The coolies, earth-coloured and mute, crouched reverently some twenty or thirty yards away, and the Babu, the slack of his thin gear snapping like a marking-flag in the chill breeze, stood by with an air of happy proprietorship.
Inhaling crystalline silica can lead to serious, sometimes fatal illnesses including silicosis, lung cancer, tuberculosis (in those with silicosis), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In addition, silica exposure has been linked to other illnesses including renal disease and other cancers.
Fumed silica, also known as pyrogenic silica, is a non-crystalline, fine-grain, low density and high surface area silica. Not to be confused with silica fume, also known as microsilica. The production of precipitated silica starts with the reaction of an alkaline silicate solution with a mineral acid.