Wade Hanicker poses for a portrait at his home in Brooksville, Fla., on March 23, 2026. Hanicker was diagnosed with silicosis after years of cutting quartz countertops.

Over 550 men in California have fallen ill after cutting natural or factory-made stone countertops. But epidemiologists say this isn’t just a California problem.

(Image credit: Tina Russell for NPR)

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