Which occupational exposure is most commonly associated with silicosis?

• A. Coal mining
• B. Sand-blasting, quarry work, or pottery
• C. Asbestos exposure
• D. Radiation therapy

Answer: (B)

Inhalation of crystalline silica dust from certain high-dust occupations is what drives silicosis. The exposure described—sand-blasting, quarry work, or pottery—produces fine silica particles that are easily respirable and reach the lungs. There, macrophages attempt to clear the particles but trigger a chronic inflammatory and fibrotic response, leading to nodular lung fibrosis, often in the upper lobes, and progressive shortness of breath. This pattern is classic for silicosis.

This differs from coal dust exposure, which more commonly causes coal workers’ pneumoconiosis; asbestos exposure leads to asbestosis and mesothelioma, with pleural changes; and radiation exposure can cause radiation pneumonitis or fibrosis, not silicosis.