THE ESSENTIAL
- In Massachusetts, a worker at a countertop factory developed silicosis.
- This incurable lung disease is linked to exposure to silica dust.
- In the United States, several cases have been detected in recent years.
It was the miners’ disease. Silicosis is a serious lung disease triggered by inhaling silica dust, a material found in certain stones, including quartz. In the United States, health authorities in Massachusetts are issuing an alert: a case has been detected in a worktop manufacturing factory.
Silica, a dust responsible for this incurable disease
“The state’s first confirmed case associated with occupational exposure in this industry was recently diagnosed in a Hispanic man in his 40s who, for the past 14 years, worked for stone countertop manufacturing and installation companies in Massachusetts.announces the organization on its site.
In recent years, quartz countertops have become very popular according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health: however, this stone contains almost 90% silica. So, when designing these pieces of furniture, processes like cutting or polishing can generate silica dust.
A study of silicosis in worktop factory workers
In December 2024, a research team was already warning of a “new and emerging epidemic” of silicose. “In recent years, an increase in silicosis has been observed among workers manufacturing reconstituted stone countertops.specified the scientists, at the time of the annual congress of the Radiological Society of North America. “During a preliminary analysis involving 21 workers (…), they develop. All patients had symptoms.” Shortness of breath is the main manifestation of the pathology, but it can also trigger cough, fever and fatigue.
In total, their work identified the disease in 52 workers. According to Massachusetts health authorities, hundreds of cases and dozens of deaths have been recorded in the United States, particularly in California.
Silicosis: an incurable but preventable disease
The authors of the study point out that it is possible to protect yourself from the disease, in particular thanks to safety measures at work. They cite ventilation, the prohibition of certain tasks and the wearing of respiratory protection. “However, studies have shown that more than half of California workplaces exceed the maximum allowable exposure limit for silica dust during inspectionsthey warn. This problem is compounded by the fact that many workers are Spanish-speaking immigrants of Latin American descent, who are particularly vulnerable to unsafe working conditions.”
The United States is not the only country affected, cases of silicosis have been spotted in other countries. To combat the disease, Australia banned the use of so-called composite quartz and engineered stones, materials likely to generate silica dust, in July 2024.
