California health officials report 31 people have died and 600 have fallen ill with a deadly lung disease after working on popular quartz countertops since 2019. The state report released this week shows that cases of the illness have surged rapidly in recent years.
All of the affected patients were diagnosed with silicosis, a condition also known as black lung. The incurable disease leaves patients struggling to breathe and places them at a higher risk of infection.
Quartz countertops have grown increasingly popular in recent years because they are durable, resistant, and cheaper than natural stone or marble. The countertops are made from 90 percent silica mixed with 10 percent resin and pigments.
When workers cut quartz countertops into their final form, fine silica dust is released into the air. Workers breathe in the fine particles, which become trapped in lung tissue and trigger irreversible scarring and silicosis. There is no cure for the condition, and a lung transplant is the only effective treatment.
Health officials said affected patients were 45 years old on average. Among those who died from the disease, the average age was 52 years. Almost all of the sickened workers were men from a Latino background.
The report revealed that 65 of the California cases resulted in a lung transplant. Another 113 patients have been referred for the procedure.
Surge in California cases
California recorded four to five cases of silicosis each year starting in 2019, according to the report. That annual figure surged into double digits beginning in 2021. Health officials confirmed 103 cases in 2025, and 150 cases have been detected so far in 2026.
Experts say it is not clear why cases are surging so quickly. They suggest the increase may be linked to rising awareness of the condition, which leads more patients to come forward. In some instances, the illness is also initially misdiagnosed.
Dr David Michaels, an occupational health expert who led the report, condemned the continued production of engineered stone. "Hundreds of workers have been sickened making quartz countertops, a product we do not need, especially when a safer alternative is available," Michaels said.
Michaels warned that the problem extends far beyond state lines. "Given the hundreds of diagnosed cases of silicosis in California, there are likely thousands of more cases across the country," he said. "Health care practitioners and public health departments should be on the lookout for casesa and join the effort to stop this epidemic and save workers lives."
Call for nationwide surveillance
Experts hope the findings will underline the need for greater surveillance of silicosis across the United States. Although the total number of Americans with silicosis is unknown, the American Lung Association estimates that 2.3 million workers in the US face workplace silica exposure, including 2 million construction workers.
Workplace exposure rates vary across the country. A 2023 study that analyzed official data suggested West Virginia had the highest rates of silicosis in the United States, followed by New Mexico and Nevada.
Anyone who chips, cuts, drills, or grinds quartz, granite, sandstone, or other silica-releasing materials faces risk of the condition. In addition to countertop fabrication workers, people who work in demolition, mining, and foundries are at higher risk.
People who have quartz countertops installed in their homes are not at risk of silicosis. Health officials emphasized that homeowners are safe because they are not cutting into the stone.
Symptoms and workplace prevention
Warning signs of silicosis include a long-lasting cough, difficulty breathing, and chest or back pain. The condition can also trigger fatigue, muscle weakness, unexplained weight loss, fever, and night sweats.
The American Lung Association says workers can prevent silica dust exposure by wearing tight-fitting N95 masks while working with substances that release the dust. Employers in the US are required by law to protect their workers from silica exposure, the organization added.
