Respirable dust exposures in U. S. surface coal mines (1982-1986)

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Archives of Environmental Health; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1990.9940803· OSTI ID:6539255

Piacitelli, G M; Amandus, H E; Dieffenbach, A ^[1]

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1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV (USA)

Exposure of miners to respirable coal mine dust and to respirable quartz silica at surface coal mines in the United States during 1982-1986 were evaluated by job category using data collected by coal mine operators and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors. Average coal mine dust concentrations were usually well below the MSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for all job categories, but at least 10% of the samples obtained from some coal preparation plant job areas and most drilling job areas had concentrations that exceeded the 2.0 mg/m3 limit. In contrast, a very high proportion of samples from surface mine driller areas exceeded the quartz PEL. Of all samples collected for highwall drill operators and helpers, 78% and 77%, respectively, were greater than the 0.1 mg/m3 quartz exposure limit (average concentrations were .32 and .36 mg/m3, respectively). Although MSHA compliance data may not be entirely adequate for assessing chronic exposure to quartz, these data and the results of other NIOSH studies nonetheless indicate excessive exposure to silica in a group of surface coal miners.

• OSTI ID: 6539255
• Journal Information: Archives of Environmental Health; (USA), Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Health; (USA) Vol. 45:4; ISSN AEHLA; ISSN 0003-9896
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
CHALCOGENIDES
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
COAL MINERS
COAL MINING
DUSTS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
MINERALS
MINERS
MINING
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
SAFETY STANDARDS
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
STANDARDS
SURFACE MINING