News Analysis

Amid a Silicosis Surge, We Need to Rethink Countertops

Engineered stone countertops may be causing a spike in lung disease, with cases seemingly tied to the material’s unique properties. Find out what design and construction teams should do—and why.

by Elizabeth Waters

Grinders’ asthma. Stonecutters’ consumption. Potters’ rot. Silicosis.

Lung disease from breathing in dust is one of the oldest and most lethal occupational hazards for people working in the building trades. According to a “A Short History of Occupational Disease,” an article published by the Ulster Medical Society in 2021, evidence of silicosis dates back to antiquity.

Published March 6, 2024

Waters, E. (2024, March 6). Amid a Silicosis Surge, We Need to Rethink Countertops. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/news-analysis/amid-silicosis-surge-we-need-rethink-countertops

Volume 33, Issue 3

Also on BuildingGreen

What Last Summer’s Weather Taught Us about Jobsite Equity