Silicosis is a debilitating lung disease – incurable, often progressive and in many cases fatal – caused by breathing in silica dust. In the end stages of the disease, you’re unable to breathe and you literally suffocate.
It’s a preventable disease but there’s been a dramatic spike in cases, with a particular outbreak among young stonemasons in their 20s and 30s. Read more: thenewdaily.com.au