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Editorial
July 24, 2023

Engineered Stone–Associated Silicosis—A Lethal Variant of an Ancient Disease

Author Affiliations
  • 1Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado
  • 2Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora
  • 3Department of Medicine, Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
JAMA Intern Med. 2023;183(9):908-910. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.3260

Silicosis is a progressive and irreversible chronic lung disease caused by inhalation of respirable crystalline silica. Although one of the oldest recognized occupational diseases and fully preventable, silicosis is not a disease of the past. Silicosis remains an important cause of chronic respiratory disease worldwide. Silica is one of the most abundant natural minerals, and inhalation of respirable crystalline silica (hereafter “silica”) can occur in a wide range of industries, including construction, mining, quarrying, manufacturing, and the production and finishing of stone products, such as kitchen and bathroom countertops.

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