Danger Dust

Silicosis is nothing new—in fact, it’s been around since ancient times. The occupational illness, which has long afflicted quarrymen and miners, is contracted through the cutting or grinding of stone, which releases microscopic particles of crystalline silica dust into the air. When inhaled, prolonged exposure to this type of silica can cause damage to the lungs, including inflammation, permanent scarring and eventual respiratory failure. For centuries, it was a disease relegated to workers in their old age who had accumulated a lifetime of exposure. That’s changed since artificial stone hit the market in the 1990s.