Reporting Yes Convictions Unknown Environmental Policy Yes Social Enhancement Programs Unknown Technology Transfer Programs Unknown Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Yes ISO 14001 ECOSPECIFIER ISSUES OF CONCERN / RED LIGHTS Issues of Concern: The following issues relate only to Occupational settings and product in use has no associated health issues or red lights. Manufacturing OH&S: Styrene is a minor (~5%) component of the overall product. The liquid raw materials for the polymeric resin contain styrene, which is classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) by the IARC. The issue of concern relates to the production process of the product, as harmful contact occurs by inhalation of styrene vapours, which are unavailable after the resin has hardened into the finished product. NOTE: the low VOC aspect of this product is GREENGUARD Certified. Titanium oxide: Product contains less than 9% titanium dioxide. In 2006, the IARC reclassified titanium dioxide as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). This issue of concern relates to the inhalation of pure powered and ultra-fine titanium dioxide dust during manufacture, and is not considered a risk during use of the product, as raw materials are fully bound by resin. Sodium oxide: Product contains less than 9% sodium oxide, which can cause severe burns (R35). This issue of concern relates to the risks during manufacture, and is not considered a risk during use of the product, as raw materials are fully bound by resin. Installer OH&S: Crystalline Silica: This product contains a significant amount of crystalline silica. This issue of concern relates to the cutting, grinding and other occupational production activities of products containing crystalline silica and is not an issue as installed in buildings. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 12Jul 26, 2010 9:17 am ^^ sooooo......does that mean it's ok? should we still do the bread test...?!?! "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 13Jul 31, 2010 2:06 pm When you think about it its an artificial stone, with chemicals added. You have to be more aware and conscious of what you decide to put into your home these days. The benchtops we prepare our food on and it needs to be a clean safe hygenic surfaces. The artifical stone I was concerned regarding chemicals used in producing this. The two I chose was stainless steel and marinate nero brazilian granite. Kitchen will be installed in the next 2 months. Always ask questions and do research before you choose. Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 14Jul 31, 2010 4:58 pm Go read an msds for toothpaste, you'd be surprised at how toxic that stuff is. Yet we all stick that in our mouths at least twice a day. Every second day something new is considered cancer causing in this world. Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 15Jul 31, 2010 6:36 pm If not using Ceasarstone but Granite you may want to consider the Radon effect. http://www.stoneexpozone.com/p72.php3?pos=5&category= Or http://iaq.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/iaq.cfg ... faqid=5103 Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 16Aug 01, 2010 10:13 pm As indicated above Quote: National & International Standards NSF 51 And as per the CS product brochure, viz: NSF51 states CS's products are compliant with the International Health and Safety Foundation sanitary standard, ensuring that our working surfaces are safe for use in all food environments. And from McKinnon's original post in this thread Quote: I was surprized to hear from more than one person that engineered stone bench tops contain resins that are full of cancer producing carcinogens and should never be used as food preparation areas. This comment sounds more like it was from some product manufacturer of bench tops other than engineered stone desperate to cast doubt and so try to persuade whoever would listen that their bench top type was better. Perhaps you might also ask which countries it is banned in. cheers edit: I should have added I have nothing to do with CS or any other engineered stone product but intend to use it in my kitchen renovation project Re: Is engineered stone toxic for food preparation areas? 17Aug 03, 2010 12:33 am well....i don't generally prepare food on the bench but on a wooden chopping board! Recently moved to a 60's home in need of some improvement! http://s797.photobucket.com/user/leenii ... ch%20House Old house: http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy25 ... loo/House/ Engineering timber is certainly a less fuss option, times cheaper to supply and install and better withstands humidity. 1 15924 Thanks Simon, I guess I'm no concerned with the volume of the noise rather that dead and hollow sound and feel that is associated with floating floors. But I'm not sure… 3 6163 Dear Members I have to decide the Facade column size. My custom builder standard is 350mm with rendering, but i asked for 470mm plus stone or tiles and yet to get… 0 7508 |