Characterization of Mental Illness Among US Coal Miners

This cohort study examines the prevalence of and risk factors for mental illness among current and former coal miners in the United States.

Factors influencing high respiratory mortality in coal-mining counties: a repeated cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have associated elevated mortality risk in central Appalachia with coal-mining activities, but few have explored how different non-coal factors influence the association within each county. Consequently, there is a knowledge gap in identifying effective ways to address health disparities in coal-mining counties. To specifically address this knowledge gap, this study estimated the effect of living in a coal-mining county on non-malignant respiratory diseases (NMRD) mortality, and defined this as "coal-county effect." We also investigated what factors may accentuate or attenuate the coal-county effect.

METHODS

An ecological epidemiology protocol was designed to observe the characteristics of three populations and to identify the effects of coal-mining on community health. Records for seven coal-mining counties (n = 19,692) were obtained with approvals from the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics for the years 2005 to 2012. Also requested were records from three adjacent coal counties (n = 10,425) to provide a geographic comparison. For a baseline comparison, records were requested for eleven tobacco-producing counties (n = 27,800). We analyzed the association of 57,917 individual mortality records in Virginia with coal-mining county residency, county-level socioeconomic status, health access, behavioral risk factors, and coal production. The development of a two-level hierarchical model allowed the coal-county effect to vary by county-level characteristics. Wald tests detected sets of significant factors explaining the variation of impacts across counties. Furthermore, to illustrate how the model estimations help explain health disparities, two coal-mining county case studies were presented.

RESULTS

The main result revealed that coal-mining county residency increased the probability of dying from NMRD. The coal-county effect was accentuated by surface coal mining, high smoking rates, decreasing health insurance coverage, and a shortage of doctors. In Virginia coal-mining regions, the average coal-county effect increased by 147% (p-value< 0.01) when one doctor per 1000 left, and the effect increased by 68% (p-value< 0.01) with a 1% reduction of health insurance rates, holding other factors fixed.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed a high mortality risk of NMRD associated with residents living in Virginia coal-mining counties. Our results also revealed the critical role of health access in reducing health disparities related to coal exposure.

Increased Dementia Mortality in West Virginia Counties with Mountaintop Removal Mining?

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is elevated in areas of mountaintop removal mining (MTM), a practice that has been ongoing in some counties of West Virginia (WV) USA since the 1970s. PM inhalation has been linked to central nervous system pathophysiology, including cognitive decline and dementia. Here we compared county dementia mortality statistics in MTM vs. non-MTM WV counties over a period spanning 2001–2015. We found significantly elevated age-adjusted vascular or unspecified dementia mortality/100,000 population in WV MTM counties where, after adjusting for socioeconomic variables, dementia mortality was 15.60 (±3.14 Standard Error of the Mean (S.E.M.)) times higher than that of non-MTM counties. Further analyses with satellite imaging data revealed a highly significant positive correlation between the number of distinct mining sites vs. both mean and cumulative vascular and unspecified dementia mortality over the 15 year period. This was in contrast to finding only a weak relationship between dementia mortality rates and the overall square kilometers mined. No effect of living in an MTM county was found for the rate of Alzheimer’s type dementia and possible reasons for this are considered. Based on these results, and the current literature, we hypothesize that inhalation of PM associated with MTM contributes to dementia mortality of the vascular or unspecified types. However, limitations inherent in ecological-type studies such as this, preclude definitive extrapolation to individuals in MTM-counties at this time. We hope these findings will inspire follow-up cohort and case-controlled type studies to determine if specific causative factors associated with living near MTM can be identified. Given the need for caregiving and medical support, increased dementia mortality of the magnitude seen here could, unfortunately, place great demands upon MTM county public health resources in the future.

The utility of health belief model to explain self-protective behaviour against pneumoconiosis in Chinese underground coal miners: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis is caused by exposure to respirable coal mine dust. The self-protection of underground coal miners (UCM) plays an irreplaceable role against this threat. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictors of self-protective behaviour (SPB) in Chinese UCM based on the health belief model (HBM).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 341 UCM in January 2016 in Pingdingshan City, Henan Province, People's Republic of China. Data was collected using a self-reported questionnaire, which included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, HBM variables and SPB. An exploratory factor analysis of the principal components with varimax rotation was carried out on the HBM-related items. Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used to assess the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, HBM variables and SPB.

RESULTS

Multiple regression analysis demonstrated the monthly income (B=0.403, p=0.001), the internal cues to action (B=0.380, p<0.001) and external cues to action (B=0.401, p<0.001) as the predictors of UCM's SPB, accounting for 24.8% of total variance (F=34.96, p<0.001), while the cognition variables of HBM were not significantly associated with SPB.

CONCLUSION

The results suggested that both internal and external cues to action were powerful predictors for SPB. These findings highlight that further efforts are required to provide the UCM with periodic health check-up reports and promote the active role of doctors and family members in miners' decision-making to simulate them for better SPB.

ETHICS APPROVAL

All data collection procedures received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Xuhui District Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (XHHEC-2016-7).

Focusing on Coal Workers' Lung Diseases: A Comparative Analysis of China, Australia, and the United States

China has high and increasing annual rates of occupational lung diseases such as pneumoconiosis and silicosis. In contrast, Australia and the United States of America (USA) have greatly lowered their annual rates of lung diseases since the 1970s. This paper systematically compared and analysed the multi-elements of coal dust management and health management in these three countries to provide a reference for China. Regarding coal dust management, this paper found that coal workers in China are more susceptible to lung diseases compared to workers in the USA and Australia, considering fundamental aspects such as mine type, coal rank, and geological conditions. In addition, the controllable aspects such as advanced mitigation, monitoring methods, and the personal protective equipment of coal dust were relatively inadequate in China compared to the USA and Australia. Health management in China was found to have multiple deficiencies in health examination, co-governance, and compensations for coal workers suffering from lung diseases and healthcare for retired coal workers. These deficiencies may be attributed to insufficient medical resources, the Chinese government-dominated governance, ineffective procedures for obtaining compensation, and the lack of effective and preventive healthcare programs for the retired coal workers. Based on the USA and Australia experience, some suggestions for improvement were proposed.

Evaluating hearing loss risks in the mining industry through MSHA citations

A new noise regulation for the mining industry became effective in 2000, providing a consistent regulatory requirement for both coal and non-coal mining divisions. The new rule required mines to implement hearing conservation programs, including a system of continuous noise monitoring, provision of hearing protection devices, audiometric testing, hearing loss training, and record keeping. The goal of this study was to assess hearing conservation program compliance, and excessive noise exposure and hearing loss risks for both coal and non-coal mining divisions through evaluating MSHA citations. We analyzed 13,446 MSHA citations from 2000-2014 pertinent to 30 CFR Part 62. Descriptive statistics were generated and comparisons were made among mines of different commodities. In addition, one-way ANOVA on ranks was conducted to estimate the correlation between excess risks and establishment size. Results showed that 25.6% of coal mines and 14.7% of non-coal mines were cited at least once during this period of time. Larger numbers of noncompliance were seen in stone, sand, and gravel mines (SSG). Results also suggested inadequate efforts in both audiometric testing and minimizing risk after excessive noise exposure. Finally, establishment size of mine was correlated with the increasing risk of noncompliance. We anticipate that this study can guide resource allocation for preventing noise-induced hearing loss, and help improve risk management in mining.

Model of environmental life cycle assessment for coal mining operations

This paper presents a novel approach to environmental assessment of coal mining operations, which enables assessment of the factors that are both directly and indirectly affecting the environment and are associated with the production of raw materials and energy used in processes. The primary novelty of the paper is the development of a computational environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) model for coal mining operations and the application of the model for coal mining operations in Poland. The LCA model enables the assessment of environmental indicators for all identified unit processes in hard coal mines with the life cycle approach. The proposed model enables the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) based on the IPCC method and the assessment of damage categories, such as human health, ecosystems and resources based on the ReCiPe method. The model enables the assessment of GHGs for hard coal mining operations in three time frames: 20, 100 and 500years. The model was used to evaluate the coal mines in Poland. It was demonstrated that the largest environmental impacts in damage categories were associated with the use of fossil fuels, methane emissions and the use of electricity, processing of wastes, heat, and steel supports. It was concluded that an environmental assessment of coal mining operations, apart from direct influence from processing waste, methane emissions and drainage water, should include the use of electricity, heat and steel, particularly for steel supports. Because the model allows the comparison of environmental impact assessment for various unit processes, it can be used for all hard coal mines, not only in Poland but also in the world. This development is an important step forward in the study of the impacts of fossil fuels on the environment with the potential to mitigate the impact of the coal industry on the environment.

Analysis 320 coal mine accidents using structural equation modeling with unsafe conditions of the rules and regulations as exogenous variables

Mining has been historically considered as a naturally high-risk industry worldwide. Deaths caused by coal mine accidents are more than the sum of all other accidents in China. Statistics of 320 coal mine accidents in Shandong province show that all accidents contain indicators of "unsafe conditions of the rules and regulations" with a frequency of 1590, accounting for 74.3% of the total frequency of 2140. "Unsafe behaviors of the operator" is another important contributory factor, which mainly includes "operator error" and "venturing into dangerous places." A systems analysis approach was applied by using structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the interactions between the contributory factors of coal mine accidents. The analysis of results leads to three conclusions. (i) "Unsafe conditions of the rules and regulations," affect the "unsafe behaviors of the operator," "unsafe conditions of the equipment," and "unsafe conditions of the environment." (ii) The three influencing factors of coal mine accidents (with the frequency of effect relation in descending order) are "lack of safety education and training," "rules and regulations of safety production responsibility," and "rules and regulations of supervision and inspection." (iii) The three influenced factors (with the frequency in descending order) of coal mine accidents are "venturing into dangerous places," "poor workplace environment," and "operator error."

An aftermath analysis of the 2014 coal mine accident in Soma, Turkey: Use of risk performance indicators based on historical experience

On the 13th of May 2014 a fire related incident in the Soma coal mine in Turkey caused 301 fatalities and more than 80 injuries. This has been the largest coal mine accident in Turkey, and in the OECD country group, so far. This study investigated if such a disastrous event should be expected, in a statistical sense, based on historical observations. For this purpose, PSI's ENSAD database is used to extract accident data for the period 1970-2014. Four different cases are analyzed, i.e., OECD, OECD w/o Turkey, Turkey and USA. Analysis of temporal trends for annual numbers of accidents and fatalities indicated a non-significant decreasing tendency for OECD and OECD w/o Turkey and a significant one for USA, whereas for Turkey both measures showed an increase over time. The expectation analysis revealed clearly that an event with the consequences of the Soma accident is rather unlikely for OECD, OECD w/o Turkey and USA. In contrast, such a severe accident has a substantially higher expectation for Turkey, i.e. it cannot be considered an extremely rare event, based on historical experience. This indicates a need for improved safety measures and stricter regulations in the Turkish coal mining sector in order to get closer to the rest of OECD.

[Comorbid state in coal miners suffering from lumbosacral radiculopathy]

The authors considered topics of occupational and general comorbidity of occupational lumbosacral radiculopathy in coal miners (2791 examinees) observed over 1976-2014 in occupational center. In patients having lumbosacral radiculopathy without occupational mixed diseases, the occupational disease was diagnosed at the age 3-5 years younger, and 2-4 years earlier from primary visit. Analysis of occurrence of general comorbid conditions with lumbosacral radiculopathy revealed some regularities: patients manifested with symptoms due to vibration have more frequent arterial hypertension than in those with lumbalgia, whereas in risk group of hearing affected by noise IHD was more possible.

Lung cancer among coal miners, ore miners and quarrymen: smoking-adjusted risk estimates from the synergy pooled analysis of case-control studies

OBJECTIVES

Working in mines and quarries has been associated with an elevated lung cancer risk but with inconsistent results for coal miners. This study aimed to estimate the smoking-adjusted lung cancer risk among coal miners and compare the risk pattern with lung cancer risks among ore miners and quarrymen.

METHODS

We estimated lung cancer risks of coal and ore miners and quarrymen among 14 251 lung cancer cases and 17 267 controls from the SYNERGY pooled case-control study, controlling for smoking and employment in other at-risk occupations.

RESULTS

Ever working as miner or quarryman (690 cases, 436 controls) was associated with an elevated odds ratio (OR) of 1.55 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.34-1.79] for lung cancer. Ore miners (53 cases, 24 controls) had a higher OR (2.34, 95% CI 1.36-4.03) than quarrymen (67 cases, 39 controls; OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.21-3.05) and coal miners (442 cases, 297 controls; OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.18-1.67), but CI overlapped. We did not observe trends by duration of exposure or time since last exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

This pooled analysis of population-based studies demonstrated an excess lung cancer risk among miners and quarrymen that remained increased after adjustment for detailed smoking history and working in other at-risk occupations. The increase in risk among coal miners were less pronounced than for ore miners or quarrymen.

[THE MEDICAL DEMOGRAPHIC PROCESSES IN THE SIBERIAN FEDERAL OKRUG]

The article presents data testifying demographic problems in numerous okrugs of the Russian Federation. It is emphasized that in the Siberian federal okrug reside 13.48% of population of Russia. In spite of it younger age (by 1.4 years) and on the assumption of situation of 2011-2012. The life expectancy of males is lower by 2.35±0.01 years as compared with the rest of Russian male population and in females is lower by 1.84±0.02 years as compared with the rest of Russianfemale population. In Kemerovskaia oblast with numerous population, where the coal mining industry is a city-formingfactor males live less by 4.2 years than males in whole Russia. The higher levels of mortality of population of able-bodied age in the Kemerovskaia oblast as compared with the Siberian federal okrug and Russia are presented The results of comparative analysis are used to demonstrate that even partial implementation in Novokuznetsk, the largest city of the Kemerovskaia oblast, of program activities targeted to prevent occupational morbidity ofworkers of coal mining industry of Kuzbass impacted alteration of indicator of mortality of population of able-bodied age. It is stated that the research institute of complex problems of hygiene and occupational diseases of the Russian academy of medical sciences has at its disposal experience and scientific base to develop program activities targeted to health protection and maintenance of labor potential of population of various territorial formations of the Russian Federation. The official permit of applying new medical technology to evaluate occupational risks for health of workers of industrial enterprises is available.

Effects of coal mining, forestry, and road construction on southern Appalachian stream invertebrates and habitats

Coal has been extracted via surface and sub-surface mining for decades throughout the Appalachian Mountains. New interest in ridge-top mining has raised concerns about possible waterway impacts. We examined effects of forestry, mining, and road construction-based disturbance on physico-chemistry and macroinvertebrate communities in east-central Tennessee headwater streams. Although 11 of 30 sites failed Tennessee's biocriteria scoring system, invertebrate richness was moderately high and we did not find significant differences in any water chemistry or habitat parameters between sites with passing and failing scores. However, conductivity and dissolved solid concentrations appeared elevated in the majority of study streams. Principal components (PCs) analysis indicated that six PCs accounted for ~77 % of among-site habitat variability. One PC associated with dissolved oxygen and specific conductance explained the second highest proportion of among-site variability after catchment area. Specific conductance was not correlated with catchment area but was strongly correlated with mining activity. Composition and success of multivariate models using habitat PCs to predict macroinvertebrate metrics was highly variable. PC scores associated with water chemistry and substrate composition were most frequently included in significant models. These results suggest that impacts of historical and current coal mining remain a source of water quality and macroinvertebrate community impairment in this region, but effects are subtle. Our results suggest that surface mining may have chronic and system-wide effects on habitat conditions and invertebrate communities in Cumberland Plateau streams.

Fracking in the UK press: threat dynamics in an unfolding debate

Shale gas is a novel source of fossil fuel which is extracted by induced hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking". This article examines the socio-political dimension of fracking as manifested in the UK press at three key temporal points in the debate on the practice. Three newspaper corpora were analysed qualitatively using Thematic Analysis and Social Representations Theory. Three overarching themes are discussed: "April-May 2011: from Optimism to Scepticism"; "November 2011: (De-) Constructing and Re-Constructing Risk and Danger"; "April 2012: consolidating Social Representations of Fracking". In this article, we examine the emergence of and inter-relations between competing social representations, discuss the dynamics of threat positioning and show how threat can be re-construed in order to serve particular socio-political ends in the debate on fracking.

[Contemporary features of pneumoconiosis formation and course in miners of East Donbass]

The author analyzed dynamics and structure of occupational morbidity including pneumoconiosis in Rostov region of Russian Federation, since 1990 until now. They were compared with analogous parameters of previous historical period. Findings are that contemporary dynamics of anthracosilicosis clinical features is characterized by severily reduced terms of the disease development from medical registration of the diseased miner, earlier addition of malignancy, respiratory failure and other complications--that in aggregate causes earlier disablement and drastically reduced survival rate in occupational patients with anthracosilicosis.

Risk identification and prediction of coal workers' pneumoconiosis in Kailuan Colliery Group in China: a historical cohort study

BACKGROUND

Prior to 1970, coal mining technology and prevention measures in China were poor. Mechanized coal mining equipment and advanced protection measures were continuously installed in the mines after 1970. All these improvements may have resulted in a change in the incidence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP). Therefore, it is important to identify the characteristics of CWP today and trends for the incidence of CWP in the future.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

A total of 17,023 coal workers from the Kailuan Colliery Group were studied. A life-table method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rate of CWP and predict the number of new CWP patients in the future. The probability of developing CWP was estimated by a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network for each coal worker without CWP. The results showed that the cumulative incidence rates of CWP for tunneling, mining, combining, and helping workers were 31.8%, 27.5%, 24.2%, and 2.6%, respectively, during the same observation period of 40 years. It was estimated that there would be 844 new CWP cases among 16,185 coal workers without CWP within their life expectancy. There would be 273.1, 273.1, 227.6, and 69.9 new CWP patients in the next <10, 10-, 20-, and 30- years respectively in the study cohort within their life expectancy. It was identified that coal workers whose risk probabilities were over 0.2 were at high risk for CWP, and whose risk probabilities were under 0.1 were at low risk.

CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE

The present and future incidence trends of CWP remain high among coal workers. We suggest that coal workers at high risk of CWP undergo a physical examination for pneumoconiosis every year, and the coal workers at low risk of CWP be examined every 5 years.

Production output pressure and coal mine fatality seasonal variations in China, 2002-2011

INTRODUCTION

The death rate per million tons (DRPMT) is considered as the key index to the quality of coal mine safety management. The index for 2002-2011 revealed a marked improvement in China coal mine safety management during the 10-year period. However, when seasonally adjusted, the 2002-2011 fatality data showed a strong seasonal variation trend. This was reasonably consistent for the 10 years, which suggests that it was always the weak link in Chinese coal mine safety management over that time. However, the overall annual decrease in DRPMT was not reflected by any noticeable improvement in the seasonal occurrence of fatal coal mine accidents in China.

METHOD

This paper focuses on this issue, first by analyzing the seasonal fluctuation of fatal accident statistics, then by investigating whether there was a parallel trend in China production output pressure. Finally an error correction model (ECM) was established to analyze the relationship between seasonal fatality rates and the pressure to increase coal production output, and revealed a close relationship between the two.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Firstly, the finding of this paper can help coal mine companies arrange their production planning more rationally, and decrease the fatalities' seasonal variations. Secondly, this paper is also helpful for the government to improve their regulation policies, to control the frequency of seasonal coal mine disasters.

The role of ownership in environmental performance: evidence from coalbed methane development

One way coalbed methane production differs from traditional oil and gas extraction is in the large quantities of produced water. This water must be disposed of for production to occur. Surface discharge has proven to be a low-cost alternative; regulations are in place to protect surface water quality. This paper investigates the effects of alternative ownership regimes on regulatory compliance. A unique dataset linking coalbed methane wells in Wyoming to water disposal permit violations is used to explore differences in environmental performance across severed and unified minerals. Empirical analysis of these data suggest that ownership does impact environmental compliance behavior. Most violations occur on split estate. Federal split estate wells have more severe violations, though not necessarily more of them. Federal unified wells performed best, with fewer and less serious violations. Wells on private land have more, though not necessarily more severe, violations. These results suggest some room for policy proposals accounting for alternative ownership regimes.

Enhancing severe injury surveillance: the association between severe injury events and fatalities in US coal mines

This report evaluates the potential of using high degree (or severe) injuries as a proxy for fatal events. Injuries occurring at bituminous coal mines within the United States during the years 1996-2006 were classified by the degree of severity according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). Using multivariate discrete and logistic models (via generalized estimating equations) and adjusting for number of employees and underground v. surface status, high degree (AIS≥3) injuries in the prior year were associated with an increased risk (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.46) of fatalities within the same mine. While there is a need for improvements and standardization of injury surveillance and reporting, the findings support the study hypothesis that mining conditions resulting in high degree injuries can also result in fatalities, thus expanding the use and versatility of high degree injury surveillance data. With an improved understanding of the conditions and activities behind these two injury event types, these results enhance the ability for industry to more readily identify and develop technological advancements for safety and mitigating disasters.

An indicative method for determination of the most hazardous changes in slopes of the subsidence basins in underground coal mining area in Ostrava (Czech Republic)

Considering growing population and decreasing mineral resource reserves, the issue of undermining has been and shall remain very topical. This study aims to identify the mutual connections between mined out panels of a deposit and the final manifestations on the ground surface related to deep black coal mining. On the grounds of the identified connections, the study describes a method to simplify a common evaluation of undermined areas according to building site categories. Within the study, a demarcation of the areas was conducted in two localities in Czech Republic influenced by the effects of undermining in the Upper-Silesian Basin. In the allotment of the CSM Mine, an area unsuitable for founding structures was defined from the centre of the worked out workings to the distance of 175 m from the panel's edge, for which the corresponding break angle is 78.3°. Similarly, in the allotment of the Paskov Mine, an area unsuitable for founding structures was determined to the distance of 500 m from the panel's edge, for which the corresponding break angle is 50.2°. This demarcation may be implemented prior to deposit mining being aware of several physical-mechanical parameters of rocks in the deposit's overburden. Having mined out a particular section of a deposit, it is recommended to verify the values of break angle using the method described herein. The study may be applied as a relatively fast and effective method to evaluate future land use for planning.

Results from a Ukrainian-US collaborative study: prevalence and predictors of respiratory symptoms among Ukrainian coal miners

BACKGROUND

Underground coal mining is an expanding industry in Ukraine, yet little is known about the burden of respiratory disease among Ukrainian miners.

METHODS

A Fogarty International Center-supported collaboration between researchers at the University of Illinois and the Institute of Occupational Health in Kyiv, Ukraine formed to improve capacity for conducting and monitoring medical surveillance among Ukrainian coal miners. A cross-sectional survey among a random sample of working and former miners was conducted; demographic, work, and health information were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Weighted prevalence rates were calculated and predictors of respiratory symptoms explored.

RESULTS

Improvements in infrastructure, including spirometry and chest radiography testing, transformed medical surveillance among these miners. Results from the health study included that the prevalence of respiratory symptoms was higher among former compared to current miners (shortness of breath 35.6% vs. 5.1%; chronic bronchitis 18.1% vs. 13.9%, respectively). A statistically significant exposure-response relationship was observed between years mining and respiratory symptoms in former miners and between years mining at the coal face and respiratory symptoms among current miners. Evidence of downward bias from the healthy worker survivor effect was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

This successful international collaboration built a sustainable infrastructure for conducting workplace medical surveillance and research. The resulting study was the first in the western literature to report on respiratory symptoms in this population; likely underestimation of disease rates due to selection and measurement biases was demonstrated. Efforts should continue to build this collaboration and to characterize and reduce respiratory illness among Ukrainian coal miners.

Characterization of different road dusts in opencast coal mining areas of India

Dust from haul and transport roads are the major source of air pollution in opencast coal mining areas. Dust generated during mining operations pollutes air which causes different health problems. Various available techniques are implemented in the field to minimize and control dust in mining areas. However, they are not very effective because dust deposited on road surfaces are not removed by these techniques. For effective control of dust in opencast mining areas, it has to be regularly collected from road surfaces and may be converted into solid form, and subsequently can be used as a domestic fuel considering its physicochemical properties. The present paper describes a comparative study of qualitative and quantitative aspects of road dust samples of four coalfields of India. The pH of the dust was found to be in the range of 5.1-7.7. Moisture, ash, volatile matter, fixed carbon, water-holding capacity, bulk density, and specific gravity of dust samples were found to be in the range of 0.5-3.0%, 45-76%, 12.6-20.0%, 10.2-45.3%, 21.17-31.71%, 1.15-1.70, and 1.73-2.30 g cm(-3), respectively. Observing the overall generation and characteristics of coal dust, it is suggested that coal dust from haul and transport roads of mining areas can be effectively collected and used as domestic fuel.

Exploring geographic variation in lung cancer incidence in Kentucky using a spatial scan statistic: elevated risk in the Appalachian coal-mining region

OBJECTIVES

We examined geographic patterns of lung cancer incidence in Kentucky. Recent research has suggested that the coal-mining industry contributes to lung cancer risk in Appalachia. We focused on the southeastern portion of the state, which has some of the highest lung cancer rates in the nation.

METHODS

We implemented a spatial scan statistic to identify areas with lung cancer incidence rates that were higher than expected, after adjusting for age, gender, and smoking. The Kentucky Cancer Registry supplied information on cases (1995-2007). The U.S. Census (2000) and several years of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (1996-2006) provided county-level population and smoking data. We compared the results with coal-mining data from the Mining Safety and Health Administration and public water utility data from the Kentucky Division of Water.

RESULTS

We identified three clusters of counties with higher-than-expected rates. Cluster 1 (relative risk [RR] = 1.21, p<0.01) included 12 counties in southeastern Kentucky. Cluster 2 (RR=1.17, p<0.01) included three nearby counties in the same region. Several of the 15 counties in Cluster 3 (RR=1.04, p=0.01) were part of the Louisville, Kentucky, or Cincinnati, Ohio, metropolitan areas. All of the counties in Clusters 1 and 2 produced significant amounts of coal.

CONCLUSION

Environmental exposures related to the coal-mining industry could contribute to the high incidence of lung cancer in southeastern Kentucky. Lack of evidence for this effect in western Kentucky could be due to regional differences in mining practices and access to public water utilities. Future research should collect biological specimens and environmental samples to test for the presence of trace elements and other lung carcinogens.

Citation-related reliability analysis for a pilot sample of underground coal mines

The scrutiny of underground coal mine safety was heightened because of the disasters that occurred in 2006-2007, and more recently in 2010. In the aftermath of the 2006 incidents, the U.S. Congress passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act), which strengthened the existing regulations and mandated new laws to address various issues related to emergency preparedness and response, escape from an emergency situation, and protection of miners. The National Mining Association-sponsored Mine Safety Technology and Training Commission study highlighted the role of risk management in identifying and controlling major hazards, which are elements that could come together and cause a mine disaster. In 2007 MSHA revised its approach to the "Pattern of Violations" (POV) process in order to target unsafe mines and then force them to remediate conditions in their mines. The POV approach has certain limitations that make it difficult for it to be enforced. One very understandable way to focus on removing threats from major-hazard conditions is to use citation-related reliability analysis. The citation reliability approach, which focuses on the probability of not getting a citation on a given inspector day, is considered an analogue to the maintenance reliability approach, which many mine operators understand and use. In this study, the citation reliability approach was applied to a stratified random sample of 31 underground coal mines to examine its potential for broader application. The results clearly show the best-performing and worst-performing mines for compliance with mine safety standards, and they highlight differences among different mine sizes.

Quantitative assessment of elemental carbon in the lungs of never smokers, cigarette smokers, and coal miners

Inhalation exposure to particulates such as cigarette smoke and coal dust is known to contribute to the development of chronic lung disease. The purpose of this study was to estimate the amount of elemental carbon (EC) deposits from autopsied lung samples from cigarette smokers, miners, and control subjects and explore the relationship between EC level, exposure history, and the extent of chronic lung disease. The samples comprised three subgroups representing never smokers (8), chronic cigarette smokers (26), and coal miners (6). Following the dissolution of lung tissue, the extracted EC residue was quantified using a thermal-optical transmission (TOT) carbon analyzer. Mean EC levels in the lungs of the control group were 56.68 ± 24.86 (SD) μg/g dry lung weight. Respective mean EC values in lung samples from the smokers and coal miners were 449.56 ± 320.3 μg/g and 6678.2 ± 6162 μg/g. These values were significantly higher than those obtained from the never-smoker group. EC levels in the lung and pack-years of cigarette smoking correlated significantly, as did EC levels and the severity of small airway disease. This study provides one of the first quantitative assessments of EC in human lungs from populations at high relative risk for the development of chronic lung disease.

Evaluation of occupational fatalities among underground coal mine workers through hierarchical loglinear models

Despite the all precautions, underground coal mining is one of the dangerous industries owing to fatal occupational accidents. Accidents are complicated events to which many factors effect on their formation and preventing them is only possible by the analyses of the accident occurred in past and by straight evaluation of the obtained results. In this study, hierarchical loglinear analysis method was implemented to occupational fatalities occurred in the period of 1980-2004 in the five underground coal mines of Turkish Hardcoal Enterprises which has the most important coal production areas in Turkey. The accident records were evaluated and the main factors affecting the accidents were defined as mine, miners' age, occupation, and accident type. By taking into account the sub factors of the main factors, multi way contingency tables were prepared and thus, the probabilities might effect fatality accidents were investigated. At the end of this study, it was found that the mostly affected job group by the fatality accidents was the production workers and additionally, these workers were mostly exposed to roof collapses and methane explosions. Moreover, important accident risk factors and the occupational job groups which have high probability to be exposed to these risk factors were determined and important information about decreasing the accidents in the underground coal mines were presented.

Conversion to use of digital chest images for surveillance of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung)

To protect the health of active U.S. underground coal miners, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a mandate to carry out surveillance for coal workers' pneumoconiosis, commonly known as Black Lung (PHS 2001). This is accomplished by reviewing chest x-ray films obtained from miners at approximately 5-year intervals in approved x-ray acquisition facilities around the country. Currently, digital chest images are not accepted. Because most chest x-rays are now obtained in digital format, NIOSH is redesigning the surveillance program to accept and manage digital x-rays. This paper highlights the functional and security requirements for a digital image management system for a surveillance program. It also identifies the operational differences between a digital imaging surveillance network and a clinical Picture Archiving Communication Systems (PACS) or teleradiology system.

Terrestrial carbon disturbance from mountaintop mining increases lifecycle emissions for clean coal

The Southern Appalachian forest region of the U.S.--a region responsible for 23% of U.S. coal production--has 24 billion metric tons of high quality coal remaining of which mountaintop coal mining (MCM) will be the primary extraction method. Here we consider greenhouse gas emissions associated with MCM terrestrial disturbance in the life-cycle of coal energy production. We estimate disturbed forest carbon, including terrestrial soil and nonsoil carbon using published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data of the forest floor removed and U.S. Department of Agriculture--Forest Service inventory data. We estimate the amount of previously buried geogenic organic carbon brought to the soil surface during MCM using published measurements of total organic carbon and carbon isotope data for reclaimed soils, soil organic matter and coal fragments. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the life-cycle emissions of coal production for MCM methods were found to be quite significant when considering the potential terrestrial source. Including terrestrial disturbance in coal life-cycle assessment indicates that indirect emissions are at least 7 and 70% of power plant emissions for conventional and CO(2) capture and sequestration power plants, respectively. To further constrain these estimates, we suggest that the fate of soil carbon and geogenic carbon at MCM sites be explored more widely.

[Exposure to silica dust in coal-mining. Analysis based on measurements made by industrial hygiene laboratories in Poland, 2001-2005]

BACKGROUND

Exposure to dust is associated with a number of activities of the mining industry at every stage of the output process. Crushing machines, paving loaders, drilling blast holes, loading and transportation of excavated material are the major sources of dust emissions. The purpose of this study was to assess occupational exposure to silica dust in the hard and brown coal mines in Poland.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Based on the measurements of inhalable and respirable dust concentrations, performed by industrial hygiene laboratories in various branches of Polish industry from 2001 to 2005, a detailed analysis of exposure to dust in the all operating coal mines was carried out, taking into account specific workposts. Measurements were made according to current standards; the Taverage dust concentrations, degree of dispersion, range of results and the percentage of measurements exceeding occupational hygiene standards by specific workposts were calculated.

RESULTS

The highest concentrations of inhalable (8.25 mg/m3) and respirable (3.11 mg/m3) dusts and the highest percentage of exceedances (74%) were noted in workers of hard coal mines, employed directly in the mining process. In the brown coal mines, slightly lower concentrations were found, and the highest levels of both dust fractions were obtained for workers involved in the transportation of raw material (inhalable dust, 4.13 mg/m3 and respirable dust, 1.02 mg/m3).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to dust in Polish coal mines is still a major problem of industrial hygiene and occupational medicine. Particularly high concentrations of dust, often exceeding the hygiene standards, were found in underground mines at workposts directly related to the output and transport of raw materials and machinery operation.

Assessment of radiological risk factors in the Zonguldak coal mines, Turkey

Radon concentrations in the working sections of the Zonguldak coal mines were determined and activity concentration measurements of natural (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K radionuclides were performed with high resolution passive gamma-ray spectrometry for coal samples collected from these sections. The (222)Rn concentration was found to be between 15 and 78 Bq m(-3), well below the action limit of 1000 Bq m(-3) according to ICRP65. The annual effective dose to miners due to inhalation of radon was determined to be between 60 and 312 microSv. Activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in the coal samples were found to be 13-164, 13-215 and 344-1100 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Radium equivalent activity, dose rate in air and average annual effective dose equivalents were calculated in the range of 66-602 Bq kg(-1), 32-265 nGy h(-1) and 30-244 microSv, respectively. The resultant total annual effective doses can be used to minimise the radiological risk to the coal miners.

[Hygienic assessment of actual nutrition in Kuzbass miners]

The paper deals with nutrition and heath in Kuzbass miners. Studies were conducted in the Berezovskaya and Percomayskaya mines in the town of Berezovsk, Kemerovo Region. The actual nutrition was studied in 500 underground workers, by using a 24-hour reproduction method. The macrostructure of food intake by Kuzbass miners and the density of their daily rations were not shown to be in compliance with hygienic recommendations. This creates prerequisites for inadequate intake of nutrients and biologically active substances. Risks of inadequate provision with essential nutrients and biologically active substances are defined. It is necessary to develop miners' nutrition optimizing measures including hygienic nutrition education.

[Occupational exposure to silica dust by selected sectors of national economy in Poland based on electronic database]

BACKGROUND

To evaluate occupational exposure to dusts, the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, in collaboration with the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, has developed the national database to store the results of routine dust exposure measurements performed by occupational hygiene and environmental protection laboratories in Poland in the years 2001-2005. It was assumed that the collected information will be useful in analyzing workers' exposure to free crystalline silica (WKK)-containing dusts in Poland, identyfing exceeded hygiene standards and showing relevant trends, which illustrate the dynamics of exposure in the years under study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Inhalable and respirable dust measurement using personal dosimetry were done according to polish standard PN-91/Z-04030/05 and PN-91/Z-04030/06. In total, 148 638 measurement records, provided by sanitary inspection services from all over Poland, were entered into the database. The database enables the estimation of occupational exposure to dust by the sectors of national economy, according to the Polish Classification of Activity (PKD) and by kinds of dust.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The highest exposure level of inhalable and respirable dusts was found in coal mining. Also in this sector, almost 60% of surveys demonstrated exceeded current hygiene standards. High concentrations of both dust fractions (inhalable and respirable) and a considerable percentage of measurements exceeding hygiene standards were found in the manufacture of transport equipment (except for cars), as well as in the chemical, mining (rock, sand, gravel, clay mines) and construction industries. The highest percentage of surveys (inhalable and respirable dust) showing exceeded hygiene standards were observed for coal dust with different content of crystalline silica, organic dust containing more than 10% of SiO2, and highly fibrosis dust containing more than 50% of SiO2.

[Physiologic shiftwise evaluation of respiratory system changes in miners engaged into underground coal mining]

Functional shiftwise evaluation of physiologic respiratory parameters was conducted in 166 miners. The conclusion was that each separate occupation has specific requirements.

[Endothelial dysfunction development in miners]

The authors studied vascular endothelium state in coal miners. Findings are lower endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilatation, dysbalance of humoral markers--that prove endothelial dysfunction development and remodelling of vascular wall.

[Hygienic evaluation of work conditions in shift open-cast mining work in North Kazakhstan]

Shift open-cast development and mining take place in Shubarkul coal deposit situated in semidesert with sharply continental climate. Health state and work capacity of the miners are influenced by climate, occupational and social environmental hazards.

Hospitalization patterns associated with Appalachian coal mining

The goal of this study was to test whether the volume of coal mining was related to population hospitalization risk for diseases postulated to be sensitive or insensitive to coal mining by-products. The study was a retrospective analysis of 2001 adult hospitalization data (n = 93,952) for West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, merged with county-level coal production figures. Hospitalization data were obtained from the Health Care Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample. Diagnoses postulated to be sensitive to coal mining by-product exposure were contrasted with diagnoses postulated to be insensitive to exposure. Data were analyzed using hierarchical nonlinear models, controlling for patient age, gender, insurance, comorbidities, hospital teaching status, county poverty, and county social capital. Controlling for covariates, the volume of coal mining was significantly related to hospitalization risk for two conditions postulated to be sensitive to exposure: hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The odds for a COPD hospitalization increased 1% for each 1462 tons of coal, and the odds for a hypertension hospitalization increased 1% for each 1873 tons of coal. Other conditions were not related to mining volume. Exposure to particulates or other pollutants generated by coal mining activities may be linked to increased risk of COPD and hypertension hospitalizations. Limitations in the data likely result in an underestimate of associations.

Feasibility study for a long-term follow-up in a historical cohort of Brazilian coal miners

The first Brazilian historical mortality cohort study on miners was conducted. The cohort consisted of 3224 workers in the underground coal mining industry in southern Brazil. This industry has been operating since 1942 without compliance with any regulatory standards, since there were no relevant national regulations. Over almost 60 years, about 5000 workers were exposed to high levels of radiation. However, later radiation exposure was significantly reduced, particularly that due to radon exposure. Recent radon concentration measurements indicated an average annual exposure to radon progeny of 2.1 WLM, ranging from 0.2 to 7.2 WLM. As radon exposure in the past was unknown, it can be suggested that mine workers have not been working safely as regards the health hazard related to radon and radon progeny exposure. The cohort inclusion criteria are as follows: (a) all male employees who had worked for at least one year at the coal mine; (b) workers with complete workplace information (underground and surface); (c) employment hiring between 1945 and 1997 and (d) the worker must have been alive on 1 January 1979. Through multiple strategies of search it was possible to follow up the members of the cohort with a success rate of 92%. This paper presents the characteristics of the study population and provides information about the feasibility of conducting a retrospective mortality study in Brazil, taking into account the methodological and logistical difficulties of conducting such a study in a developing country.

Occupational fatalities among coal mine workers in Zonguldak, Turkey, 1994–2003

BACKGROUND

Fatal underground coal mine injuries are a worldwide problem. Zonguldak holds 95% of all Turkey's coal reserves.

AIM

To investigate fatalities in the underground coal-mining industry in the Zonguldak province.

METHODS

Retrospective study of fatal underground coal-mining accidents from 1994 to 2003 through evaluation of industry records.

RESULTS

There were 164 deaths available for analysis. The median age was 36 years (range: 14-56 years). Eighty-one fatalities (49%) were due to subsidence, 33 (20%) were due to underground railway accidents and 18 (11%) were due to gas poisoning. Asphyxia was the most common cause of death (99, 60%). The majority of fatalities (144, 87%) occurred instantaneously at the scene of the incident. The remainder (20, 13%) occurred on the way to the hospital or in the emergency room or the intensive care unit.

CONCLUSION

The underground coal-mining industry in Turkey requires strategies to improve safety and reduce the number of fatalities occurring. These strategies should focus on improved underground safety through engineering measures.

[Compression neuropathy of upper limbs in miners]

The authors analyzed prevalence of individual types of upper limb compression neuropathy in miners of coal and iron-ore mines. Medical examination covered main mining occupations exposed to suchhazards as local vibration, cooling microclimate, functional overstrain. Some types of compression neuropathies appeared to depend on duration of exposure to the hazards and on the occupation hands disease stage.

[Immune genetic markers of anthracosilicosis]

Studies of ABO, Rh, MN, rho, Lewis blood groups in coal miners suffering from anthracosilicosis and in reference healthy individuals proved that MM phenotypes are predisposed to anthracosilicosis and MN phenotypes could be resistant to the disease. These results could be valuable for prevention of this occupational disease among coal industry workers.

[State of autonomous nervous system in vibration disease in miners]

The authors diagnosed dysfunction of autonomous vascular system with affected neuromuscular apparatus, with electrophysiologic polymorphism, degree of nerve trunks disorders in miners having concomitant diseases.

[Evaluating risk of morbidity among workers of coal open-cast mines in Kuzbass]

Work conditions on open-cast minest of Kuzbass include complex of unfavorable natural climate, mining technical occupational factors (microclimate, industrial noise, vibration, aerosols, toxic chemicals, hardiness and intensity of work). According to those occupational factors, the authors calculated risks of morbidity and safe length of service.

An epidemiological study of injury in mines: implications for safety promotion

The role of various factors in coal mine-related injuries was investigated using a case-control design. The study setting was two neighbouring underground coal mines in India. Cases comprised mine workers (n = 150) who had sustained a prior mine-related injury from a population of 1000 underground workers. Controls were selected from those mineworkers with no history of a prior mine-related injury using frequency matching (n = 150) from the same source population. Data were collected from the cases and controls using a structured survey questionnaire. Based on the responses of the participants, each factor was grouped into three categories. High-low plots and Chi-square tests were conducted to explore the differences between the cases and controls. Bivariate logistic regression was run to estimate the crude odds of injuries, while multivariate logistic regression estimated the adjusted odds of injuries to the workers for the various variable categories. High-low plots and the Chi-square test clearly revealed that the cases and controls significantly differed in their responses for the variables studied. Accident-involved workers take more risks, are negatively affected, job dissatisfied, feel more production pressure, job stress, work hazards and are less job involved and are more dissatisfied with safety environment and social climate of the mines compared to the controls. The multivariate odds of injuries to high risk taking, negatively affected and job dissatisfied workers are 1.21, 9.34 and 2.00 times more compared to their lowest counterparts. Similarly, workers satisfied with the overall safety practice and safety equipment availability and maintenance are 1.5 and 3.12 times less likely to be injured than the workers with little or no satisfaction with the above factors. It is therefore concluded that negative affectivity and job dissatisfaction are the two major personal level factors that contribute more towards accident/injury in the mines studied. Identification and elimination/reduction of negative attitudes are of utmost importance.

Radon concentration measurements in bituminous coal mines

Radon measurements were carried out in Kozlu, Karadon and Uzülmez underground coal mines of Zonguldak bituminous coal basin in Turkey. Passive-time integrating method, which is the most widely used technique for the measurement of radon concentration in air, was applied by using nuclear etched track detectors (CR-39) in the study area. The radon concentration measurements were performed on a total of 42 points in those three mines. The annual exposure, the annual effective dose and lifetime fatality risk, which are the important parameters for the health of workers, were estimated based on chronic occupational exposure to the radon gas, which is calculated using UNCEAR-2000 and ICRP-65 models. The radon concentrations at several coal production faces are higher than the action level of 1000 Bq m(-3). It is suggested that the ventilation rates should be rearranged to reduce the radon concentration.

Disease and illness in U.S. mining, 1983-2001

OBJECTIVES

We describe inconsistencies in disease and illness reporting in U.S. mining, identify under-reporting of disease and illness in U.S. mining, and summarize selected disease and illness in U.S. mining from 1983 through 2001.

METHODS

We summarized information on mining-related disease and illness data for the years 1983-2001 from the Mining Safety and Health Administration database (MSHA).

RESULTS

Discrepancies exist in types of information collected by the Centers for Disease and Control, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Mining Safety and Health Administration database. Several factors, including a worker's fear of losing his or her job, health insurance, or other job-related benefits contribute to under-reporting of disease and illness information in the US mining industry.

CONCLUSIONS

Since 1997, both number of workers employed in mining and disease and illness rates have decreased; however, the highest disease and illness rates in mining continue to be coal worker's pneumoconiosis and hearing loss.

[Occupational morbidity of coal miners]

The legal basis and occupational morbidity of coal miners are discussed for different Russia's regions under the conditions of the market reform. The legal basis was shown as not ensuring the regulated mutual assistance between employee and employer in cases, when the initial signs of an occupational disease are detected.