Opaline silica on Mars In the Gusev crater of Mars, the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit inadvertently discovered opaline silica.

Silica is a form of silicon, the seventh most abundant element in the universe. Many marine creatures require it to produce their skeletons, including phytoplankton, which float near the ocean’s surface and capture carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.

Silica is an important trace mineral that provides strength and flexibility to the connective tissues of your body — cartilage, tendons, skin, bone, teeth, hair, and blood vessels. Silica is essential in the formation of collagen, the most abundant protein found in your body.

Silica has been shown to help your heart and immune system: Recent research has found that silica can improve your heart health by reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries.

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Silica has a very low risk for toxicity when taken orally. The EFSA note that even after administering very high doses of up to 9,000 milligrams of silica per kilogram of body weight, no adverse effects appeared.

Symptoms of silicosis usually appear after many years of exposure. In early stages, symptoms are mild and include cough, sputum and progressive shortness of breath. As the scarring continues to worsen, the first real signs of a problem may be an abnormal chest X-ray and a slowly developing cough.

Diagnosis of Silicosis Diagnosis is made when someone who has worked with silica has chest computed tomography (CT) that shows distinctive patterns consistent with the disease. A chest x-ray can also be done to help diagnose silicosis.

Silicosis affects the lungs by damaging the lining of the lung’s air sacs, called alveoli. This damage leads to scarring and, in some situations, stiffening of the lung, which makes it difficult to breathe.

There is no cure for silicosis and once the damage is done it cannot be reversed. Treatment is focused on slowing down the progression of the disease and relieving symptoms. Avoiding further exposure to silica and other irritants such as cigarette smoke is crucial.

The cells within the lungs have difficulty in clearing the silica particles. The only way to get the retained dust out of the lungs is either to pass it on to other cells or cough it up in phlegm or sputum.

Our lungs have ways to remove some of the dust we breathe in, such as coughing or bringing up phlegm. However, the fine particles can become trapped and cause irritation. In response, immune system cells called macrophages unsuccessfully try to clear the dust particles by engulfing and dissolving them.