NEW DELHI: Artificial stone, also known as engineered stone or quartz , may make your kitchen look beautiful but, leading medical experts from across the globe warn it is endangering the lives of workmen involved in its cutting and polishing.
Artificial stones are made from crushed rocks bound together with resins. It has aesthetic appeal. It's easier to work with due to absence of natural imperfections, and it's more resistant to damage than natural stone - leading to its popularity over the past decade.
However, according to a recent study published in journal Thorax, its increasing popularity has been accompanied by the emergence of a severe and rapidly progressive form of silicosis (artificial stone silicosis), largely driven by its high (more than 90%) silica content compared with marble (3%) and granite (30%), and the fine dust it generates when cut.
"When worktops are prepared for installation, they are often 'dry' cut and polished with an angle grinder or other tools without the use of water to suppress dust generation, further boosting the volume of fine dust," the researchers explain.
The Thorax study documents eight cases of workers with an average age of 34 suffering from serious lung disease while preparing artificial stones in the UK. Of them, two were assessed for lung transplant; three for autoimmune disease and two others were treated for opportunistic lung infection caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria, the Thorax study states.
The UK is currently reviewing exposure limits for crystalline silica dust amid mounting international concerns about its health impacts. "Inhalation of silica, a common mineral found in sand, is known to cause scarring of lungs and predispose a person to tuberculosis. I used to see several construction workers suffering from both at Safdarjung Hospital. The degree of illness varied depending on the duration of exposure," Dr J C Suri, the former head of pulmonary medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, said.
Dr Suri said cutting and polishing of artificial stones leads to release of fine silica dust that are likely to be inhaled compared to the silica dust released while cutting or polishing other materials used for making kitchen tops, for example granite. "Doing away with the use of these stones may be difficult, but one can certainly advocate safety measures for workers involved in the cutting, polishing and installation of these stones to reduce the risk of silicosis - lung disease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica. This may include use of nasal filters and tech-use to reduce exposure to silica dust," he added.
Artificial stones are made from crushed rocks bound together with resins. It has aesthetic appeal. It's easier to work with due to absence of natural imperfections, and it's more resistant to damage than natural stone - leading to its popularity over the past decade.
However, according to a recent study published in journal Thorax, its increasing popularity has been accompanied by the emergence of a severe and rapidly progressive form of silicosis (artificial stone silicosis), largely driven by its high (more than 90%) silica content compared with marble (3%) and granite (30%), and the fine dust it generates when cut.
"When worktops are prepared for installation, they are often 'dry' cut and polished with an angle grinder or other tools without the use of water to suppress dust generation, further boosting the volume of fine dust," the researchers explain.
The Thorax study documents eight cases of workers with an average age of 34 suffering from serious lung disease while preparing artificial stones in the UK. Of them, two were assessed for lung transplant; three for autoimmune disease and two others were treated for opportunistic lung infection caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria, the Thorax study states.
The UK is currently reviewing exposure limits for crystalline silica dust amid mounting international concerns about its health impacts. "Inhalation of silica, a common mineral found in sand, is known to cause scarring of lungs and predispose a person to tuberculosis. I used to see several construction workers suffering from both at Safdarjung Hospital. The degree of illness varied depending on the duration of exposure," Dr J C Suri, the former head of pulmonary medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, said.
Dr Suri said cutting and polishing of artificial stones leads to release of fine silica dust that are likely to be inhaled compared to the silica dust released while cutting or polishing other materials used for making kitchen tops, for example granite. "Doing away with the use of these stones may be difficult, but one can certainly advocate safety measures for workers involved in the cutting, polishing and installation of these stones to reduce the risk of silicosis - lung disease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica. This may include use of nasal filters and tech-use to reduce exposure to silica dust," he added.
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