New research has predicted that tens of thousands of Australian workers will develop lung cancer over their lifetime due to exposure to silica dust.
A study funded by the Australian Council of Trade Unions estimates that more than half a million Australian workers are exposed to the toxic dust that causes an increase in related diseases.
“Our model predicts that more than 10,000 Australians will develop lung cancer and up to 103,000 workers will be diagnosed with silicosis as a result of their current exposure to silica dust at work,” said lead researcher Dr Renee Carey, Curtin School of Population Health. .
Silica dust is found naturally in productions such as sand, earth, stone, and concrete. (9 News)
The study found that Australian construction, mining and quarrying workers and the manufacturing industries are exposed to dust that is found naturally in many products such as sand, soil, stone and concrete.
Although previously silica dust-related diseases were uncommon in Australia, the increasing use of engineered stone, which is mainly used for kitchen tables, is causing a rapid rise in silica-related diseases. .
Experts are now pushing for artificial stone to be banned and alternative options being explored, believing nearly 100 cases of lung cancer could be avoided and a thousand cases of silicosis could be avoided if so.
Thousands of Australian workers are at risk for lung cancer due to exposure to silica dust. (AP)
“While the best option would be a total ban on engineered stone, it is possible to reduce the health impacts of working with engineered stone using a variety of methods, such as mandatory wet cutting or dust extraction with tool, as long as these methods are combined. with the constant use of high-quality respiratory protection, “said co-author John Curtin, Distinguished Professor Lin Fritschi of the Curtin School of Population Health.
Gerry Ayers, director of safety and health at the Union for Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy, said the designed stone benches have the highest amount of crystalline silica content.
“The main goal, obviously, in the last two years has been in the engineering stone because it has a fairly high crystalline silica content and we are getting people in their 20s to be diagnosed with silicosis,” he said. to say.
Experts call for a ban on potent silica powder products such as engineered stone. (AFR / Nic Walker)
“There’s crystalline silica in ceramic tiles, in concrete, in bricks, but there are ways to control that dust and there are ways to control exposure levels.
“In terms of engineered stone, we can probably look, you know, at why we don’t use more marble and that sort of thing because there’s a lot less crystalline silica in marble than in artificial stone,” Ayers said. .
Although safety in the workplace of bricklayers and other construction workers had greatly improved over the years, Ayers said the health effects of exposure to crystalline silica will be greatly felt during the next years.
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“Speaking of the third and fourth wave of asbestos exposure, we will probably feel the effect of crystalline silica dust and crystalline silica-containing products, for quite a few years,” he said.