Silicosis / Silica - Overview
Silica, or silicon dioxide, is a common chemical compound found in sand, rock, and soil. Since it is a naturally-occurring mineral and is often contained in a number of construction and building materials, workers in a large variety of industries and occupations may be exposed to silica and crystallized silica dust. For example, construction workers can easily be exposed to silica when chipping, hammering, drilling, crushing, or hauling rock, or when working with concrete and masonry products. ven materials containing small amounts of crystalline silica can be used in ways that produce high dust concentrations.
When silica and silica dust is inhaled, tiny particles can enter into small air sacs in the lungs. In the early 1990's, it was estimated that over one million workers in the U.S. were being exposed to this breathable (or "respirable") silica dust. Each year, more than 250 American workers die with a condition known as "silicosis." Silicosis is a chronic lung disease sometimes suffered by workers repeatedly subjected to a work environment in which silica dust is commonplace, and is the greatest health risk from silica dust exposure. Silicosis is a disease which falls under the broader name "pneumoconiosis," a general term for any lung disease caused by inhalation of dust particles.
Today, exposure to silica dust on the job is considered by the World Health Organization to be as dangerous to human health as other known carcinogens such as asbestos and smoking. People who are exposed to large amounts of silica dust are also at a greater risk of developing lung cancer, tuberculosis, and bronchitis.
What Is Silicosis?
Silicosis is a scarring and hardening of lung tissue that can result when particles of crystalline silica are inhaled. The disease can cause permanent shortness of breath, and can make victims more susceptible to further respiratory complications like bronchitis and lung cancer. In some cases, silicosis can be fatal. Unfortunately, there is no medical treatment for silicosis. It can only be prevented, not cured.
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