Dr Jeremy T. Hua MD, MPH is a lung doctor at National Jewish Health in the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. He specializes in patients who get sick from where they work and how we can help keep them healthy.

Today we discuss crystalline silica and the booming lung disease caused by inhaling it. Many of the workplaces are smaller, and employers may be unaware of the risk to employees or be put at a competitive disadvantage if they do address the risk and wider standards are not in place to protect all workers. However, the products involving quartz are everywhere, often in our kitchens, bathrooms and more.

Listen and learn how so many of the products in are lives increasingly use engineered stone, how silica exposure is increasing, and what needs to be done.

To Do

- Learn more about silicosis from the American Lung Association or at the post for this episode.

- When considering a kitchen upgrade or other changes, consider avoiding engineered stone unless you know it has been made with high safety standards in place.

- Write to your members of Congress to encourage robust funding and staffing of OSHA and MSHA.

- Listen to last month’s podcast episode about coal mining and silica with Dr. Drew Harris to learn more about how to support miners.

- Consider a donation to the American Lung Association, who advocates for patients with lung diseases including Silicosis.

(Episode cover art from ALA Silicosis resources)

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