Silicosis Among Engineered Stone Workers in Ontario, Canada: A Case Series of 20 Patients

Background

Silicosis is a preventable occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of respirable crystalline silica. Although traditionally associated with mining, it is increasingly recognized among workers who fabricate engineered stone, also referred to as artificial stone, for kitchen and other countertops. In Canada, updated surveillance data are limited, and no published case series have characterized engineered stone-associated silicosis.

Methods