California is set to become the first state in America to ban quartz countertops after hundreds of illnesses and dozens of deaths in the state have been linked to the trendy material.
The state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is expected to pass an emergency regulation later this month that would ban the production and installation of the countertops.
Officials said this was to protect workers who cut and polish the countertops from silicosis, an incurable lung disease that permanently scars the lungs, leaving sufferers struggling to breathe and with multiple serious complications.
Homeowners face no risk from quartz countertops that have been installed.
The risk comes from when the quartz is cut, causing it to release clouds of silica dust into the air. Workers then breathe in the dust, which scars their lungs over time. There is no cure, and the only treatment is a lung transplant.
In California, where several quartz manufacturers are based, health officials have confirmed 35 deaths and 662 illnesses linked to the countertops since 2019, alarming officials.
Representatives for quartz countertop manufacturers and distributors have disputed the proposed ban and claimed that quartz production is safe.
Rebecca Shult, lawyer for engineered stone manufacturer Cambria, told California lawmakers in a testimony before a House subcommittee in January: ‘The problem is the process, not the product.’
California is set to become the first state in America to ban the production and installation of quartz countertops after they were linked to the deadly lung disease silicosis (stock image)
Some experts say it is impossible to cut quartz safely, but others argue that the risk from silica dust can be reduced by wearing a tight-fitting N95 mask, which filters the silica out of the air as it is breathed in.
Regulations require employers to ensure workers are wearing these masks while working with quartz. It is not clear how often these regulations are followed or enforced.
The California Department of Industrial Relations, which oversees the Standards Board, said that the ban would be an acknowledgement that current laws are not enough to protect workers.
Denisse Gómez, a spokeswoman for the department, said: ‘The standards board’s decision reflects the urgent need to protect workers from a product that has proven uniquely hazardous.’
The Standards Board is considering using an emergency regulation to halt the production and installation of quartz countertops in the state.
This mechanism allows the board to impose rules immediately when it demonstrates there is a risk to public health or safety. It bypasses the normal rulemaking process, which typically takes more than a year.
A decision on the public notice is expected later this month.
For years, California recorded about four to five cases of silicosis every year, according to state data.
But in 2021, that number surged into double digits.
In 2025, 103 cases were recorded in the state while, so far this year, health officials in California have recorded 150 cases.
The above graph shows the number of cases of silicosis diagnosed by year in California
In a report in August, the California Department of Health linked more than 600 illnesses and 35 deaths to quartz countertops.
Among these cases, 65 patients required a lung transplant and 113 were referred for the procedure.
Patients were aged 45 years old on average. Among those who died, the average age was 52 years.
Almost all were Latino men.
Dr David Michaels, an occupational health expert who led the report, said at the time in a news release linked to California’s report: ‘Hundreds of workers have been sickened making quartz countertops, a product we do not need, especially when a safer alternative is available.
‘Given the hundreds of diagnosed cases of silicosis in California, there are likely thousands of more cases across the country.’
It’s unclear why cases have surged in the state, but experts say this may be linked to rising awareness of the condition leading to more patients coming forward. In some cases, silicosis is also initially misdiagnosed.
Other states have also sounded the alarm over quartz countertops.
Last month, New York City health officials issued an advisory to healthcare workers to alert them to recent cases in the state.
In December, Massachusetts issued an advisory on silica dust, calling it ‘a respiratory hazard for stone manufacturers.’
Internationally, Australia became the first nation to ban the import of quartz countertops in 2025.
Quartz countertops have become increasingly popular in recent years, prized for their durability, resistance and the fact they are cheaper than stone or marble.
But about 10 percent of the countertops are made from silica dust, which is released during processing and installation and can cause silicosis.
Warning signs of silicosis include a long-lasting cough, difficulty breathing and chest or back pain. It can also trigger fatigue, muscle weakness, unexplained weight loss, fever, night sweats and chest pain.
It is not clear how many people in the US may have silicosis, but the American Lung Association estimates 2.3 million people in the US are exposed to silica in the workplace, including 2 million in the construction industry.
A 2023 study that analyzed official data suggested that West Virginia had the highest rates of silicosis in the US, followed by New Mexico and Nevada.
Those who are at risk of the condition are people that chip, cut, drill or grind quartz, granite, sandstone or other materials that can expose them to silica dust. Alongside countertop fabrication workers, those who work in demolition, mining and foundries are also considered to be at higher risk.
