A Shocking New Study Shows This High-End Countertop Is Linked to Lethal Disease

Quartz countertops are a staple in many modern kitchens, due to its durability and resistance to everyday wear like scratches and stains. However, a shocking hospitalization and study linking quartz dust to lung disease has sparked major concerns in the home renovation and design sectors. Here’s everything you need to know.

For context, quartz countertops are human-made engineered stone countertops formed by combining around 90% ground quartz (a natural hard mineral) with 8 to 10% resins, polymers, and pigments. Together, they form a very hard granite-like surface. The appearance depends on how the quartz is ground — coarsely ground quartz produces a flecked appearance, while finely ground quartz produces a smooth look — but you’ll find various colors and textures of the material in kitchens everywhere these days. In fact, engineered stone countertops are the most popular type of countertop in the U.S., and between 2011 to 2021, demand grew 23% annually, to over 250 million square feet overall. But here’s where things get tricky.

The July 2023 study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, looked at a cluster of 52 cases of silicosis, a preventable, incurable lung disease caused by inhaling tiny crystalline particles of silicon dioxide over time, which usually happens in a job setting like mining or construction, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The study looked at cases specifically in young Latino workers in California who regularly worked in manufacturing quartz countertops. Of the cases, 10 workers died, with a median age of death at 46, and 20 presented with the most severe form of the disease. 

“Workers who perform countertop fabrication, including cutting, drilling, and grinding, generate crushed materials or dust that is small enough to get into the deep airways, causing irreversible lung damage,” says Andrea De Vizcaya Ruiz, a professor of environmental and occupational health at UC Irvine School of Population and Public Health.

Ruiz notes that risk can be mitigated by using the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and enacting workplace safety policies. However, not all states and countries require workers to follow protective measures when working with these materials.

How Quartz Countertops Landed One Man in the Hospital

Marek Marzec, a father of three from Poland, was diagnosed with a potentially deadly case of silicosis this year after working at engineered stone manufacturers across the United Kingdom for over a decade, according to the Daily Mail. The 48-year-old, who was too sick to undergo a life-saving lung transplant, accused the stone manufacturing company where he worked of having “appalling” working conditions and is urging safety changes in the industry.

“I arrived in the U.K. hoping to build a better life and wanting to make sure that my young daughters were financially secure,” Marzec told the Daily Mail. “Instead, because of the work I did cutting quartz worktops, I have been left unable to breathe and in terrible pain. I cannot tell you how angry I am that I was allowed to work in these conditions and that my life has been cut short simply for doing my job.”

While the 2023 JAMA study highlights cases of silicosis in California specifically, Ruiz says that there have been reports of engineered stone-related silicosis in other countries dating back more than a decade.

What Does This Mean for the Industry?

According to the JAMA study, clusters of an accelerated and rapidly fatal form of silicosis among engineered stone countertop workers have raised concerns globally. And with an annual global market for quartz valued at over $23 billion, that means that hundreds of thousands of workers could be susceptible to prolonged exposure to toxic dust from engineered stone.

Australia recently became the first country to completely ban the use, supply, and manufacturing of all engineered stone starting in July of this year. “When engineered stone is processed, the dust generated has different physical and chemical properties that likely contribute to more rapid and severe disease,” the Australian government’s decision reads.

In response to the study, California also approved a temporary emergency standard requiring employers to take preventative measures to protect workers such as wetting stone to suppress dust, monitoring silica levels in the air, and conducting exposure assessments for silica at least annually. Los Angeles County also proposed the ban of “silica-fabricated stone” within its borders, which would be the first of its kind in the country, having a major impact on the U.S. stone industry.

If such a ban on using engineered stone were to occur, Ruiz says the industry would need to adapt to making “countertops with new materials without crystalline silica or return to only selling countertops made with natural stone, such as marble and granite, which could impact consumers.” Marble and granite tend to be some of the more expensive countertop materials on the market.

“Construction, home improvement, and manufacturing industries would be affected, yet workers can face more secure occupational settings, and stimulation to fabricate better materials would be triggered,” she says.

Quartz Alternatives for Your Kitchen

While Ruiz clarified that there should be “minimal to no risk” for people who have quartz or engineered stone countertops in their homes “as no dust will be generated from the countertops with day-to-day usage,” there are several alternatives to quartz out there if you have concerns about how the material is produced. 

If you’re looking for something that’s also durable and can withstand the everyday wear and tear, epoxy, stainless steel, and laminate are great countertop alternatives. Plus, opting for a less-traditional or trendy material will make your kitchen stand out and have its own unique flair!

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