Silica is a dangerous mineral that occurs naturally in sand, quartz, flint, agate and many other mineral rocks. Silica is used in a wide variety of things, notably glass and concrete. Silica inhalation can cause silicosis, a disabling and irreversible lung condition.
It is estimated that at least 1.7 million U.S. workers in the construction industries have been exposed to silica at their jobs. For example, workers and miners in the steel, brick, sandblasting, concrete, cement, and stone industries have been exposed to high levels of crystalline silica via particles and dust in the air released from sand and rock.
In addition to causing silicosis, some medical research
indicates that silica can induce mesothelioma, a life-threatening
cancer that begins in the mesothelium tissue which surrounds the
lungs, the stomach, and the heart. Silicosis, as well as lung
cancer, lupus, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis, have been
linked to the prolonged exposure to silica. Symptoms of silicosis
include blue lips, fatigue, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath
and loss of appetite. Complications of silicosis also include
tuberculosis.
