The number of Californians diagnosed with silicosis, an incurable and potentially fatal lung disease, has surged dramatically in recent years, with the rise directly linked to the increasing popularity of quartz countertops. A recent state study found that cases jumped from 31 in 2019 to 631 as of August 2026.
Silicosis occurs when silica particles scar the lungs, severely impairing breathing. Workers who fabricate and install engineered stone, particularly quartz, are at the highest risk due to inhaling crystalline silica dust. Quartz contains significantly more silica than natural materials like granite or marble.
Enrique Gonzalez, a stone worker from the San Fernando Valley, is among the victims. After years of working in granite and stone manufacturing, his condition has progressed to the point where he can no longer work, leaving his family to manage escalating medical expenses. A GoFundMe page has been established to support his treatment.
Between 2019 and the present, 31 people have died from the illness, and 65 have required lung transplants, according to the study's analysis of figures from those years. This year alone, 151 cases have been identified, with 40 occurring in the past month.
California's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) has attributed the health crisis to the growing demand for quartz. However, compliance with existing safety standards has been very low, with 94% of recently inspected shops found to be in violation. This has led Cal/OSHA to move towards a complete halt on fabrication and installation tasks involving engineered stone with more than 1% crystalline silica, a move supported by the report's authors.
Experts, including David Michaels, a co-author of the report and professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, have stated that hundreds of workers have been sickened making quartz countertops, a product deemed unnecessary when safer alternatives exist.
Nearly all reported victims have been men, with a median age of 52, and approximately half of the cases are concentrated in Los Angeles County. The report's authors warn that the actual number of cases is likely higher, as many workers may go undiagnosed or receive a late diagnosis. California implemented emergency standards in 2023, but their effectiveness has been limited, raising concerns that non-compliant shops may operate in less regulated environments, further concentrating risk.