Quartz countertops are driving a public health crisis in the US – 2 occupational health experts explain the surge of lung transplants and lawsuits
- Costco, Home Depot, and Lowe's use local shops to make kitchen countertops from engineered stone.
- In California, over 550 workers have been diagnosed with silicosis caused by engineered stone, a deadly, incurable, and preventable disease.
- Cutting and polishing engineered stone releases billions of tiny silica particles coated with resins and pigments into the air.
- About 100,000 U.S. workers make countertops, with studies showing 20% or more develop silicosis, prompting California to create emergency rules limiting silica content.
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34 Articles
The Conversation
Quartz countertops are driving a public health crisis in the US – 2 occupational health experts explain the surge of lung transplants and lawsuits
Engineered stone, also called quartz, has become the most popular material for kitchen countertops. Guillermo Spelucin Runciman/iStock/Getty Images PlusIf you walk into a Costco, Home Depot or Lowe’s and order a countertop for your kitchen renovation, the store will likely contract with a local fabrication shop, instructing them to make one from a material called engineered stone. Often marketed as “quartz,” engineered stone is a synthetic produ…
Quartz countertops may be causing a public health crisis in the US
David Michaels, George Washington University & Robert Harrison, University of California, San Francisco/The ConversationContinue ReadingCategory: Society & Community, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and MindTags: Lung disease, Kitchen, Public health, George Washington University, Chronic, Lung, Respiratory health
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