Pulmonary Capacity, Blood Composition and Metabolism among Coal Mine Workers in High- and Low-Altitude Aboveground and Underground Workplaces

(1) Background: While previous studies revealed how underground mining might adversely affect the cardiopulmonary functions of workers, this study further investigated the differences between under- and aboveground mining at both high and low altitudes, which has received little attention in the literature. (2) Methods: Seventy-one healthy male coal mine workers were recruited, who had worked at least 5 years at the mining sites located above the ground at high (>3900 m; n = 19) and low (<120 m; n = 16) altitudes as well as under the ground at high (n = 20) and low (n = 16) altitudes. Participants’ heart rates, pulmonary functions, total energy expenditure and metabolism were measured over a 5-consecutive-day session at health clinics. (3) Results: Combining the results for both above- and underground locations, workers at high-altitude mining sites had significantly higher peak heart rate (HR), minimum average HR and training impulse as well as energy expenditure due to all substances and due to fat than those at low-altitude sites. They also had significantly higher uric acid, total cholesterol, creatine kinase and N-osteocalcin in their blood samples than the workers at low-altitude mining sites. At underground worksites, the participants working at high-altitude had a significantly higher average respiratory rate than those at low-altitude regions. (4) Conclusion: In addition to underground mining, attention should be paid to high-altitude mining as working under a hypoxia condition at such altitude likely presents physiological challenges.

"If the reindeer die, everything dies": The mental health of a Sámi community exposed to a mining project in Swedish Sápmi

In 2006, a British mining company started the process of extracting ore from Gállok/Kallak, in Swedish Sápmi. These grounds are used all year round for reindeer herding by the Sámi community Jåhkågasska tjiellde. While environmental impact assessments should be conducted by law in any development project in Sweden, the health component included is usually vague. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences and perceptions of the Sámi community regarding the current and potential health effects of the proposed mine.A qualitative study, including six in-depth interviews with members of the community, was conducted in 2020. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Five themes were identified and organised in current and future impacts. Current impacts included “It’s like David’s battle against Goliath”, “It’s a slow process that takes a lot of power and energy”, “It’s a defense … like, to protect oneself”; with future impacts including: “If the reindeer die, everything dies”, “You would feel that you do not possess any power, [you would feel] overridden, pushed away, not liked”.The fear of losing current and future generations’ livelihoods appeared to be the main mediators of the current and potential worsened mental health experienced by the community.

Right by your side? - the relational scope of health and wellbeing as congruence, complement and coincidence

Purpose: Although the relation between health and well-being is deemed conceptually important, it is diverse and intractable. The aim of this small-scale study is to reveal different possible relations of the concepts of health and well-being, interrelation of these relations and consequences of implied normative expectations in the relations.

Method: Primary data originate from course literature in Swedish health education. Additional data included scientific articles and website content (collected from WHO and via Google) and were analysed with objective hermeneutics.

Results: Congruent, complementary and coincident relations were found. In congruence, health and well-being are synonyms. Complement relations contain: “quality” with well-being as overall aim, “plurality” with health as umbrella term, “well-being as positive health”, “enhancement” with health and well-being potentially boosting each other and “subjectivity/objectivity” with objective health complemented by subjective well-being. In coincidence, health and well-being are counter-intuitively regarded unlinked, which may challenge expectations concerning health promotive activities. Independent and affiliated relations were identified.

Conclusion: In congruence and complement, health and well-being are mostly aligned whereas in coincidence, their quality may be decoupled. In the discursive climate of second modernity, the relation of health and well-being tends to conflict and ambiguous coincidence, demanding ambiguity tolerance as key skill.

Including health impacts in environmental impact assessments for three Australian coal-mining projects: a documentary analysis

Notwithstanding the historical benefits of coal in aiding human and economic development, the negative health and environmental impacts of coal extraction and processing are of increasing concern. Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are a regulated policy mechanism that can be used to predict and consider the health impacts of mining projects to determine if consent is given. The ways in which health is considered within EIA is unclear. This research investigated 'How and to what extent are health, well-being and equity issues considered in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) of major coal mining projects in New South Wales, Australia'. To this end we developed and applied a comprehensive coding framework designed to interrogate the publicly available environmental impact statements (EISs) of three mines in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, for their inclusion of health, well-being and equity issues. Analysis of the three EISs demonstrates that: the possible impacts of each mine on health and well-being were narrowly and inadequately considered; when health and well-being were considered there was a failure to assess the possible impacts specific to the particular mine and the communities potentially affected; the cumulative impacts on human health of multiple mines in the same geographical area were almost completely ignored; the discussions of intragenerational and intergenerational equity did not demonstrate a sound understanding of equity and, it is essential that governments' requirements for the EIA include detailed analysis of the health, well-being, equity and cumulative impacts specific to the proposed mine and relevant communities.

Place Effects and Chronic Disease Rates in a Rural State: Evidence from a Triangulation of Methods

High rates of chronic diseases and increasing nutritional polarization between different income groups in the United States are issues of concern to policymakers and public health officials. Spatial differences in access to food are mainly blamed as the cause for these nutritional inequalities. This study first detected hot and cold spots of food providers in West Virginia and then used those places in a quasi-experimental method (entropy balancing) to study the effects of those places on diabetes and obesity rates. We found that although hot spots have lower rates of chronic diseases than non-hot spots and cold spots have higher rates of chronic diseases than non-cold spots-the situation is complicated. With the findings of income induced chronic disease rates in urban areas, where most hot spots are located, there is evidence of another case for "food swamps." However, in cold spots which are located mainly in rural areas, higher rates of chronic diseases are attributed to a combination of access to food providers along with lacking the means (i.e., income for low-income households) to form healthier habits.

Exploring the broader health and well-being outcomes of mining communities in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

Health and well-being outcomes in communities living in proximity to mining activity may be influenced by a broad spectrum of factors including population growth, economic instability or land degradation. This review aims to synthesise broader outcomes associated with mining activity and in doing so, further explore possible determinants in communities of low- and middle-income countries. Four databases were systematically searched and articles were included if the study targeted adults residing in proximity to mining activity, and measured individual or community-level health or well-being outcomes. Narrative synthesis was conducted. Twelve articles were included. Mining was perceived to influence health behaviours, employment conditions, livelihoods and socio-political factors, which were linked to poorer health outcomes. Family relationships, mental health and community cohesion were negatively associated with mining activity. High-risk health behaviours, population growth and changes in vector ecology from environmental modification were associated with increased infectious disease prevalence. This review presents the broader health and well-being outcomes and their determinants, and strengthens the evidence to improve measurement and management of the public health implications of mining. This will support the mining sector to make sustainable investments, and support governments to maximise community development and minimise negative impacts.

The birthweight toll of mining pollution: evidence from the most contaminated mine site in the Andean region

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of mining pollution on birthweight.

DESIGN

A retrospective before-and-after study with an untreated comparison group.

SETTING

La Oroya, a mining town in the Peruvian Andes, considered the most contaminated town in the Andean region.

POPULATION

All pregnant women who delivered in the social security healthcare system in years 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. A total of 214 983 births records were used, 957 from La Oroya and 214 026 from the rest of the country.

METHODS

A difference-in-difference estimation is used to assess the effect of mining pollution on birthweight before and after two business policy changes: a partial environmental improvement and a subsequent closure of smelter operations in La Oroya. Birthweight was compared with a group not affected by the environmental changes in La Oroya.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Birthweight in grams.

RESULTS

A steep reduction in mining pollution due to the closure of smelter operations in La Oroya showed an increased birthweight of 71.6 g after controlling for socio-economic and medical characteristics. None of the environmental improvements prior to the closure had a statistically significant effect on birthweight.

CONCLUSIONS

Mining pollution in La Oroya had a negative impact on birthweight. Partial environmental improvements were not enough to improve birthweight. Only after the closure of all mining and smelter operations in La Oroya was a significant gain in birthweight shown.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

The closure of the most contaminated mine site in the Andean region increased birthweight by 72 g.

Community-Level Exposure to the Rural Mining Industry: The Potential Influence on Early Adolescent Alcohol and Tobacco Use

PURPOSE

Rural youth have higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use compared to their urban counterparts. However, the economic dependence of rural communities may differentially influence risk behaviors. While research has shown that adults working in mining have elevated rates of alcohol and tobacco use, the influence of living in a mining community on early adolescent substance use is unknown.

METHODS

Using data from a representative sample of 4,535 middle school students in a state with heavy reliance on mining, we conducted weighted logistic regression to investigate whether community-level mining economic dependence influences rural-urban differences in adolescent alcohol and tobacco use. All models adjusted for sociodemographics, military family involvement, parental monitoring, and length of residence.

FINDINGS

Over one quarter of the sampled students lived in rural counties and approximately half of these counties met the USDA mining economic typology. After stratifying rural counties by mining and nonmining economic dependence, students in rural mining counties had significantly higher odds of all measures of alcohol use (AORs ranged from 1.83 to 3.99) and tobacco use (AORs ranged from 1.61 to 5.05) compared to students in urban counties. Only use of smokeless tobacco was higher among students in rural nonmining counties.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate rural-urban disparities in adolescent substance use that are particularly pronounced among youth living in counties with economic dependence on mining. Future research on this subject should include a wider range of community-level factors that may have specific relevance in rural settings to inform the development of population-level interventions.

Children and youth's biopsychosocial wellbeing in the context of energy resource activities

BACKGROUND

Children and youth emerge as key populations that are impacted by energy resource activities, in part because of their developmental vulnerabilities, as well as the compounding effects of energy systems on their families, communities, and physical environments. While there is a larger literature focused on fossil fuel emissions and children, the impacts of many aspects of energy systems on children and youth remain under examined and scattered throughout the health, social science, and environmental science literatures.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic interdisciplinary review examines the biological, psychosocial, and economic impacts of energy systems identified through social science research - specifically focused on household and industrial extraction and emissions - on children and youth functioning.

METHODS

A critical interpretive search of interdisciplinary and international social sciences literature was conducted using an adaptive protocol focusing on the biopsychosocial and economic impacts of energy systems on children and youth. The initial results were complemented with a purposeful search to extend the breadth and depth of the final collection of articles.

DISCUSSION

Although relatively few studies have specifically focused on children and youth in this context, the majority of this research uncovers a range of negative health impacts that are directly and indirectly related to the development and ongoing operations of natural resource production, particularly oil and gas, coal, and nuclear energy. Psychosocial and cultural effects, however, remain largely unexamined and provide a rich avenue for further research.

CONCLUSIONS

This synthesis identifies an array of adverse biopsychosocial health outcomes on children and youth of energy resource extraction and emissions, and identifies gaps that will drive future research in this area.

Systematic review of community health impacts of mountaintop removal mining

BACKGROUND

The objective of this evaluation is to understand the human health impacts of mountaintop removal (MTR) mining, the major method of coal mining in and around Central Appalachia. MTR mining impacts the air, water, and soil and raises concerns about potential adverse health effects in neighboring communities; exposures associated with MTR mining include particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, hydrogen sulfide, and other recognized harmful substances.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted of published studies of MTR mining and community health, occupational studies of MTR mining, and any available animal and in vitro experimental studies investigating the effects of exposures to MTR-mining-related chemical mixtures. Six databases (Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Toxline, and Web of Science) were searched with customized terms, and no restrictions on publication year or language, through October 27, 2016. The eligibility criteria included all human population studies and animal models of human health, direct and indirect measures of MTR-mining exposure, any health-related effect or change in physiological response, and any study design type. Risk of bias was assessed for observational and experimental studies using an approach developed by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT). To provide context for these health effects, a summary of the exposure literature is included that focuses on describing findings for outdoor air, indoor air, and drinking water.

RESULTS

From a literature search capturing 3088 studies, 33 human studies (29 community, four occupational), four experimental studies (two in rat, one in vitro and in mice, one in C. elegans), and 58 MTR mining exposure studies were identified. A number of health findings were reported in observational human studies, including cardiopulmonary effects, mortality, and birth defects. However, concerns for risk of bias were identified, especially with respect to exposure characterization, accounting for confounding variables (such as socioeconomic status), and methods used to assess health outcomes. Typically, exposure was assessed by proximity of residence or hospital to coal mining or production level at the county level. In addition, assessing the consistency of findings was challenging because separate publications likely included overlapping case and comparison groups. For example, 11 studies of mortality were conducted with most reporting higher rates associated with coal mining, but many of these relied on the same national datasets and were unable to consider individual-level contributors to mortality such as poor socioeconomic status or smoking. Two studies of adult rats reported impaired microvascular and cardiac mitochondrial function after intratracheal exposure to PM from MTR-mining sites. Exposures associated with MTR mining included reports of PM levels that sometimes exceeded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards; higher levels of dust, trace metals, hydrogen sulfide gas; and a report of increased public drinking water violations.

DISCUSSION

This systematic review could not reach conclusions on community health effects of MTR mining because of the strong potential for bias in the current body of human literature. Improved characterization of exposures by future community health studies and further study of the effects of MTR mining chemical mixtures in experimental models will be critical to determining health risks of MTR mining to communities. Without such work, uncertainty will remain regarding the impact of these practices on the health of the people who breathe the air and drink the water affected by MTR mining.

Exploring the determinants of health and wellbeing in communities living in proximity to coal seam gas developments in regional Queensland

Background

There is some concern that coal seam gas mining may affect health and wellbeing through changes in social determinants such as living and working conditions, local economy and the environment. The onward impact of these conditions on health and wellbeing is often not monitored to the same degree as direct environmental health impacts in the mining context, but merits attention. This study reports on the findings from a recurrent theme that emerged from analysis of the qualitative component of a comprehensive Health Needs Assessment (HNA) conducted in regional Queensland: that health and wellbeing of communities was reportedly affected by nearby coal seam gas (CSG) development beyond direct environmental impacts.

Methods

Qualitative analysis was initially completed using the Framework Method to explore key themes from 11 focus group discussions, 19 in-depth interviews, and 45 key informant interviews with health and wellbeing service providers and community members. A key theme emerged from the analysis that forms the basis of this paper. This study is part of a larger comprehensive HNA involving qualitative and quantitative data collection to explore the health and wellbeing needs of three communities living in proximity to CSG development in regional Queensland, Australia.

Results

Communities faced social, economic and environmental impacts from the rapid growth of CSG development, which were perceived to have direct and indirect effects on individual lifestyle factors such as alcohol and drug abuse, family relationships, social capital and mental health; and community-level factors including social connectedness, civic engagement and trust.

Conclusions

Outer regional communities discussed the effects of mining activity on the fabric of their town and community, whereas the inner regional community that had a longer history of industrial activity discussed the impacts on families and individual health and wellbeing. The findings from this study may inform future health service planning in regions affected by CSG in the development /construction phase and provide the mining sector in regional areas with evidence from which to develop social responsibility programs that encompass health, social, economic and environmental assessments that more accurately reflect the needs of the affected communities.

[Water resource quality as related to economic activity and health patterns in Sonora, Mexico]

The aim of this work is to analyze the spatial distribution of potential pollution pathways of water resources given the economic activity in the Mexican border state of Sonora and propose a regional distribution in relation to cancer mortality rates across the state. The methodology is based in an exploratory and inferential data analysis using two sources of primary data: wastewater discharge concessions registered in the Public Registry on Water Rights [Registro Público de Derechos de Agua] (REPDA) and the records generated by the National Health Information System [Sistema Nacional de Información en Salud] (SINAIS) in the period 1998-2011 based on the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10). The spatial concentration analysis allows for the identification of specific cancer mortality causes at the regional level. Results indicate that the projected adjustments to the regulation NOM-250-SSA1-2014, which controls a subset of pollutants common in mining activity surroundings, is a matter of regional concern.