AdvertisementWorkers Are Falling Ill, Even Dying, After Making Kitchen CountertopsOctober 02, 2019Nell GreenfieldboycefacebookEmailA worker cuts black granite to make a countertop. Though granite, marble and "engineered stone" all can produce harmful silica dust when cut, ground or polished, the artificial stone typically contains much more silica, says a CDC researcher tracking cases of silicosis. (Getty Images)