COAL WORKERS’ PNEUMOCONIOSIS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LIGNITE AND HARD COAL MINE WORKERS

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 3, 497 - 505, 20.10.2022

Gülden Sarı

https://doi.org/10.35232/estudamhsd.1127594

Öz

Physical and chemical properties of coal and its relationship with coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) have been studied previously. However definitive conclusions have not been reached, primarily due to the complex nature of coal mine dust. It remains unclear exactly which properties of coal mine dust related to the grade of coal cause differences in the exposure–response relationship. The aim of the study is to identify the coal mine environmental factors, and personal factors affecting the severity of CWP. This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study and included total of 116 coal mine workers diagnosed as CWP in a tertiary hospital between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2021. Of the cases, 77 (66.4%) worked in a hard coal mine and 39 (33.6%) worked in a lignite mine, and mean age was 60.2 ± 11.5 years. There was a significantly higher prevalence of concomitant pulmonary disease in hard coal mine workers compared to lignite mine workers (p= 0.005). In addition, the prevalence of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) was higher in hard coal mine workers compared to lignite mine workers, and a statistically significant difference was found (p= 0.004). The value of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were significantly lower in hard coal mine workers than in lignite mine workers (p= 0.005, p= 0.002). As a conclusion, concomitant lung disease, presence of PMF and impairment in lung functions, which are important causes of mortality and morbidity for CWP, were found to be more common in hard coal mine workers than in lignite mine workers. Therefore, taking into account the type of coal mine while making protective arrangements to prevent pneumoconiosis in coal mines may contribute to reduce the burden of CWP.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Pneumoconiosis, coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, hard coal mine, lignite mine

Kömür İşçisi Pnömokonyozu: Linyit ve taşkömürü madeni işçilerinin karşılaştırılmalı analizi

Öz

Kömürün fiziksel ve kimyasal özellikleri ile kömür işçisi pnömokonyozu (KİP) gelişimi arasındaki ilişki daha önce incelenmiştir. Ancak, özelikle kömür madeni tozunun karmaşık yapısı nedeniyle kesin sonuçlara ulaşılamamıştır. Kömürün derecesi ile ilgili olarak kömür madeni tozunun hangi özelliklerinin doz-cevap ilişkisinde farklılıklara neden olduğuna dair bilgi halen belirsizliğini korumaktadır. Bu çalışmada KİP ağırlığını etkileyen, kömür madeni ortam özelliklerini ve kişisel faktörleri belirlemek amaçlanmıştır. Çalışma retrospektif kesitsel bir çalışma olup 1 Ocak 2014 ile 31 Aralık 2021 tarihleri arasında üçüncü basamak bir sağlık kuruluşunda KİP tanısı alan toplam 116 kömür madeni işçisi çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Olguların 77'si (%66,4) taşkömürü madeninde, 39'u (%33,6) linyit madeninde çalışmakta olup yaş ortalaması 60.2 ± 11.5 idi. Taşkömürü madeni işçilerinde linyit madeni işçilerine kıyasla eşlik eden akciğer hastalığı önemli ölçüde daha yüksek saptandı (p= 0.005). Taşkömürü madeni işçilerinde linyit madeni işçilerine kıyasla progresif masif fibrozis (PMF) prevelansı yüksek olup istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark saptandı (p= 0.004). FEV1 ve FEV1/FVC değerleri taşkömürü madeni işçilerinde linyit madeni işçilerine göre daha düşüktü (p= 0.005, p= 0.002). Sonuç olarak KİP için önemli mortalite ve morbidite nedenlerinden olan, eşlik eden akciğer hastalığı, PMF varlığı ve akciğer fonksiyonlarında bozukluk taşkömürü madeni işçilerinde linyit madeni işçilerine göre daha fazla saptanmıştır. Bu nedenle, kömür madenlerinde pnömokonyozu önlemeye yönelik koruyucu düzenlemeler yapılırken, kömür madeni türünin de dikkate alınması, KİP yükünün azaltılmasına katkı sağlayabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Pnömokonyoz, kömür işçisi pnömokonyozu, taşkömürü madeni, linyit madeni

Kaynakça

• 1. Torres Rey CH, Ibañez Pinilla M, Briceño Ayala L, Checa Guerrero DM, Morgan Torres G, Groot de Restrepo H, et al. Underground coal mining: relationship between coal dust levels and pneumoconiosis, in two regions of Colombia, 2014. BioMed research international. 2015;2015.
• 2. Cohen RAC, Patel A, Green FHY, editors. Lung disease caused by exposure to coal mine and silica dust2008: © Thieme Medical Publishers.
• 3. Centers for Disease C, Prevention. Pneumoconiosis and advanced occupational lung disease among surface coal miners--16 states, 2010-2011. MMWR Morbidity and mortality weekly report. 2012;61(23):431-4.
• 4. Pingle S. Occupational safety and health in India: now and the future. Industrial health. 2012;50(3):167-71.
• 5. Oyunbileg S, Wang JD, Sumberzul N, Chang YY, Erdenchimeg E. Health impact of pneumoconiosis in Mongolia: estimation of losses in life expectancy and quality adjusted life expectancy. American journal of industrial medicine. 2011;54(4):285-92.
• 6. Mo J, Wang L, Au W, Su M. Prevalence of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis in China: A systematic analysis of 2001–2011 studies. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 2014;217(1):46-51.
• 7. Swaen G, Meijers J, Slangen J. Risk of gastric cancer in pneumoconiotic coal miners and the effect of respiratory impairment. Occupational and environmental medicine. 1995;52(9):606-10.
• 8. Laney AS, Weissman DN. Respiratory diseases caused by coal mine dust. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine/American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2014;56(0 10):S18.
• 9. Go LH, Krefft SD, Cohen RA, Rose CS. Lung disease and coal mining: what pulmonologists need to know. Current opinion in pulmonary medicine. 2016;22(2):170-8.
• 10. Castranova V, Vallyathan V. Silicosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Environmental health perspectives. 2000;108(suppl 4):675-84.
• 11. Page SJ, Organiscak JA. Suggestion of a cause-and-effect relationship among coal rank, airborne dust, and incidence of workers’ pneumoconiosis. Aihaj. 2000;61(6):785-7.
• 12. Dalal NS, Newman J, Pack D, Leonard S, Vallyathan V. Hydroxyl radical generation by coal mine dust: possible implication to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP). Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 1995;18(1):11-20.
• 13. ErbİLen SÜ, Şahin G. ENERJİ COĞRAFYASI KAPSAMINDA TÜRKİYE’DE LİNYİT. Doğu Coğrafya Dergisi. 2015;20(33):135-60.
• 14. Attfield MD, Seixas NS. Prevalence of pneumoconiosis and its relationship to dust exposure in a cohort of US bituminous coal miners and ex‐miners. American journal of industrial medicine. 1995;27(1):137-51.
• 15. Hurley JF, Maclaren WM. Dust-related risks of radiological changes in coal miners over a 40-year working life: report on work commissioned by NIOSH,(National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health). Technical memo. 1987.
• 16. Dalal NS, Jafari B, Petersen M, Green FHY, Vallyathan V. Presence of stable coal radicals in autopsied coal miners' lungs and its possible correlation to coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal. 1991;46(6):366-72.
• 17. Dalai NS, Suryan MM, Jafari B, Shi X, Vallyathan V, Green FHY, editors. Electron spin resonance detection of reactive free radicals in fresh coal dust and quartz dust and its implications to pneumoconiosis and silicosis1986.
• 18. Page SJ. Relationships between electrostatic charging characteristics, moisture content, and airborne dust generation for subbituminous and bituminous coals. Aerosol Science & Technology. 2000;32(4):249-67.
• 19. Melandri C, Tarroni G, Prodi V, De Zaiacomo T, Formignani M, Lombardi CC. Deposition of charged particles in the human airways. Journal of Aerosol Science. 1983;14(5):657-69.
• 20. Srikanth R, Zhao R, Ramani RV. Relationships between coal properties and respirable dust generation potential. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc., Littleton, CO (United …; 1995.
• 21. Hamilton RJ, Knight G. Laboratory experiments on dust suppression with broken coal: Mining Research Establishment; 1957.
• 22. Soutar CA, Hurley JF, Miller BG, Cowie HA, Buchanan D. Dust concentrations and respiratory risks in coalminers: key risk estimates from the British Pneumoconiosis Field Research. Occupational and environmental medicine. 2004;61(6):477-81.
• 23. Prasad SK, Singh S, Bose A, Prasad B, Banerjee O, Bhattacharjee A, et al. Association between duration of coal dust exposure and respiratory impairment in coal miners of West Bengal, India. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. 2021;27(3):794-804.