NEW research carried out by the Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, School of Physics and Ryan Institute, NUI Galway, has found that equestrian workers exposed to high levels of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) have a potential increased risk of lung cancer.

Crystalline silica is a natural common mineral, and found in materials such as sand, stone and concrete. Once inhaled, RCS is fine enough to reach deep inside the lung. Significant exposures to this are associated with a range of respiratory diseases, in particular, silicosis, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.