This state wants to ban these popular kitchen countertops - USA Today
California is considering a ban on quartz countertops due to the rising number of silicosis cases among workers who process the material. The move follows similar actions taken in Australia to protect workers from harmful silica dust exposure.
Why it matters
Highlights the tension between consumer product popularity and occupational health safety standards.
Hear this story California is on track to become the first state to ban a popular countertop material amid a growing number of lung disease cases.
Quartz countertops , a common alternative to natural stone like marble, exploded in popularity over the last decade or so in the United States, due to their relative affordability, durability and easy maintenance. With that has also come an explosion of silicosis , a debilitating lung disease, in people who work with the material.
The artificial stone produces harmful dust when assembled, cut, ground, drilled, sanded, polished or otherwise processed, causing permanent lung damage to those exposed over time. Concern about the material has mounted in recent years, leading Australia to ban it altogether in 2024 .
California, where several quartz countertop manufacturers and fabricators are based, has seen a notable rise in cases.
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