280686
Pneumoconiosis, respirable dust, and silica exposures in young United States underground coal miners – ecological trends, 1982-2009
Janet Hale, BS
,
NIOSH/DRDS, CDC/NIOSH, Morgantown, WV
John Wood, MS
,
Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety, Morgantown, WV
Anita Wolfe, BS
,
Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV
A. Scott Laney, PhD
,
Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV
Edward Petsonk, MD
,
MS-HG900.2, CDC/NIOSH/DRDS, Morgantown, WV
Eileen Storey, MD, MPH
,
Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, CDC - NIOSH, Morgantown, WV
RATIONALE: Health surveillance data for U.S. coal miners demonstrate a recent reversal of long-term declines in the prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Studies have documented geographic clustering and rapid disease progression in young miners. METHODS: Data were derived from the NIOSH Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), 1982¨C2009. CWP and PMF were defined by two or more NIOSH-certified "B" readers, applying the International Labour Office Classification system. Prevalence of CWP and PMF were compared with mean concentrations of respirable coal and silica dust and mean percentage of silica using 153,092 respirable dust samples analyzed for quartz, in 5-yr intervals, by mine size and mining region (KY, VA, and WV vs. all other states). RESULTS: Among 56,252 underground coal miners (age ≤50 years at radiograph acquisition), 1196 cases of CWP (2.13%) and 75 cases of PMF (0.13%) were identified. Prevalence of CWP and PMF increased with age and mining tenure. Variations in the percentage of silica were in the same direction as the pneumoconiosis prevalence. Five-year means of the percentage silica were consistently higher in small mines (less 50 employees) and in KY, VA, and WV. CONCLUSIONS: Dust sampling done by MSHA inspectors in U.S. underground coal mines demonstrated elevations in silica percentage that were concordant with the trends in prevalence of PMF among younger miners in KY, VA, and WV. Among dust measurements by MSHA inspectors, percentage of silica may best reflect exposure relevant to PMF.
Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety
Program planning
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related education
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate a recent reversal of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP).
Analyze health survellance data for U.S. underground coal miners.
Identify geographic clustering of CWP and progressive massice fibrosis (PMF).
Define dust exposure measurements that relevant to CWP and PMF.
Keywords: Workplace Safety, Occupational Surveillance
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Funded by NIOSH, no conflicts of interest declared. There is no financial, professional, or personal nature exists that would potentially bias the program reviewer, presenter, speaker, discussant, respondent, faculty because it may have an impact on the content of an educational activity.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
Register for the meeting now