Thousands of U.S. countertop workers may have lung damage from silica dust exposure.
California has tracked over 550 silicosis cases among countertop workers, with more than 30 deaths and over 50 lung transplants. Experts warn that many more cases go unrecognized in other states due to misdiagnosis.
A California workplace safety board will vote on banning high-silica quartz cutting. Wade Hanicker, a Florida father, was diagnosed with silicosis after 15 years of cutting quartz and now faces a lung transplant.