![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/silicosis-killing-young-workers-who-cut-countertops-as-incurable-disease-destroys-lungs/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/0_Cutting-Granite.jpg&description=An incurable disease called silicosis that destroys the lungs is killing young Latino workers exposed to hazardous levels of silica dust as they cut countertops in California's Pacoima region A health crisis has broken out with young Latino manual labourers developing a severe and incurable lung disease from their work. Latino immigrants work on heavy slabs of engineered stone, producing countertops in California's Pacoima region. These workers are exposed to hazardous levels of silica dust while cutting and grinding these stones, putting them at risk of developing silicosis, a severe and incurable lung disease. Traditionally, silicosis has been associated with older workers, but alarmingly, it's now affecting younger individuals in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, with some succumbing to the disease in their 30s, and receiving terminal diagnoses. This trend is deeply concerning and underscores the urgency of addressing the issue. One of them, Leobardo Segura Meza, is a 27-year-old father who was once an active individual but now struggles to breathe due to his exposure to silica dust. He received inadequate protection in the form of a dust mask while working with the dust-laden stone slabs. For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US Segura Meza expressed his concerns and fears about silicosis. He told the Los Angeles Times, "There's no cure for this illness. The only thing they can do is a lung transplant." He also shared his apprehension that as more workers become ill, there might not be enough available lungs for transplantation, highlighting the severity of the disease's impact on affected individuals in the industry. A study conducted by physicians from UCLA and UCSF found that almost 20% of Californian workers who contracted silicosis from grinding countertops had died. Their median age at death was 46. More than half of those diagnosed with the disease experienced delays due to misdiagnosis as bacterial pneumonia or tube){kind=link}
An incurable disease called silicosis that destroys the lungs is killing young Latino workers exposed to hazardous levels of silica dust as they cut countertops in California’s Pacoima region
A health crisis has broken out with young Latino manual labourers developing a severe and incurable lung disease from their work.
Latino immigrants work on heavy slabs of engineered stone, producing countertops in California’s Pacoima region. These workers are exposed to hazardous levels of silica dust while cutting and grinding these stones, putting them at risk of developing silicosis, a severe and incurable lung disease.
Traditionally, silicosis has been associated with older workers, but alarmingly, it’s now affecting younger individuals in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, with some succumbing to the disease in their 30s, and receiving terminal diagnoses. This trend is deeply concerning and underscores the urgency of addressing the issue.
One of them, Leobardo Segura Meza, is a 27-year-old father who was once an active individual but now struggles to breathe due to his exposure to silica dust. He received inadequate protection in the form of a dust mask while working with the dust-laden stone slabs.