Silicosis and the Quartz Industry: A New Chapter or a Temporary Fix?

In September 2025, Business of Home published a sobering look at the artificial stone industry’s reckoning with accelerated silicosis—a deadly lung disease caused by inhaling nano-sized particles of crystalline silica and other toxins in traditional artificial stone. The article, “Is low-silica stone the path forward for the quartz industry?” spotlights the aftermath of a landmark $52 million verdict awarded to Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez, a 34-year-old artificial stone fabricator who required a double lung transplant after years of exposure to toxic crystalline silica and other toxins in artificial stone.

A Shift in Materials—But Is It Enough?

Following the Reyes Gonzalez case and Australia’s nationwide ban on artificial stone, major manufacturers like Caesarstone and Cosentino have introduced “low-“ and so-called “zero-silica” alternatives. According to their advertising, Caesarstone’s new “Icon” line contains less than 1% crystalline silica, while Cosentino’s Q0 surface boasts recycled content and claimed minimal silica levels.

As of this week, California’s Department of Public Health has recorded 391 silicosis cases and 22 deaths linked to artificial stone in California alone. The median age of diagnosis is just 46. These are not isolated incidents—they are a public health crisis.

California Artificial Stone Silicosis Crisis

California Considers Ban on Engineered Stone as Cal/OSHA Confirms Escalating Silicosis Epidemic Ahead of May 21 Hearing

May 20, 2026

Engineered stone slabs stacked outside a fabrication shop in Los Angeles. Photo by Semantha Raquel Norris.

Investigative Reporting Examines the Human Cost of Artificial Stone Silicosis

April 16, 2026

May 15, 2026

What Is Artificial Stone Silicosis?

Silicosis is a severe, incurable lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica dust. Over time, these particles scar lung tissue, reducing the lungs’ ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream and making it progressively harder to breathe.

Workers involved in cutting, grinding, polishing, and finishing countertops are particularly vulnerable. The risk is highest when fabricating artificial stone, also referred to as engineered or manufactured stone, because of its composition.

Why Cutting Artificial Stone is Dangerous

Artificial stone slabs are at least 90% crystalline silica. The remaining approximate 10% consists of resins, dyes, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are highly toxic. When artificial stone is cut or polished, it releases nano‑sized silica particles that remain airborne and penetrate deep into the lungs when inhaled.

Medical research and public health surveillance show that this exposure pattern has led to more aggressive and rapidly progressive forms of silicosis, often affecting workers at much younger ages than historically seen with natural stone.

California at the Center of a Growing Crisis

California has emerged as the epicenter of the artificial stone silicosis crisis in the United States.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported in November 2025 that it had confirmed 432 silicosis cases among California countertop workers since 2019. Those cases included at least 25 deaths and 48 lung transplants, with officials cautioning that the true number of cases is likely higher due to underdiagnosis and delayed reporting.

More recent CDPH data cited in Capital & Main’s May 2026 reporting indicate that the disease has now killed 30 fabrication workers and sickened more than 550 in California since 2019 (as of today, May 15, 2026, the number has risen to 560 cases and 31 deaths).

Behind each number is a worker who spent a few months to many years shaping countertops for homes and businesses, without fully understanding the danger posed by the dust generated during fabrication.

Why So Many Health Experts Are Raising Alarms

California has adopted stricter workplace requirements for stone fabrication, including a prohibition on dry cutting and mandates for wet methods, ventilation, and respiratory protection. Even so, many occupational health professionals continue to question whether these measures are sufficient when applied in real‑world settings.

CDPH has acknowledged that controlling silica dust from artificial stone is technically challenging. In its health advisories, the department has noted that dust‑control systems can be expensive, complex to maintain, and difficult to implement consistently, particularly across hundreds of small fabrication shops. CDPH has also warned that even required controls are not always effective enough to reduce exposures to levels that reliably prevent disease.

For this reason, many experts point to the long‑established hierarchy of controls used in occupational health: when a hazard cannot be reliably controlled, the most effective approach is elimination or substitution. Safer countertop materials already exist, raising fundamental questions about whether artificial stone can be fabricated without unacceptable risk.

Lessons From Outside the United States

The concerns raised in California echo experiences in other countries.

In Australia, engineered stone was prohibited nationwide in 2024 after hundreds of workers developed silicosis despite the use of modern controls. Australian regulators concluded that exposure could not be eliminated in practice.

Spain has reported a similar pattern. Occupational health researchers there have documented thousands of silicosis cases linked to artificial stone since 2007 and have urged national authorities to consider prohibiting the material after years of observing severe disease in relatively young workers.

Across borders, the pattern remains consistent: widespread use of artificial stone countertops has been followed by preventable, irreversible lung disease.

What Workers and Families Should Watch For

Silicosis can be difficult to recognize early, and delayed diagnosis is common. CDPH has warned that the disease is frequently misdiagnosed as pneumonia, tuberculosis, asthma, sarcoidosis, or other respiratory conditions.

Workers who have cut, ground, polished, fabricated, or installed countertops, especially artificial stone, should take symptoms seriously, including:

Shortness of breath

Persistent or worsening cough

Chest tightness or pain

Fatigue

Progressive breathing difficulty over time

Diagnosis may involve chest imaging, pulmonary function testing, and evaluation by pulmonary or occupational medicine specialists. The only method that can accurately diagnosis silicosis is an HRCT (High-Resolution Computed Tomography). Healthcare providers are advised to ask patients about countertop fabrication work even when symptoms appear mild or nonspecific.

Brayton Purcell’s Ongoing Focus on Artificial Stone Silicosis

Brayton Purcell LLP continues to closely follow the medical evidence, public health data, and investigative reporting surrounding artificial stone silicosis. The new Capital & Main video is an important reminder that this crisis has been documented, studied, and warned about for years.

Silicosis is incurable. For some workers, treatment means lifelong oxygen therapy. For others, it involves lung transplantation. For many families, it brings sudden and devastating loss.

No one should lose their health, or their life, making a countertop.

Get The Legal Support You Need

If you or a loved one developed silicosis after working with artificial stone (quartz) countertops you may have legal rights. Brayton Purcell LLP is available to speak with workers and families about potential claims and next steps.

Contact Brayton Purcell LLP to learn more about artificial stone silicosis cases and available legal options.

Call (800) 361-2417

FAQs

1Why is artificial stone associated with more severe cases of silicosis than natural stone?

Artificial stone contains at least 90% crystalline silica, far higher than most natural stone materials. When artificial stone is cut, ground, or polished, it releases nano‑sized silica particles that can remain airborne and be inhaled deep into the lungs. Medical and public health data referenced in the Capital & Main report show that this exposure pattern has been linked to faster‑progressing and more aggressive forms of silicosis, often diagnosed in workers at much younger ages.

2If California has stricter safety requirements, why are workers still developing silicosis?

Although California has adopted measures such as banning dry cutting and requiring wet methods, ventilation, and respiratory protection, public health officials have acknowledged that controlling silica dust from artificial stone is technically difficult in real‑world settings. Dust‑control systems can be costly, complex, and inconsistent across fabrication shops. Even when required controls are in place, health authorities have cautioned that exposures may still exceed levels believed to reliably prevent disease.

3What should former countertop workers do if they are experiencing respiratory symptoms now?

Workers who previously fabricated, cut, polished, or installed countertops—particularly artificial stone—should take respiratory symptoms seriously, even if exposure occurred years ago. Silicosis is often misdiagnosed, and early symptoms may appear mild. Evaluation by a qualified medical provider may include imaging and pulmonary testing, with high‑resolution CT (HRCT) being the only method that can accurately diagnose silicosis. Discussing prior countertop fabrication work with healthcare providers is critical to ensuring appropriate evaluation.