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Podcast: The Bay
Episode: Your Kitchen Countertop Could Be Making Workers Sick
Description: Engineered stone, or quartz, is a man-made material made with high concentrations of silica that is commonly used to make kitchen countertops in the U.S. And it’s making the workers who cut this material sick. And even though California has safety rules in place to reduce the risk to workers, some say it’s time to ban the use of engineered stone altogether.
This episode first aired on Dec. 15, 2025.
Links:
Doctors say measures to control an incurable lung disease aren't enough : NPR
As Lung Disease Threatens Workers, Lawmakers Seek Protecti...