California, U.S. Must Protect Workers by Banning Artificial Stone with More Than 1% Crystalline Silica
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. should ban artificial stone with more than 1% crystalline silica content to protect workers from life-threatening silicosis, Public Citizen said in a report published today. California released draft regulations earlier this month to prohibit the manufacture and fabrication of artificial stone with more than 1% crystalline silica. The state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is expected to vote on these regulations as soon as October 2026.
“Silicosis is an occupational lung disease that is irreversible, incurable, and deadly, yet preventable,” said Dr. Robert Steinbrook, Health Research Group director for Public Citizen. “Workers in countertop fabrication shops, many of whom are young Latino men, are exposed to high levels of crystalline silica and are dying from silicosis at young ages. Existing occupational regulations, even when strictly followed, fall short in reducing crystalline silica exposures. The high silica content of artificial stone, the nature of the stone-fabrication shops, and the inadequate regulations and safety measures to protect workers all contribute to a public health crisis.”
Artificial stone (a.k.a. engineered stone) is a composite material made of crushed quartz stone bound together with a polymer resin to create a solid surface. The product is an affordable and aesthetic alternative to natural stone for kitchen and bathroom countertops.
Artificial stone-associated silicosis is caused by exposure to fine crystalline silica dust, known as respirable crystalline silica. Resin and metals added to the artificial stone also may contribute to the rapid development of silicosis. Additional precautions, such as prohibiting dry cutting of stone and using wet methods to prevent inhalation of dust, are insufficient. Workers, not consumers, are at risk.
In California, silicosis is a mandatory reportable disease. As of mid-September 2026, there have been 644 reported and confirmed cases of artificial stone-associated silicosis, 75 workers have received a lung transplant, and 35 workers are known to have died. Of the cases, 99.8% were in men and 98% in Latinos. The median age at diagnosis was 46 years and the median age at death 52 years.
Australia banned the use and manufacture of artificial stone in 2024. “Following Australia and California’s lead, the evidence clearly demonstrates that artificial stone importation, manufacture, fabrication, distribution and sale must be prohibited at a national level,” said Dr. Marie Ezran, a Public Citizen fellow and an author of the report.
In addition to implementing a ban, Public Citizen’s report calls for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to strengthen regulations for the fabrication of stone products and exposure to respirable crystalline silica; require reporting of silicosis by all states and the establishment of a national surveillance system; the establishment and funding of a national artificial stone-associated silicosis screening and prevention program; and directing and funding the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to conduct research on the safety profile of newer artificial-stone products with less than 1% crystalline silica content.