Doctors have sounded the alarm on an everyday kitchen item that could be spreading “preventable diseases”. The item in question has been linked with silicosis, a disease that is permanent, progressive, and incurable. Worries over an increase in silicosis deaths has been flagged by doctors in the US, where California has recorded 31 deaths so far from the disease.
UK homes could also feature the common item as doctors urge Brits to check their home for quartz, particularly in their kitchen worktops. The UK has recorded 50 cases of silicosis, with four deaths confirmed. The UK, as well as Australia, joined calls for quartz to be banned from use in stoneworks production.
Silicosis is caused by inhaling high levels of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) over a number of years. It affects the lungs and has been repeatedly misdiagnosed in the past.
The so-called “silent killer” is a growing issue for medical experts who believe the high number of cases could point to an “accelerated disease” in Brit homes across the country.
Lung specialist Dr Johanna Feary, from Royal Brompton Hospital, told Sky News that silicosis cases could be much higher than the 50 reported so far.
She said: “We are seeing a high number of cases of accelerated disease. It’s affecting a young workforce – people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Fundamentally, we should not be seeing a preventable disease like this in Britain in 2026.”
Quartz – a more common name for engineered stone – is made by mixing crushed stone with resins, allowing all manner of colours and patterns to be introduced. While it is not dangerous once installed, it releases high levels of RCS when cut.
Silicosis mainly affected coal miners from the 1920s to 1950s and was a workplace disease that had largely been forgotten. It has been so uncommon as a modern disease that it can often be misdiagnosed.
The Health and Safety Executive has since announced new guidance over the use of quartz and silicosis diagnosis. The stoneworks industry were told that dry cutting the engineered stone is “unacceptable”, with a swell of 1,000 inspections announced for fabricators across Britain.
The NHS lists the main symptoms of silicosis as a persistent cough, persistent shortness of breath, and feelings of weakness and tiredness.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
