Experts have called for a ban on the use of quartz for “kitchen” needs.
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Many people love quartz kitchen countertops – they look like marble and are quite practical. However, Western scientists who research lung diseases are calling on officials to ban the material.
The growing popularity of quartz countertops is accompanied by the spread of a dangerous disease: silicosis. This is a lung injury caused by inhaling quartz dust.
When working on kitchen countertops, craftsmen cut and polish dry quartz with a grinder, which generates a lot of fine dust.
According to a recent study published in the journal BMJ Thorax, eight men aged 27 to 56 with silicosis were observed cutting and polishing quartz countertops at a specialist clinic. One of the patients has died and lung transplants are being considered for two.
Experts have therefore called for a ban on the use of quartz for “kitchen” needs. “We are on the verge of a significant increase in cases of silica-associated silicosis, and this will only get worse,” writes medical advocate Evan Tant.
In Australia, artificial stone with a high silica content has already been banned.
