La sílice cristalina es un elemento que actualmente nos acompaña en la sociedad y que tiene múltiples usos como la cerámica o los vídrios. Sin embargo, a la hora de manipularlo, encontramos algunos riesgos importantes que bien conocen los trabajadores que se encargan de trabajar con ella.
Por ejemplo, la exposición prolongada al polvo respirable de sílice cristalina causa enfermedades silicosis, pero también está relacionada con el cáncer de pulmón. De hecho, en la actualidad está dentro de la normativa laboral de agentes carcinógenos o mutágenos dentro de uno de sus anexos; entre otras.
Hoy repasamos sus riesgos y las prácticas de prevención más importantes.
¿Qué es la sílice cristalina?
La sílice cristalina, conocido como dióxido de silicio cristalino (SiO2), es un mineral que se encuentra de forma natural en la corteza terrestre.
La sílice cristalina es, en la mayoría de los casos, una forma de cuarzo. El cuarzo es el segundo mineral más abundante en la corteza de La Tierra y se puede encontrar en su forma cristalina más común conocida como óxido de silicio o sílice. Podemos encontrar el sílice en muchos tipos de rocas como granito, arenisca o arena.
Como comentábamos al inicio del texto, actualmente utilizamos sílice para muchos amteriales como las cerámicas, los vidrios o en construcción para los ladrillos; pero también existen otros materiales importantes que se utilizan menos como la tridimita (típica de cerámicas refractarias) o la cristobalita (utilizado en vidrios solubles, sustancias refractarias y abrasivas, cerámicas, esmaltes), que se generan cuando el cuarzo se somete a altas temperaturas de entre 870 ºC y 1400 ºC.
La sílice cristalina tiene muchas aplicaciones industriales y se puede encontrar en múltiples objetos del día a día. El mayor peligro se da porque el polvo de cuarzo es la sílice cristalina respirable, por lo que se puede inhalar al respirar.
En el caso del hogar, la principal exposición se puede producir al utilizar productos que contienen cuarzo como, por ejemplo: artículos de limpieza, cosméticos, arcillas, esmaltes y pinturas para arte, arenas utilizadas para evacuaciones de animales domésticos, talco, masillas.
¿Qué efectos sobre la salud tiene la sílice cristalina respirable?
La sílice cristalina en sí misma no es un problema, como en el caso de la arena de playa que aún conteniendo incluso más de un 90% de cuarzo según la zona, no presenta un daño para la salud. El problema viene cuando se manipula como en el caso de la industria, con tallados, perforaciones, lijado, etc. En estos casos, el polvo que se genera es menor a 5 micras y puede penetrar en las vías respiratorias.
Por eso es importante distinguir entre la sílice cristalina y la sílice cristalina respirable (SCR) que es la que realmente puede causar problemas en la salud. Como el cáncer o la silicosis.
¿ué es la silicosis?
La silicosis es una enfermedad pulmonar producida por la inhalación de polvo que contiene partículas de sílice cristalina; se desarrolla sin síntomas significativos aparentes, de forma que cuando se detecta por el médico puede haber causado daños irreparables.
El daño se produce al ser inhaladas, cuando las partículas de sílice quedan atrapadas en los pulmones y dañan el tejido pulmonar. A su vez, este trata de cicatrizar y forma pequeñas masas redondeadas llamadas nódulos que poco a poco van limitando la respiración.
Por tanto, las primeras señales suelen mostrar síntomas de una obstrucción respiratoria como tos, expectoración o disnea. Más adelante, produce una fibrosis pulmonar que empeora progresivamente.
Cáncer y otras enfermedades relacionadas con la sílice cristalina respirable
Como comentábamos al inicio del texto, el cáncer de pulmón es otra patología asociada a la exposición a la sílice cristalina respirable, especialmente en personas que han desarrollado ya una silicosis.
Existen también más enfermedades relacionadas con la exposición a la sílice cristalina respirable como pueden ser la tuberculosis o la EPOC (enfermedad pulmonar oclusiva crónica).
Por ello, es muy importante controlar la exposición a ella y protegerse con el uso de mascarillas y otros elementos de protección cuando vamos a manipular elementos con cuarzo o sílice. Sin olvidarnos de leer bien las etiquetas de los productos para evitar que algo tan cotidiano como la limpieza se convierta en una pesadilla a largo plazo.
13 respuestas a «La sílice cristalina, un riesgo que debes conocer»
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