31 dead, nearly 600 ill due to lung disease linked to stone countertop exposure: study - WJAR

California public health officials identified nearly 600 cases of silicosis, a deadly, incurable lung disease, among workers who fabricated engineered-stone countertops between January 2019 and June 2026, according to findings published Wednesday in NEJM Evidence.
The 592 cases included 31 deaths and 65 people who required lung transplants, the California Department of Public Health reported.
Silicosis is a progressive fibrotic lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica; engineered-stone slabs marketed as quartz countertops can contain at least 90% crystalline silica, exposing workers when the material is cut or finished.
The cases stood out for patients' relatively young ages, short exposure periods, and rapid disease progression, with a median age at diagnosis of 46 and a median age of 52 among those who died.
Nearly all those diagnosed were men, and 98% were Latino; the state's surveillance program expanded after identifying its first case in 2019, involving a worker diagnosed at 32 who died of respiratory failure at 38.
California's efforts have prompted stronger silica regulations and additional surveillance requirements, but officials said hazardous exposures persist, enforcement remains difficult, and the true burden is likely underestimated because reporting is largely passive, screening is inconsistent, and misdiagnosis is common.