California is facing a growing occupational health crisis: engineered stone silicosis. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) identified 592 cases of "especially severe" silicosis among countertop fabrication workers between January 2019 and June 2026, published in NEJM Evidence. The disease is caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust generated when workers cut and polish engineered stone — commonly marketed as "quartz" — which contains over 90% crystalline silica. The affected workers are overwhelmingly Latino men (98% and 99.8%, respectively), with a median diagnosis age of just 46 years.

The numbers have only grown since the study was finalized. As of August 13, 2026, the CDPH reported 631 total cases, 74 lung transplants, and 35 deaths — and experts believe this is still just the tip of the iceberg, given California's passive surveillance system and the lack of a national monitoring program for the 100,000+ countertop workers employed across the U.S.

By the Numbers:

• 631 total cases identified in California as of Aug. 13, 2026
• 74 workers have received lung transplants
• 35 workers have died, at a median age of 52 years
• 95% of the 85 Cal/OSHA-inspected shops had safety violations
• Median occupational silica exposure: 22 years

Why it matters: Silicosis is incurable and entirely preventable. Clinicians are urged to screen countertop fabrication workers — even asymptomatic ones — with chest CT and report cases to public health authorities. Without stronger workplace protections and national surveillance, thousands more workers may already have undetected disease.