Brayton Purcell LLP Responds to San Jose Mercury News Investigation Highlighting Bay Area Silicosis Crisis Tied to Crystalline Silica Artificial Stone
NOVATO, Calif., March 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Brayton Purcell LLP today responded to major reporting published yesterday by the San Jose Mercury News, which documents the rapidly accelerating epidemic of silicosis among San Francisco Bay Area workers who fabricate crystalline silica artificial stone. The article, written by Ethan Baron, describes the severe health consequences facing workers exposed to dust generated while fabricating artificial stone slabs into kitchen and bathroom countertops. Artificial stone, also known as "quartz", is a material made of at least 90% nano‑sized respirable crystalline silica particles and ~10% toxic metals, resins and glues and other harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The report emphasizes the widespread and preventable harm caused by fabricating artificial stone among workers who have long relied on this craft to support their families.
At the center of the Mercury News article is Jose Peña, a 54‑year‑old Oakland father of five who spent nearly two decades shaping artificial stone countertops in shops from San Jose to San Francisco. Once strong enough to lift 60‑pound slabs with ease, Peña now struggles to walk down the block and depends on an oxygen tank for daily activities. "Nobody told us it was dangerous," he said in Spanish, reflecting on years spent working with artificial stone and the shock of his diagnosis. Physicians say Peña is headed toward a lung transplant — a procedure that Cal/OSHA reports carries a five‑year mortality rate approaching 40%.
Medical Community Warns: Silicosis Caused by Crystalline Silica Artificial Stone Fabrication Is Irreversible and Frequently Fatal
As highlighted in the article, California health officials and hundreds of medical professionals have repeatedly warned that crystalline silica artificial stone is uniquely toxic because its extreme silica content produces clouds of ultra‑fine dust during fabrication. Workers inhale the nano‑sized particles released when artificial stone is cut, ground or polished, causing inflammation and scarring deep within the lungs. Physicians cited in the article note that many individuals develop advanced disease after as little as two years of working with artificial stone.
More than 500 Californians have already been diagnosed with silicosis linked to crystalline silica artificial stone, with more than 50 requiring lung transplants and 29 deaths documented. Dr. Sheiphali Gandhi, an occupational‑disease specialist at UC San Francisco who has treated dozens of affected workers, said:
"I see people with an incurable lung disease that was preventable. It's frustrating. At the end of the day, sometimes I'm just in tears."
Dr. Ann Schraufnagel, a pulmonologist at Highland Hospital in Oakland, emphasized the permanent damage caused by exposure to dust generated from artificial stone:
"Most of the time when we see patients in clinic who have this, the damage has already been done. You can't undo that exposure that you've had to the silica particles."
Scientific Evidence Confirms: The Product Itself, Not the Process, Creates the Hazard
The Mercury News investigation reinforces widespread scientific findings that fabricating crystalline silica artificial stone poses a danger that cannot be mitigated by Cal/OSHA protection methods such as masks, wet cutting, ventilation, personal protective equipment (PPE) or other workplace controls. Unlike natural stone, which contains far lower silica concentrations with particles that are mostly too big to breath in, artificial stone typically contains approximately 90% silica in nano‑sized particles, creating a level of exposure that is exponentially more dangerous. Even shops that follow safety protocols cannot eliminate the dust generated when artificial stone is cut, and dried residues on clothing and surfaces continue to pose inhalation risks.
A Cal/OSHA analysis cited in the article concluded that processing crystalline silica artificial stone "may be so hazardous that even properly designed engineering controls and work practices may be unable to prevent … silicosis." This aligns with the conclusions of global research bodies and occupational‑medicine authorities: the inherent composition of the slabs represents a uniquely toxic hazard— not the fabrication process.
International Response Underscores the Severity of the Crisis
The Mercury News also noted that several countries and courts have taken decisive action in response to the dangers of crystalline silica artificial stone. Australia has banned the product entirely. Spain has issued criminal convictions for failing to warn workers about artificial stone. A Los Angeles County jury reached a verdict of $52.4 million in 2024 in favor of a Brayton Purcell LLP client harmed by artificial stone dust exposure. Manufacturers have discontinued the sale and distribution of high‑silica slabs abroad, even as they remain widely available across the United States.
Workers' Experiences Reveal the Human Toll
The article features firsthand accounts from workers who developed silicosis after fabricating crystalline silica artificial stone. Peña described how even with ventilator masks and water‑assisted tools, "there was still a lot of dust," and he often ended shifts coated in fine particles from artificial stone. Physicians interviewed compared the resulting lung damage to suffocation, as scarring caused by artificial stone dust prevents oxygen from entering the bloodstream.
Perspective From Brayton Purcell LLP
James Nevin, a partner at Brayton Purcell LLP and a national leader in crystalline silica artificial stone silicosis litigation, emphasized the importance of the Mercury News reporting:
"This important investigation brings crucial attention to the suffering of hundreds of working families in the Bay Area. The medical evidence is clear: crystalline silica artificial stone slabs cannot be safely fabricated into countertops by human beings because the silica dust released ultimately prevents workers' lungs from doing what they are meant to do — breathe! The workers harmed by this material are living with an incurable disease that was entirely preventable."
Nevin continued:
"The voices of workers and the unanimous findings of medical authorities must remain central to this public conversation. Their experiences highlight the severity of the harm caused by crystalline silica artificial stone dumped in California by foreign slab manufacturers, the need for broad public awareness and, ultimately, the need to ban crystalline silica artificial stone."
Brayton Purcell LLP currently represents 111 Bay Area clients diagnosed with artificial stone silicosis and has filed many hundreds of cases on behalf of affected workers throughout California and 22 additional states in the U.S.
About Brayton Purcell LLP
Brayton Purcell LLP is a nationally recognized law firm with decades of experience representing individuals who have developed serious diseases as a result of toxic exposures. The firm's accomplished and dedicated team remains committed to advocating for individuals and families harmed by crystalline silica artificial stone and ensuring that their stories are heard.
The full San Jose Mercury News article can be found here— 'Nobody told us it was dangerous': Quartz countertop boom linked to incurable lung disease among Bay Area workers
Media contact:
Nolan Lowry
[email protected]
415-399-3107
SOURCE Brayton Purcell LLP
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