A new study has shown silica is not the only component found in engineered stone products which can pose serious concerns for lung health.
Silicosis is an incurable lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust over many years.
Professor Graeme Zosky from the University of Tasmania joined peers from the University of Adelaide to investigate the link between the chemical characteristics of engineered stone dust and lung cell responses to understand components of the dust that pose the greatest risk.
“Silicosis due to engineered stone dusts is a far more severe form of disease, developing over shorter time frames and rapidly progressing,” Professor Zosky said.
He said engineered stone associated silicosis is an occupational health crisis impacting around 30% of people in Australia fabricating these products.
“There is a huge variety in the types of engineered stone available,” he said.
“The aim of the project was to understand how the properties of the dust, including chemistry and particle size, generated by cutting engineered stone impacted on the lung.”
The research team used 50 engineered stones including natural stones and other building products and cut them under real-world conditions to collect the dust.
The dust was then analysed for particle size and 26 different chemical characteristics. Researchers then exposed lung cells to the dust to measure the response.
While the results showed higher silica content was associated with more inflammation, higher metal content (such as cobalt and aluminium) was linked with the cell toxicity of the dust.
“The study has highlighted that while silica is important, it is not the only component of engineered stone that is of concern for lung health,” Professor Zosky said.
“This is important given the emergence of low or no silica products on the market.”
The study, “Understanding the pathogenesis of engineered stone-associated silicosis: the effect of particle chemistry on the lung cell response”, was published in Respirology.