Health officials warn that engineered stone countertops are fueling a fast-moving silicosis epidemic affecting young Latino workers in California’s fabrication industry.
Three years ago, José Francisco Andrade’s life changed dramatically after he began suffering from severe chest pain and a relentless cough that left him gasping for air.
“I was suffocating so badly I felt like I was going to faint. My mind was going blank and everything started going dark,” José Francisco said.
Doctors diagnosed him with silicosis, an incurable lung disease caused by exposure to crystalline silica dust.
The disease has become a growing crisis in California, particularly among Latino workers employed in the stone fabrication industry. In Los Angeles County, the outbreak is concentrated in the northeastern San Fernando Valley, where a high number of stone cutting workshops has created a serious public health emergency.
Unlike traditional silicosis, which can take decades to develop, this newer and more aggressive form progresses rapidly and is affecting young Latino men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.
More than 550 cases have been reported across California. Dozens of workers have died, and more than 100 people have either received lung transplants or are currently waiting for one.
Los Angeles County has declared the outbreak a workplace emergency and launched awareness and support campaigns for affected workers. Health officials continue to stress the importance of prevention and stronger safety measures inside fabrication shops.
The dangerous dust is produced when engineered stone slabs are cut or polished for kitchen and bathroom countertops.
José Francisco spent decades working in the industry. After receiving his diagnosis, he learned another devastating reality.
“When they told me a lung transplant was the only possible treatment, everything fell apart for me because I thought there was a cure,” he said.
According to the California Department of Public Health, silicosis has become a global epidemic and is now raising alarm across the state.
“We are seeing an exponential increase in California, and the connection is engineered stone,” said Dr. Sheiphali Gandhi, a faculty member at UC San Francisco in the Department of Medicine.
Although commonly referred to as quartz, engineered stone is actually a manufactured material made from crushed stone combined with resins and metals.
“This dust is almost microscopic. You can barely see it with the naked eye. It’s extremely fine, and workers often do not realize how much they are inhaling,” Ghandi explained.
What doctors do know is that the lung damage caused by silicosis is irreversible.
Data from the California Department of Public Health show reported silicosis cases rising from 25 in 2022 to 556 statewide. At least 31 people have died, and another 109 have undergone lung transplants or are in the process of receiving one. Ninety eight percent of those affected are Latino workers.
For José Francisco, the emotional toll has been just as painful as the physical suffering.
“I can no longer provide for my family. Instead of helping my partner, I now depend on her, and that makes me feel like a burden,” he said.
According to Ghandi, silicosis itself is not new. What is new is the age and severity of the cases now emerging. Workers are becoming critically ill much younger and much faster after exposure to dust from engineered stone.
California workplace safety officials warn that breathing silica dust from engineered stone is extremely dangerous. While marble contains 5 percent or less crystalline silica, and granite contains between 10 percent and 45 percent, engineered stone can contain more than 93 percent silica.
“We never imagined this material would have such devastating consequences for us,” José Francisco said.
