Working with engineered stone countertops can lead to silicosis lung disease

There are substantial health hazards to working with engineered stone countertops, as an article on silicosis, a disease caused by inhaling silica crystals, illustrates in a study appearing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The article describes a 47-year-old man who visited an emergency department for a minor lung injury and was found to have lung nodules after a computed tomography (CT) scan. He was diagnosed with silicosis. He had worked with engineered stone for the past 10 years for a company that made countertops and, after his diagnosis, was advised to avoid further exposure.

During the next 18 months, after referral to an occupational lung disease clinic, the patient’s lung condition worsened. He is currently awaiting assessment for a lung transplant.

“This case example supports calls for regulatory reform, mandatory surveillance, and proactive worker education in industries using engineered stone,” writes Dr. Susan Tarlo, a respiratory physician at University Health Network (UHN) and professor of medicine at the Department of Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, and co-authors.

“It underscores the health risks from the absence of adequate occupational health monitoring.”

Cases of silicosis linked to working with engineered stone have emerged only recently, with the earliest cases reported in the early 2010s in Spain and Italy, then in other parts of the world.

People who work in small businesses that may use dry-cutting and processing techniques may be more vulnerable than those working at larger companies that mandate wet cutting and safety protocols. A large proportion of people affected are immigrants or members of racialized or marginalized communities who may face language barriers, lack insurance or lack access to occupational health support.

Australia has banned the use of engineered stone because of the health hazards associated with manufacturing.

The authors urge awareness among workers and health care practitioners.

“Health care providers should consider this diagnosis in patients working with engineered stone and in countertop manufacturing and fitting, since early identification and removal from further exposure can greatly improve the prognosis.”

“In the absence of a ban on the use of engineered stone, increased knowledge among workers and health care practitioners is essential for implementing preventive measures, raising clinical awareness, informing policy decisions, and guiding future public health interventions,” the authors conclude.

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Sadie Harley

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Robert Egan

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