Editor's note
Importers and fabricators should monitor escalating regulatory and legal risks around high-silica quartz. Bans in Australia and lawsuits in key markets like California signal potential supply chain disruptions and liability exposure. Consider diversifying toward lower-silica or alternative materials as fabricator capacity and insurance costs may be affected.
California public health officials report an epidemic of silicosis, an incurable lung disease, among workers fabricating quartz-based engineered stone countertops. Over 500 California workers have contracted the disease, with a median age of 46; more than 50 have required lung transplants, and 29 have died. State estimates suggest up to 850 of the state's 4,000 stone fabrication workers could develop silicosis. The disease can develop after as little as two years of exposure to silica dust from cutting, shaping, and polishing quartz slabs. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by workers against slab makers and retailers, including major home improvement chains.
California's public health department states that processing quartz-based slabs into engineered stone countertops is causing a silicosis epidemic. Over 500 workers in the state have contracted the incurable lung disease, with a median age of 46. More than 50 have needed lung transplants, and 29 have died.
State officials estimate that up to 850 of California's 4,000 stone fabrication workers could develop silicosis, with as many as 160 potentially dying from it. Medical experts note the disease can strike after as little as two years of working with the material.
Quartz countertops have been banned in Australia and led to legal actions in Spain and California, with retailers like IKEA discontinuing them. However, sales remain unrestricted in the U.S. and California.
Hundreds of sick and dying workers are suing quartz slab manufacturers and countertop vendors, including Bay Area shops and major retailers like Home Depot, Lowe's, and Costco. Law firms have filed nearly 400 such lawsuits and expect to file hundreds more, comparing the situation to asbestos.
Defendants are filing counter-suits against the fabrication shops that employed the workers.
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Sources
Source article: ‘Nobody told us it was dangerous’: Quartz countertop boom linked to incurable lung disease among Bay Area workers | Source publish time: Mar 16, 2026 | Source language: en
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