Massachusetts man dies from deadly lung disease linked to popular kitchen countertops

Massachusetts wellness officials announced Tuesday that the authorities has confirmed its archetypal lawsuit of an incurable lung illness linked to vulnerability to definite countertop stones.

The illness is peculiarly associated with quartz, which has go progressively fashionable successful caller years for its practicality and aesthetic, according to wellness officials.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) said a 40-year-old man, who has worked successful the chromatic countertop manufacture for 14 years, was precocious diagnosed with silicosis, a information that tin origin death. 

"The confirmation of this lawsuit successful Massachusetts is simply a tragic reminder that silicosis is not conscionable a distant threat. It is here, and it is earnestly impacting the wellness of workers successful Massachusetts," Emily H. Sparer-Fine, a manager astatine DPH, said successful a statement.

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Kitchen with a quartz countertop Nov. 15, 2017, successful Ballston Lake, N.Y. (John Carl D'Annibale/Albany Times Union)

The unnamed diligent reportedly performed activities specified arsenic cutting, grinding and polishing, which tin make crystalline silica dust. When inhaled, this particulate scars lung insubstantial and tin pb to silicosis, DPH said.

The illness is preventable but irreversible and progressive, officials said. Symptoms see a persistent cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and thorax pain. Because determination is often a agelong latency play betwixt vulnerability and grounds onset, diagnoses are often delayed, according to DPH. 

As the illness progresses, it tin effect successful superior complications, including lung cancer, tuberculosis and adjacent death, the section added. 

Officials added that "most cases of silicosis are work-related – it is precise uncommon for silicosis to hap extracurricular of workplace exposure."

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A begetter and lad acceptable up a quartz countertop astatine a booth successful Albany Sept. 15, 2011.  (John Carl D'Annibale/Albany Times Union)

Officials said the hazard exists erstwhile handling earthy stones, specified arsenic granite, but is particularly precocious erstwhile moving with engineered stone, specified arsenic quartz. While earthy granite typically contains little than 45% silica, engineered chromatic tin incorporate much than 90%, DPH reported.

"In caller years, the illness has go much prevalent among chromatic fabrication workers owed to the emergence successful popularity of countertops made from engineered chromatic (also known arsenic quartz oregon artificial stone)," DPH reported. 

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An worker applies a sealant to sheets for countertops May 14, 2014. (Craig Warga/Bloomberg)

The section noted that, portion this is the archetypal confirmed lawsuit successful Massachusetts wrong this industry, much cases are expected owed to the disease's agelong latency play and the rising popularity of engineered stone.

Other states person besides reported cases of silicosis. In a 2023 study, California researchers identified 52 quartz countertop workers with silicosis. Twenty of them had precocious illness and 10 died.

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Despite the disease’s imaginable severity, determination has not been an outright prohibition connected quartz successful U.S. kitchens. By contrast, each enactment involving engineered chromatic has already been banned successful Australia owed to the terrible risks it poses to workers. Other countries are besides pushing for much regulations.

The DPH emphasizes that silicosis is "absolutely preventable" done due workplace controls. The alert urges employers successful the chromatic countertop fabrication manufacture to instrumentality effectual information measures, specified arsenic bedewed cutting and due ventilation, to minimize silica vulnerability and support workers.

"Silicosis is simply a devastating, life-altering illness and 1 that is besides perfectly preventable," Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said successful a statement.