Crystalline silica is one of the most common minerals found worldwide in the earth’s crust. It is frequently used in many industrial processes such as mining, quarrying and stone-cutting. Breathing air contaminated with crystalline silica particles can cause serious respiratory and lung diseases. When workers cut, grind or drill materials that contain crystalline silica, they are exposed to small airborne silica dust particles. These processes create a freshly fractured silica dust with sharp edges that create a serious problem.
Silica dust particles from .01 to 100 μm in diameter and 10 microns or less in length are a significant health concern. To put this particle size into perspective, a human hair is about 100 μm in diameter. These small particles can remain suspended in the air for long periods of time, and they cannot be seen with the naked eye in most cases. When inhaled, the small particles penetrate deep into the lungs and can cause scarring, a disease known as silicosis. Even after a person is no longer exposed to silica, silicosis can continue to scar the lungs for many years.