Skip to main content

Pneumoconiosis

According to the American Lung Association (ALA), pneumoconiosis is any lung disease caused by inhalation of dust that has been deposited into the lungs. It is frequently called “Black Lung Disease” due to it being common among coal miners and also known as an occupational disease. Its symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath. Unfortunately, there are currently no specific treatments or medications for this disease.

Pneumoconiosis has been publicly known since the 1950s, but it was not well understood. The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 provided standards for reduced coal dust and developed the Black Lung Disability Trust. A 1995 publication from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided recommendations for acceptable limits for coal dust exposure.  Coal mining has exhibited significant change, evidenced by the notable reduction of deaths from 29,000 people in 1990 to 25,000 in 2013. 

Although deaths have been reduced, the number remains high. In 2014, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) implemented the respirable dust rule to better protect US coal miners from the inhalation of coal mine dust, and reduce the likelihood of developing pneumoconiosis. Revised MSHA regulations were implemented in 2016 to lower dust concentrations to 1.5 mg/m3 on surface and in underground mines, as well as exposure by miners who seemed to be developing the disease. Furthermore, industry compliance is maintained through Continuous Personal Dust Monitor (CPDM) certification every 3 years.

MSHA and NIOSH also monitor publications about the disease and coal dust exposure, which demonstrate a growing library of research. This is indicative of our improved knowledge about the subject and that the data can further inform research, learning, and policy development to protect workers in the coal mining business. 

Comments

  1. JudyJudeNovember 2, 2018 at 4:42 PM

    Although there is much work to be done in bring awareness on Black Lung Disease, NIOSH is headed in the right direction by reducing the number of deaths and better protecting coal miners.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Antonio SorianoNovember 10, 2018 at 7:00 PM

    Thank you for sharing information on Black Lung Disease, the really interesting fact is the estimated cost of this disease. In the infographic, it indicates that this is a $45 billion problem. That is such an astounding price!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pesticides

Using the “What’s on my food” website, I searched the general food items which comprised the previous night’s dinner: chicken breast, rice, green beans, and water. My search began with mild results, but became progressively worse as I went to the next food item. Chicken breast was found to have 7 pesticide residues; 2 presenting with developmental or reproductive toxins. Rice was found to have 15 residues, with 10 suspected hormone disruptors. Green beans had 44 residues; 21 of which were suspected hormone disruptors and 11 were neurotoxins. For water, there were 14 suspected hormone disruptors and 9 developmental or reproductive toxins among the 59 residues found. These findings are nothing to be proud of, but it made me realize how our diet greatly impacts our overall health. Although the general population may be working towards a well-balanced diet, the food items they consume—no matter how “healthy”—are actually causing internal chaos as the pesticide residues wrea...
2 comments
Read more

Tap Water Campaign: #BackToTap

The daily recommendation for water intake is 8-11 glasses each day. It is detrimental to human health to have access to drinkable water because if not, then the body will become dehydrated and thus reducing its regular functions. If I were to develop a campaign to encourage nationwide use of tap water, I would call it #BackToTap. Prior to the rise of bottled water, people survived sufficiently with water from the tap. So, let’s get #BackToTap and use bottles for repeated use. If people go #BackToTap, we reduce the manufactured demand for bottled water, which help to also reduce plastic waste. This will also encourage consumers to fill their reusable bottles with the amount they can drink. This campaign will benefit many aspects of environmental health from waste reduction and water conservation. Join me in the fight for #BackToTap!
2 comments
Read more

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and involvement of everyone regardless of race, nationality, color, or income as they pertain to environmental law development, implementation, and enforcement. At the People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, the 17 principles of environmental justice were created which helped to environmental justice and ways people can attain it. Environmental justice can be connected with the “Black Lives Matter” movement because both emphasize the fair and equal treatment of people, but obviously the movement in question particularly fights for Black rights. Another connection is evidenced by the article in Atlanta Black Star, which demonstrated that Black communities are vulnerable populations due to their race/ethnicity being historically being in the lower income bracket. Playing a role here are the social determinants of health which include: economic stability, education, social and community context, health and healthcare, an...
2 comments
Read more