The Deadly Silence on Silicosis: Why Industry Interests Trump Worker Lives Silicosis, a debilitating lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust, has been a persistent occupational hazard in the United States.
Despite its preventability, workers continue to die from this disease due to industry groups' relentless opposition to stricter regulations.
Public health experts attribute silicosis outbreaks among coal miners and countertop fabrication workers primarily to workplace exposure to tiny silica particles.