Quartz Countertops Found in High-End Kitchens Generate 'Lethal Dust' Linked to Lung Disease

• Popular quartz countertops have been linked to an increasing number of cases of a lung disease called silicosis
• Marek Marzec, a father of three, was given weeks to live due to silicosis after spending more than a decade working for quartz slab manufacturers
• Following a new study linking quartz slabs to silicosis, California is considering a ban on engineered stone

Quartz countertops, an integral part of many high-end kitchens, have been linked to an alarming number of cases of lung disease.

Marek Marzec, a father of three from Poland, was diagnosed with silicosis in April after working for stone manufacturers across the UK for more than a decade. The 48-year-old described the “terrible” working conditions and the impact of the “deadly” dust created by cutting the quartz slabs.

“I came to the UK hoping to build a better life and wanting to make sure my young daughters were financially secure,” he told the South West News Service, via The Daily Mail. “Instead, the work I was doing cutting quartz countertops left me unable to breathe and in excruciating pain.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now!

Marek Marzec has the lung disease silicosis.

SWNS

Quartz countertops have become increasingly popular with home renovators and designers due to their durability and resistance to damage compared to natural stone. However, quartz — also called processed stone — contains more than 90% silica and creates a fine dust when cut, which can lead to silicosis.

Silicosis is a long-term lung disease caused by breathing in very small crystalline particles of silica, or silicon, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Exposure to silica is often work-related and is commonly seen in fields such as construction, quarrying, mining, pottery, etc.

The study was published on July 24 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed 52 cases of silicosis among workers in California producing quartz slabs. Of those cases, 10 workers died and three required lung transplants. Researchers have estimated that 100,000 workers in the US are potentially at risk of silicosis from exposure to silica dust.

There is no cure for silicosis, and it can be fatal. The condition can be prevented by reducing exposure to silicon dust. It can also be managed with supplemental oxygen or a bronchodilator to improve airflow.

Surgeons perform first robotic double lung transplant on 57-year-old ‘adrenaline junkie’ (Exclusive)

Marzec said his condition has deteriorated rapidly since his diagnosis and he has only a few weeks to live because he is too ill to undergo a lung transplant.

“I can’t tell you how angry I am that I was allowed to work under these conditions and that my life was cut short just because I was doing my job,” he said. “I am not the only person whose life is threatened by this deadly dust. It is time for urgent action to stop these dangerous working conditions that I had to face before other stone workers contract this terrible disease and die.”

Quartz countertops are often found in luxury kitchens.

Getty

dr. Jane Fazio, a pulmonary specialist at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center and co-author of the study, said factories should offer medical screenings to workers exposed to high levels of silica dust 30 or more days a year.

“Everyone who works in the industry should have a basic X-ray and a lung function test and then every three years, but that’s not really happening,” she told NBC. “I predict there are a lot of people walking around who probably have silicosis and don’t know it yet.”

Mum, 40, who never smoked thought ‘slight cough’ was allergies – but it was lung cancer (Exclusive)

Marek Marzec in hospital due to silicosis.

SWNS

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Last year, Australia became the first country to completely ban technical stoneworking, citing the industry’s failure to protect workers from exposure to silica dust.

California is now considering taking similar steps. In December 2023, the state issued a series of regulations to “protect workers engaged in high-exposure tasks such as cutting, grinding, polishing and cleaning artificial stone,” according to a statement from the California Department of Industrial Relations.

Because those regulations may not be followed, the state Department of Occupational Safety and Health said it will conduct regular inspections and that “an advisory committee will be convened immediately to develop plans to ban the use of manufactured stone products in California” if there is not one . widespread compliance.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education