Lung disease becomes more frequent among engineered stone workers

Silicosis, a lung disease that has plagued miners for nearly a century, is now emerging among workers in U.S. countertop fabrication shops that manufacture engineered quartz. CSB News medical contributor Dr. Celine Gounder has written an article examining this occupational health issue. The disease's reappearance in a new industry highlights how traditional mining hazards are spreading to modern manufacturing environments. Workers cutting and polishing engineered stone containing high levels of crystalline silica face the same respiratory risks that have historically affected miners.