Are the poly resins used in quartz countertops VOC-producing? Are there toxins in them that can wear off onto your hands?

Question

Are the poly resins used in quartz countertops VOC-producing? Are there toxins in them that can wear off onto your hands?

Asked by Jennifer

I am looking at ECO by Cosentino, Viatera Quartz and DuPont Zodiaq. Is one of these safer than the others? I do not want to smell plastic from them or be concerned about all the toxins that could be in the resin that may wear off onto hands. I realize the binders could potentially do this, but I am not a chemist and cannot find any details on what this stuff is.

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Answers

Harold Remlinger, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB's picture

Submitted by Harold Remlinge... on Wed, 02/09/2011 - 01:26

Jennifer,

Each manufacturer has a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each of their products.

  • This information can usually be found online or will be given to you if requested.
  • On the MSDS sheet, it will list all safety warnings, toxic materials, and amount of VOCs if any are associated with the material.

I do know that Dupont Zodiaq is rated and approved for contact with food and food preperation by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF).

Hopefully you will find that each of these products is safe and the only decision you are left with is what color to purchase.

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