deadly lung diseases :: Article CreatorShocking New Health Warning Over Trendy Quartz Kitchens As 18 Cases Of Deadly Lung Disease Emerge And Two Die
TRENDY fake stone worktops should be banned to prevent more deaths among young people, unions have demanded.
The engineered surfaces have already been linked to more than a dozen UK cases of a lethal lung disease called artificial stone silicosis.
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Call for fake stone kitchen worktops to be bannedCredit: Getty
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At least two people in the UK have died after working with the material
Victims develop severe scarring and injuries in the lungs from inhaling dust while working with material containing lots of silica.
So far, at least 18 UK cases of this new aggressive form of engineered stone silicosis have been identified, the youngest in a man aged just 24.
Two men under 50, both stone engineers, have already died from the condition in the UK.
The high-silica artificial stone, also known as quartz, has been banned in Australia after being labelled 'modern-day asbestos' due to hundreds of suspected cases.
Despite the health risks, demand for engineered stone in the UK continues to grow, particularly for kitchen and bathroom renovations, as it mimics marble or granite at a lower cost.
In fresh calls for a UK ban, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), representing around 5.5 million workers, told The i halting quartz manufacturing in Britain would "prevent hundreds of deaths."
Shelly Asquith, health and safety policy officer at the federation of Trade Unions, said current exposure limits for silica dust have been set "far too high".
She said: "Research shows if we were to halve the amount of dust workers were legally allowed to be exposed to, it would prevent hundreds of deaths.
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"Britain must go further still in prioritising the health of workers and ban the use of high silica engineered stone which, as the tragic and preventable deaths show, can be lethal."
Last month, 48-year-old father-of-three and stonemason Marek Marzec died after months of end-of-life care for silicosis.
Understanding Types of Chronic Lung Diseases
He described the dust he inhaled while cutting quartz kitchen worktops as leaving him "unable to breathe" and in "terrible pain."
Earlier this year, Malik Al-Khalil, 28, contracted silicosis after five years of cutting quartz worktops in London.
He told the i that doctors had warned him he could die after falling seriously ill with the lung disease.
Engineered from one of the hardest minerals on earth, quartz worktops typically consist of about 90 per cent ground quartz and 10 per cent resins and pigments.
When prepared for installation, they are often 'dry' cut and polished using an angle grinder or other hand tools without water to suppress dust, increasing the amount of fine dust produced.
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Stonemason Marek Marzec died after months of end-of-life care for silicosisCredit: SWNS
Leigh Day, the law firm representing the first UK patients diagnosed with silicosis after working with the stone, is calling for better safety measures, like good PPE, to be enforced and put in place in workshops to ward off the disease.
They're also calling for silicosis triggered by cutting stones to be recognised as a prescribed disease so that patients can be fast-tracked and treated effectively.
Andrew Cooper, a solicitor at Leigh Day, previously told The Sun that without new measures in place "it's very likely that we're going to see a significant increase in cases going forward."
Dr Johanna Feary, consultant in occupational lung disease at Royal Brompton Hospital, echoed Andrew's fears.
"We saw our first confirmed case of silicosis due to artificial stone in the UK in 2023," she said.
"This year we have seen a steady increase in the number of cases which is of great concern.
"You can have the disease without having any symptoms and we expect that there will be many more cases coming forward in the future."
Just 16 months ago, Leigh Day hadn't ever seen a single case of engineered stone-related silicosis in the UK.
Since then, the number of lawsuits they've taken on related to the illness has reached almost ten.
"What's really concerning is that most of these men are only in their 20s and 30s, and they're being left with serious disabilities so early in life," Andrew explained.
He believed young workers could be more vulnerable because they often do most of the heavy manual labour in workshops, which includes cutting and handling artificial stones.
A study, published in August suggested the average age of patients with the disease was just 34, with the first eight cases being in men between 27 and 56.
Lung silicosis: Everything you need to know
Silicosis is a long-term lung disease caused by inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust, usually over many years.
Once inside the lungs, silica causes swelling (inflammation) and gradually leads to areas of hardened and scarred lung tissue (fibrosis).
Lung tissue that's scarred in this way doesn't function properly.
People who work in the following industries are particularly at risk:
Stone masonry and stone cutting – especially with sandstone Construction and demolition – as a result of exposure to concrete and paving materials Worktop manufacturing and fitting Pottery, ceramics and glass manufacturing Mining and quarrying Sandblasting The symptoms of silicosis usually take many years to develop, and you may not notice any problems until after you've stopped working with silica dust.
The symptoms can also continue to get worse, even if you're no longer exposed.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of silicosis are:
A persistent cough Persistent shortness of breath Weakness and tiredness Source: NHS
At the time, one of the patients had died, three had immune system damage and two needed. lung transplants,
Lung transplants are often the only treatment for silicosis.
Unfortunately, some patients - like Marek - are too unwell by the time they receive treatment to undergo the major operation.
Doctors said the disease appears to keep getting worse even after men stopped breathing the dust.
This makes it similar to the incurable diseases asbestosis and mesothelioma that have developed in thousands of labourers who worked with asbestos in the 1900s.
Man Issues Warning Over Household Mould After He Is Hit By Deadly Fungal Lung Disease
A man is worried his home might kill him after claiming black mould in the property hit him with a deadly fungal lung disease.
Matthew Langsworth moved into his social housing flat in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, in March 2010. Three years later, he started noticing black mould in the flat.
The 32-year-old says he flagged the issue with his landlord but claims the mould was simply 'redecorated over' and not properly removed.
He now claims doctors have confirmed he has fungal aspergillosis but they fear it could have developed into invasive aspergillosis - a life-threatening fungal infection where mould spreads from the lungs to the blood - and he is now so breathless he can barely walk to the shops.
Matthew Langsford says he's developed invasive aspergillosis from living in a flat covered in black mould (Kennedy News and Media)
Matthew said: "My life has just been physically, mentally and financially ruined by this ordeal. I'd describe it as the worst experience of my life. I'd describe it as hell on earth.
"In 2013 I first noticed it and they did a batch of works which obviously did not eradicate it. I've had continuous intestinal problems and skin conditions. I've now been told by a doctor everything I've experienced over the last 10 years is all mould related."
He estimates that around 75 percent of the flat has mould on it, including on door frames, inside the plasterboard and on his bedroom walls.
Social housing provider Stonewater claimed that they replaced the 'entirety of his bathroom and kitchen' following a leak in 2023 and more recently installed new flooring.
Matthew was removed from his flat for three months due to these leaks and black mould while work was done.
But within two weeks of returning, he suffered a collapsed lung due to pneumonia and spent five days in hospital. He later went into septic shock.
He says 75 percent of the social housing flat is covered in mould (Kennedy News and Media)
"I'm 32 years old, that definitely shouldn't be happening," he said. "I returned to the property. Within three hours, I was with my friend, my breathing got really bad so she called 999.
"Within a minute or two of being in hospital I collapsed. I woke up surrounded by doctors and nurses. The doctors were wiping tears from my eyes because I thought I was going to die."
But, while Matthew claims doctors have said that his health problems have been caused by mould exposure, the council deem his flat 'fit for living,' meaning he has to choose between staying there or becoming homeless.
He is now alternating between staying with a friend and at his flat so he can take care of his four-year-old cat, Gizmo.
Matthew said: "The local authority's position is that because it's deemed as suitable housing there's nothing they can do. They're now investigating all of that.
After being rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung in 2023, Matthew went into septic shock (Kennedy News and Media)
"They've declared the property fit for living which means I'm not eligible for re-housing. If I leave the property I make myself intentionally homeless. So [my choice is] die, or be homeless."
He believes the treatment he has received is 'unforgivable' and has criticised the social housing system, which he said is meant to protect society's 'most vulnerable.'
A spokesperson for Stonewater said: "We have worked incredibly hard since Mr Langsford first reported a minor leak in his home back in 2023 to ensure that the water damage that did occur has been completely rectified. This work has included replacing in their entirety both his kitchen and bathroom and more recently installing new flooring throughout.
"Mr Langsford remains concerned that his home is affected by damp and mould and that this is affecting his health. We visited the flat as recently as 2nd December 2024 to complete a further damp and mould survey.
He claims the council say the flat is 'fit for living', forcing him to either stay or intentionally make himself homeless (Kennedy News and Media)
"The surveyor didn't identify any structural defects in Mr Langford's home, but mould was present on the shower curtain, the bathroom sink waste overflow and in the washing machine powder drawer. We also found that the extractor fan in the bathroom, although not reported to us previously, wasn't working.
"Mr Langsford is currently pursuing both a Housing Disrepair and Personal Injury Claim against Stonewater following a court ruling to dismiss previous injunctions sought by him. We will of course continue to work with Mr Langsford to complete any further repairs that may be needed and continue to provide further reassure that his home is free from damp and mould."
A Warwick District Council spokesperson said: "Warwick District Council is aware of Mr Langsford's case and is working alongside his landlord to fully investigate the serious issues that have been raised."
Matthew has created a GoFundMe page and hopes to raise enough money to cover his mounting medical expenses and to replace the plaster boards in his home.
HMPV Fears Grow Over Reports 'mystery' Virus 'causing Pneumonia Within Days' In China
Some patients with hMPV are going on to develop potentially deadly pneumonia in just days (
Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Fresh fears have emerged about the threat of the 'mystery' virus that's been dubbed HMPV amid reports that patients are developing potentially deadly pneumonia in days.
HMPV is the driving force behind a huge wave of hospitalisations in China, with reports of cases rising across the globe. Now, it has been claimed that middle-aged patients testing positive for the virus are going on to develop pneumonia "between three and five days later", according to unconfirmed reports.
Users on the Chinese social media app Weibo have been making claims about the outbreak of the 'mystery' virus, with one saying according to the YouTube channel Decoding China, the wave was "worse than in 2022" with claims children have been dying from a sudden drop in heart rate. The mention of 2022 refers to a significant Covid outbreak in Shanghai in February 2022 as the Omicron variant led to mass testing and strict lockdowns.
Reports have emerged that hospitals in China have been overrun (
Image:
douyin)
According to the YouTube video report, a pulmonologist, specialist in respiratory disease, claimed patients aged 50 to 70 were testing positive for influenza and experiencing rapid deterioration of their lung conditions before going on to develop pneumonia in three to five days. However, reports of the state of the HMPV outbreak in China are tough to verify as Chinese authority have kept quiet when it comes to figures for both case numbers and deaths.
Fears over the new virus first surfaced in early January as footage emerged from Chinese hospitals, purportedly showing them overrun with patients in face masks appearing to crowd A&Es - drawing comparisons to the early days of the Covid outbreak. Local media reports blamed the spike in respiratory illness on hMPV, human metapneumovirus, a lesser-known but not uncommon bug that usually causes mild cold-like illness.
As a respiratory infection, one of the major risks of hMPV is pneumonia, which can be potentially fatal - especially to the very young, elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Experts across the globe have called on Chinese authorities to reveal cruicial details of the outbreak, especially as cases began to rise in the UK and US.
Young children, the elderly and those with existing conditions are most at risk (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
"Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season... The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at the start of January. However, figures from the UK show the spread and growth of hMPV in the last month.
According to UK surveillance data, around one in 20 non-flu respiratory infections are now due to hMPV, more than double the figures from early December. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported yesterday that one in 50 Americans with a cough likely had the virus, an increase of 25 per cent in the space of a week.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has attempted to stop uncertainty from spiralling, adding that the situation in China was "not unusual". In a statement on January 7, the WHO said: "The observed increase in respiratory pathogen detections is within the range expected for this time of year during the Northern hemisphere winter. In China, influenza is the most commonly detected respiratory pathogen currently affecting people with acute respiratory infections.
"WHO is in contact with Chinese health officials and has not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns. Chinese authorities report that the health care system is not overwhelmed and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered. WHO continues to monitor respiratory illnesses at global, regional and country levels through collaborative surveillance systems, and provides updates as needed.
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