Breathing In Granite Dust

Though the practice of cutting and finishing granite into countertops appears safe and harmless the truth is the process poses a dangerous hazard in the form of silica dust.

Breathing in granite dust.

You ll find it in soil sand dust as well as in quartz and granite. Breathing rates and smoking are among the most important. Posted december 8 2015 by jim orr. Respirable crystalline silica is a chemical compound present in stone dust soil granite and many other minerals.

It has been classified as a human lung carcinogen which can potentially cause silicosis. Whether breathing is through the nose or mouth is also important. Characteristics of the person inhaling particles can also influence the effects of dust. Federal and state authorities have passed laws requiring workers who cut or grind materials such as concrete brick stone or granite to wear respirators or other devices designed to protect them from breathing in these materials.

The settling of dust in the lungs increases with the length of time the breath is held and how deeply the breath is taken. Is exposure to airborne concrete stone brick or granite dust hazardous to my health. Of course we also usually breathe through our noses which have tin. Healthy lungs constantly make mucus and we constantly clear our airways for precisely this sort of situation.

Breathing dust containing crystalline silica has also been linked to other diseases such as tuberculosis kidney disease and lung cancer. William graham a retired university of vermont college of medicine professor and pulmonary health specialist has conducted long term health studies of barre granite workers. Silicosis is a fatal long term lung disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust. Symptoms can include fever weight loss and night sweats.

I decided to google how to get rid of granite dust and found your website thank you and even worse i found that granite contains silica. Dust containing silica can be generated when cutting granite a popular building material used for kitchen and bathroom countertops and other. Dust particles get trapped in the mucus and we cough it up and out. 3 types of silicosis.