Is It Bad To Inhale Granite Dust

Respirable crystalline silica is a chemical compound present in stone dust soil granite and many other minerals.

Is it bad to inhale granite dust.

When doctors examine the lungs of a miner after death they find no more than 40 g of dust. Silica dust is the creation of fine particles of a type of silica known as crystalline silica which can be found in stone rocks sand and clay. Despite its many benefits to the construction industry it comes with a number of health risks. Most dust and dirt if inhaled in trace or small amounts will safely pass through the lungs with the assistance of the cilia tiny hairs in the lungs.

Crystalline silica has been classified as a human lung carcinogen. When we talk about silica dust we are referring to crystalline silica. For example during a lifetime a coal miner may inhale 1 000 g of dust into his lungs. These silica dust particles can cause scarring in the lungs leading to a serious and irreversible lung condition known as silicosis.

Crystalline silica is a basic component of soil sand granite and many other minerals. When these materials are disturbed they release a dust that is dangerous to inhale. As a multipurpose building material it provides compact results. Symptoms include a chronic cough and shortness of breath.

Typically it is brought on by excessive exposure to dust and dirt inhalation. The good news is that silicosis is 100 preventable. Workers and residents living in areas adjacent to stone quarries are prone to a disease called silicosis whereby inhaled marble dust damages the cells of the respiratory system. Such a relatively small residue illustrates the importance of the lungs defenses and certainly suggests that they are quite effective.

Stone dust is a by product of crushed rocks. Rutland herald granite dust may 28 2000 by john dillon staff writer the federal government has concluded that the tiny crystalline rock particles found in granite dust can cause lung cancer a finding that may lead to stricter regulation of vermont s stone industry. Dust pneumonia is an acute type of respiratory distress that can develop into an infection of the lungs. Inhaling marble dust causes toxic effects on the respiratory system.