Many people probably believe that, compared with its high prevalence in the 20th century, silicosis is now a relatively uncommon occupational lung disease, limited to construction, stonemasonry, mining and quarrying. However, with novel industrial techniques in the worktop manufacturing and fabrication industry it is making a marked resurgence. Silica content in engineered-stone worktops - commonly used in kitchens, for example -is much higher (over 90%) than found in granite (20%-50%) or marble (generally below 5%). Exposure to respirable crystalline silica is known to cause accelerated silicosis, and the engineered-stone industry has come under increasing scrutiny because of the associated health hazards.There are other potentially hazardous constituents of worktops, including epoxy resins, which can be cured by phthalic anhydride (PA). Both of these compounds are known sensitisers for work-related asthma.
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