31 dead, nearly 600 ill due to lung disease linked to stone countertop exposure: study
13wham.com • • health
Key Points:
- Since 2019, California has identified nearly 600 cases of silicosis, a deadly lung disease, among workers fabricating engineered-stone countertops, with 31 deaths and 65 lung transplants reported.
- Silicosis is caused by inhaling crystalline silica, which is highly present in engineered-stone slabs used for quartz countertops, exposing workers during cutting and finishing processes.
- The affected workers are predominantly young, with a median diagnosis age of 46 and rapid disease progression; nearly all cases involved men, 98% of whom were Latino.
- California expanded its silicosis surveillance after the first known case in 2019, leading to stronger regulations, but enforcement challenges and underreporting persist due to reliance on passive disease reporting and inconsistent screening.
- Despite increased awareness and regulatory efforts, hazardous silica exposure continues in workplaces, and silicosis remains frequently misdiagnosed, indicating the true disease burden is likely underestimated.
