Several days ago, I rode my scooter over to one of the bank sub-branches on Anyuan Road. As I went inside to take care of a bill, I passed a huge pile of construction rubble dumped in the middle of the sidewalk. Within a matter of minutes, my errand was complete and I was ready to leave. Unfortunately, things had changed out on the street.

A front-end loader was working away at the rubble mound outside, scooping up the debris and loading it into a waiting dump truck. The process kicked up a huge cloud of dust, forcing passersby to cover their mouths and noses as they quickened their steps. I was stuck inside the bank, and could do nothing but watch the raging dust storm outside, while my scooter was slowly enveloped by a thick patina of grit and powder.

But my own experience was but a mere trifle compared to three workers who were present on the scene to help shovel rubble into the loader’s waiting scoop.

These workers had no goggles, no masks and no other safety equipment to protect them from the toxic plume.

The huge amount of dust thus kicked up is both an annoyance and a threat to public health.

One granite polisher I knew personally died in his late 30s.

It was lung cancer, preceded by pneumoconiosis (also known as black lung disease, a degenerative lung condition caused by inhaling dust).

For those who haul rubble, polish granite, clean streets or work in construction sites, there is plenty of evidence to indicate that lung disease is a real danger. Of course, for the rest of us, construction dust is also a major source of pollution in cities like Shangahi, where old and not-so-old buildings are constantly being knocked down and replaced with new ones.