Silicosis: OSHA levies $1 million fine against countertop maker for failing to protect workers
A Chicago countertop manufacturer willfully exposed its workers to unsafe levels of silica dust, putting them at high risk for an incurable lung disease, federal officials said Aug. 26.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Florenza Marble & Granite Corporation for 32 health and safety violations, ranging from serious to egregious, and proposed a $1 million penalty. Workers were exposed to silica levels up to six times higher than allowable limits, OSHA inspectors found, and the company had few controls in place to protect them.
Among those workers was a 31-year-old man who required a double lung transplant because of silicosis, a disease caused by breathing in tiny pieces of silica. Found in sand, quartz and other rock, silica is common in residential and commercial stone countertops, which employees at Florenza regularly cut as part of their work. Another 59-year-old worker at the same company was awaiting a lung transplant because of silicosis.
The two workers, who have limited English proficiency, did not receive information about the dangers of silica exposure from their employer and were not trained on use of personal protective equipment, according to OSHA. Florenza’s owner failed to develop a safety program even after two worker’s compensation insurance businesses refused to cover the company, the agency noted.
Among its violations, the company was cited for failure to have a respiratory protection program in place, lacking controls to reduce silica dust to safe levels and not performing medical surveillance to monitor exposure.
The OSHA citations come just weeks after a Los Angeles County jury issued a $52.4 million verdict against three countertop manufacturers in a suit brought by a 34-year-old worker who developed silicosis and received a double lung transplant. The man is among dozens of Southern California workers who developed silicosis after cutting and grinding countertops. Public Health Watch and partners reported on the California silicosis cluster in 2022.
Toxic burning of plastic waste widespread
More than half of the world’s plastic waste is openly burned, subjecting millions of people to potentially toxic fumes, new research finds.
Published Sept. 4 in Nature, the study estimated that more than 57 million tons of plastic products were discarded in the environment in 2020. About 33 million tons — about 57% of all plastic pollution — were burned without environmental controls in place.
Previous research has identified flame retardants, dioxins, phthalates and particulate matter in emissions from burning plastic, posing substantial threats to human health, including neurodevelopmental and reproductive harms.
The other 24 million tons of discarded plastic that entered the environment in 2020 came primarily from uncollected trash. About 1.2 billion people — 15% of the global population — lack access to waste collection services, which can lead to dumping on land and in waterways, the study said.
Uncollected waste was the main source of environmental plastic in regions of the globe with low economic and social development, while littering was the largest source in areas with high development.
India was the top contributor to environmental plastic waste, generating 10.2 million tons — about a fifth of the global total. It was followed by Nigeria, Indonesia and China, the latter of which has fallen in rankings in recent years because of improved waste collecting and processing, according to researchers.
While high-income countries generated more plastic waste per capita than low-income ones, they did not rank in the top 90 contributors to environmental plastic polluters in the study. The U.S. was estimated to contribute less than a ton of plastic to the environment through annual debris or burning.
‘Forever chemicals’ harmful to cardiovascular health
Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, is associated with poorer cardiovascular health, new research in Frontiers in Public Health finds.
Sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals” for their inability to break down in human bodies or the environment, PFAS have commonly been used in a range of consumer goods, including food packaging, waterproof coatings and nonstick cookware.
The new study used data on more than 7,000 adults who participated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey over 20-plus years. Past research on PFAS and cardiovascular disease prevalence — versus cardiovascular health — has shown conflicting results.
Researchers in the new study found the risk of having impaired cardiovascular health — such as high cholesterol, blood pressure or uncontrolled glucose levels — increased with PFAS exposure, with levels varying by which type of PFAS people were exposed to.
For perfluorononanoic acid, also known as PFNA, a type of PFAS used in non-stick coatings and stain repellent, exposure was associated with a 40% higher risk of impaired cardiovascular health.
For perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, which is no longer made in the U.S. but had similar uses as PFNA, that risk increased by 10%. And for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, also known as PFOS, a water and oil protectant once used in products such as Teflon and Scotchgard, risk increased by 25%. Though PFNA and PFOS have been phased out in consumer products, they remain in the environment.
Long-term exposure to PFAS has previously been linked to cancer, lowered immune system response, decreased fertility, hormonal problems and other health issues. In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a new standard aimed at limiting exposure to PFAS in drinking water.
Other recent public health news of note includes:
• Chemical compounds that can pose risks to health are common in drinking water, a study published Sept. 4 in PLOS Water finds.
Researchers found elevated levels of trihalomethanes, chemicals that are byproducts of drinking water disinfection, in both tap and bottled water samples collected in nine counties in the San Francisco Bay area. Other contaminants found in the samples included bacteria, metals and petroleum-derived compounds.
Trihalomethanes, which are linked to cancer at high levels, are common in tap water and can be lowered significantly through home filtration. Levels of potential toxins were lower in household-treated water than in water collected directly from the tap, the study found.
• Climate change increases the risk of salmonella illness from raw produce, says a new study in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Higher humidity from climate change can promote bacterial leaf spotting, allowing salmonella to survive on romaine lettuce, researchers found.
• Many young adults and adolescents of color are at higher risk for being diagnosed with late-stage cancer, a new study in JAMA Network Open finds.
Asian, Black and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander patients ages 15 to 39 were at higher risk for late-stage diagnoses for a range of cancers compared with white patients.
• Comments are now open on a proposed OSHA rule aimed at protecting U.S. workers from extreme heat. The rule is designed to help safeguard outdoor and indoor workers by requiring drinking water, rest breaks and other measures during high temperatures, which are increasing with climate change.
The Watch is written by Michele Late, who has more than two decades of experience as a public health journalist.