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California set to ban quartz countertop production amid health concerns
NewsNation • • business
Key Points:
- California will become the first state to ban the production of quartz countertops due to health risks linked to the manufacturing process.
- Nearly 600 cases of silicosis, a deadly lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust, have been reported among quartz manufacturers since 2019, including 31 deaths and 65 lung transplants.
- Silica dust is significantly more toxic than coal dust and can cause severe lung disease within a few years of exposure.
- The median age of workers diagnosed with silicosis in California is 46, with a median age of 52 among those who died from the disease.
- The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is expected to approve the emergency ban regulation in October.
