31 Deaths Reported in Kitchen Countertop Scandal

Nearly 600 people have fallen ill and over 30 have died as a result of a deadly lung disease from working in a quartz countertop manufacturing facility. A new published Wednesday by the California Department of Public Health found that the rate of silicosis—a lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust—has risen sharply over the past seven years. The report, which studies cases of the lung disease from 2019 to 2026, documented 592 cases of silicosis among quartz countertop fabrication workers, 65 of which required lung transplants and 31 of which resulted in death. Quartz has become a popular countertop choice because of its durability, though it contains over 90 percent silica. “Healthcare practitioners and public health departments should be on the lookout for cases and join the effort to stop this epidemic and save workers’ lives,” said David Michaels, co-author of the report, in a release. Health professionals also warn of higher rates of the incurable disease, as many people could be undiagnosed.

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