In other cases, reducing the dust level can be extremely difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. That it can be done has been shown by the authorities concerned in the handling of plutonium. Methods have been found to effectively protect the workers from this dangerous substance. Silicosis Silicosis is the most common and important dust disease. It results from inhaling silica, or quartz dust, into the lungs.
Silicosis is a potentially serious disease and it has been since man first worked in stone.
All types of mining which result in the release of silica from hard rock can produce silicosis if the worker is exposed to a significant amount of silica for a long period of time. This includes the mining of gold, lead, zinc, iron, and copper, as well as anthracite coal and some bituminous coal. Other jobs that have led to silicosis are foundry work, sandstone grinding, sandblasting, pottery, and china making and granite carving. Silicosis develops in direct proportion to the amount of silica breathed in, and the length of time the worker is exposed to it. Most doctors believe that silica slowly dissolves within the lungs, and produces a chemical reaction that poisons the cells.