Increased Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposure Risk Among Engineered Stone Fabrication in Chicago

Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center 

Engineered stone (ES) countertops continue to rise in their popularity but pose an increased risk of silicosis for fabricators due to high respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure during cutting, grinding, and polishing. This study characterizes personal RCS exposures, dust composition, and particle size distributions among ES fabricators in Chicago to inform urgently needed controls and regulatory actions.

L. H.T. Go, MD, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
R. Cohen, MD, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Y. Shao, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. 

H. Hamza, MD, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA 

Aerosol and airborne particulate monitoring

Asbestos, lead, and dust

Exposure Assessment

Real-time detection services and direct reading instruments

Respiratory protection