According to People, a new report links engineered stone, often sold as quartz countertops, to hundreds of serious lung disease cases among workers and dozens of deaths in California.
Here's what to know
On Aug. 12, the California Department of Public Health published a report that documented silicosis cases and worker deaths tied to stone countertop fabrication.
Silicosis is a preventable but irreversible lung disease caused by breathing in tiny crystalline silica particles. Over time, that dust scars the lungs, making it harder to breathe and strongly increasing the risk of disability and early death.
It is tied to workplace exposure, not a contagious illness. Prevention depends heavily on safety rules and employer practices. Proper ventilation and wearing a respirator like a N95 can keep people safer.
A major concern with engineered stone is its high silica content. When workers work with the slabs, especially without strong dust controls, they can breathe in dangerous levels of dust. And the workers who are shaping and installing those slabs face the biggest risks out of anyone who encounters them.
The report highlighted that in the state between January 2019 and June 2026, nearly 600 cases of silicosis were identified. Of these, over 10% required lung transplants, and 31 of the people died due to the disease.
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The median age of patients who died from the disease was 52, according to People, which also noted that the condition is almost exclusive to the male population, making up 99% of studied cases. Men make up the vast majority of cases due to the industry's gender ratio.
More background
While quartz countertops are marketed as durable, sleek, and low-maintenance, it's clear with the above info that they can be linked to dangerous working conditions elsewhere in the supply chain.
The health harms can build gradually. Workers may be exposed for years before symptoms become severe enough to prompt a diagnosis, making outbreaks harder to recognize early and easier to underestimate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommend wearing N95s while working with crystalline silica. While workers could get N95s for themselves, the responsibility ultimately rests on workplaces to provide these safeguards.
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