Over time, the silica dust particles can cause lung inflammation that leads to the formation of lung nodules and scarring in the lungs called pulmonary fibrosis. This is a progressive disease that normally takes 10–30 years after first exposure to develop.
Exposure to silica dust can lead to the development of lung cancer, silicosis (an irreversible scarring and stiffening of the lungs), kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is estimated that 230 people develop lung cancer each year as a result of past exposure to silica dust at work.
There is no specific treatment for silicosis. Removing the source of silica exposure is important to prevent the disease from getting worse. Supportive treatment includes cough medicine, bronchodilators, and oxygen if needed. Antibiotics are prescribed for respiratory infections as needed.
Whole lung lavage
This procedure is currently being trialled in Australia to determine the benefits and risks as a treatment for people living with silicosis. It involves a general anaesthetic and flushing several litres of a salt-water solution through each lung with the aim of “washing out” damaging silica crystals.
There is no cure for silicosis and some patients may require lung transplantation. Workers exposed to silica and those who have silicosis are also at increased risk of tuberculosis (TB), a contagious and potentially life-threatening infection.
Symptoms of silicosis usually appear after many years of exposure. In early stages, symptoms are mild and include cough, sputum and progressive shortness of breath.
Respirable crystalline silica dust particles are tiny, about 100 times smaller than the grains of sand found on the beach. These dust particles are still very sharp, and when inhaled they damage the lungs. As these particles damage the lungs, scar tissue forms and limits oxygen absorption.
It may take 20 or more years of exposure before a chest radiogram is positive for silicosis. Usually there is little or no respiratory impairment associated with the early stages of simple silicosis. The silica content of the dust to which workers developing simple silicosis are exposed is often less than 30%.
The main symptoms of silicosis are shortness of breath after exercising, chest pain, a harsh, dry cough and tiredness. But in the early stages of silicosis, there may be no symptoms. The symptoms become severe as the condition gets worse.
Once diagnosed, the disease generally progresses over time. Patients with accelerated silicosis may progress to progressive massive fibrosis over a period of four to five years. Overall, people diagnosed with silicosis lose an average 11.6 years of life. So, prevention is vital.
Silicosis is a type of pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica, a common mineral found in sand, quartz and many other types of rock.
Silicosis usually develops after being exposed to silica for 10-20 years, although it can sometimes develop after 5-10 years of exposure. Occasionally, it can occur after only a few months of very heavy exposure.
Source control of the dust at the tool is important, but only a true HEPA air filter can remove the remainder of fine silica particles from the air.
Asbestos is just as lethal as silica dust. The dangers are the same, yet we cannot afford for the results of exposure to silica dust to be the same as what occurred with asbestos. Silica could be as lethal as asbestos, if not more so, with equally serious consequences.
Screening and detection of Silicosis at I-MED Radiology
Radiology imaging, particularly chest x-ray and CT scans, are the main tools used to screen and monitor silicosis. These tests can detect changes in the lungs that may indicate the presence of silicosis, such as nodules, scarring, or inflammation.
Clinicians and researchers from The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) and The University of Queensland (UQ) have developed whole lung lavage, a ground-breaking new treatment that provides hope to those suffering with artificial stone silicosis.
The RSE was 0.95, 0.94, and 0.81 for lung cancer, COPD, and silicosis, which indicates that the effect (risk ratio) of silicosis on the mortality from these respiratory diseases in never smokers was relatively stronger than the smokers.
In the later stages, the sufferers may experience fatigue, extreme shortness of breath, chest pain, or respiratory failure. Accelerated Silicosis onset is quicker than chronic silicosis, and can be detected after 1–10 years of high exposures. Symptoms include severe shortness of breath, weakness, and weight loss.
Airborne silica dust is measured by using a device called a sampling cyclone. This is a relatively small piece of equipment that clips on to a workers shirt and connected to a pump (usually attached to the worker's belt or back pocket) that draws air from the surrounding environment.
Crystalline silica is found in materials. such as concrete, masonry and rock. When these mate- rials are made into a fine dust and suspended in the air, breathing in these fine particles can produce lung damage. Silicosis can be totally disabling and may lead to death.
There is no cure for silicosis and once the damage is done it cannot be reversed. Treatment is focused on slowing down the progression of the disease and relieving symptoms. Avoiding further exposure to silica and other irritants such as cigarette smoke is crucial.
Evidence suggests that there are at least 579 Australians living with silicosis currently (33). The number of identified silicosis cases in Australia associated with work in the stone benchtop industry as of May 2022 are provided in Table 1.
More than 12.9 thousand [95% Uncertainty Intervals (UI): 10.9, 16.2] death cases occurred due to silicosis worldwide, and 655.7 thousand (95% UI: 519.3, 828.0) DALYs were attributed to silicosis in 2019.
The workplace exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica (silica dust) that must not be exceeded is 0.05 mg/m3 (eight-hour time weighted average). PCBUs should keep worker exposure to silica dust as low as reasonably practicable.