Silicosis is a disease which is caused by inhaling particles of silica sand.
The particles lodge in the lungs and irritate the tissue. Wearing a respirator when working with sand is advised. Infection Sporotrichosis is caused by the fungus Sporotrichum schenckii , which has been found in soil, flowers, shrubs, and even wooden mine props. Also found in Sphagnum. How the moss gets contaminated is not clear, and attempts to detect the fungus in Sphagnum bogs have not been successful, but it has been found in bales arriving at nurseries.