Fresh Push to Ban the ‘Asbestos of the 2020’s

Quartz, an engineered stone, now comes in a wide variety of colors and designs, some of which mimic natural materials such as marble. Papah-kah/Shutterstock

Admin worker Joanna McNeill felt healthy when she went for a routine medical check before finishing maternity leave, so it came as a huge shock when she was diagnosed with a deadly and incurable disease.

The mother-of-two has silicosis, a lung condition so dangerous it’s been likened to asbestosis.