An investigation into the relationship between coal workers' pneumoconiosis and dust exposure in U. S. coal miners

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15298669291360012· OSTI ID:7080651

Attfield, M D; Morring, K ^[1]

---

1. Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV (United States)

The National Study of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (NSCWP) is a large, continuing epidemiologic study of the respiratory health of U.S. coal miners. By using information from the study, prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) was related to indexes of dust exposure obtained from research and compliance sampling data. Clear relationships between prevalences of both simple CWP and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) and estimated dust exposure were seen. Additional effects independently associated with coal rank (% carbon) and age were also seen. Logistic model fitting indicated that between 2% and 12% of miners exposed to a 2-mg/m3 dust environment in bituminous coal mines would be expected to have Category 2 or greater CWP after a 40-yr working life; PMF would be expected for between 1.3% and 6.7%. The risks for anthracite miners appeared to be greater. There was a suggestion of a background level of abnormality, not associated with dust exposure, but increasing with age. Although there are certain weaknesses in the data used to derive these exposure estimates, the results are in general agreement with, but somewhat greater than, some recent findings for British coal miners.

• OSTI ID: 7080651
• Journal Information: American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal; (United States), Vol. 53:8; ISSN 0002-8894
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
COAL MINING
HEALTH HAZARDS
PNEUMOCONIOSES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
COAL MINERS
DUSTS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
ANIMALS
DISEASES
HAZARDS
MAMMALS
MAN
MINERS
MINING
PERSONNEL
PRIMATES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
VERTEBRATES
010600* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Properties & Composition
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology