6 hours Ago By Olivia Lidbury
Engineered quartz can cause a fatal lung disease in construction workers. Here are the best alternatives. Modern kitchen refurbs could be linked to a number of tragic fatalities.
The trend for engineered quartz – a popular worktop surface which is cheaper and lighter than marble and granite – is reported to be the cause of an increase in cases of a deadly lung disease . According to the i newspaper, cases of silicosis have doubled among UK tradesmen, who are at risk of inhaling toxic dust when cutting surfaces such as engineered quartz countertops. 16 young workers, with an average age of 34, have been confirmed as having the incurable disease since last year when the first diagnoses were made in the southeast of England, reports say.
This summer, Australia outlawed the use of such engineered stones, which are usually composed of a mix of ground quartz, polymers, pigments and resins, and a coalition of unions and public health and safety experts has urged the New Zealand Government to do the same . When stonemasons are cutting and grinding materials, a carcinogen known as respirable crystalline silica dust (RCS) is created. Silica is naturally occurring in stones such as granite, porcelain and marble at between 5-40%.
However, in engineered quartz it can be as high as 97%. Engineered quartz has found favour in recent years, with renovators seeking a material that is more cost-effective, consistent in appearance and hard-wearing than a natural stone such as marble, which has been a hot trend in kitchen design. As anyone who has tried to scrub turmeric from a marble worktop can attest, durability is quartz’s superpower.
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