Improving protection against respirable dust at an underground crusher booth

A longitudinal self-report diary study of SBS cases and controls identified from buildingwide surveys of 4 office buildings is described. Self-report diaries were distributed to a total of 214 workers in the 4 buildings, and complete returns were obtained for 123 workers (57% return rate). Climate conditions (CO, CO2, formaldehyde, respirable dust mass (PM3.5) and particulate counts (0.3 μm, 0.5 μm, 1 μm, 5 μm), settled dust, air temperature, %RH, illuminance) were measured at each workstation. Ergonomic factors (observed work posture, office type, desk paper coverage, desk clutter, computer, mouse, keyboard tray, age of chair, chair arms, and plants, were measured at each workstation. Results showed no differences in prevailing climate conditions measured at case/control workstations. However, case reports of symptoms and environment conditions generally were worse than those for controls, and these reports showed periodicity, peaking late each day. The differences between reports by cases and controls generally remained consistent throughout the duration of the study.

Download Full-text

Coal mine dust lung disease in miners killed in the Upper Big Branch disaster: a review of lung pathology and contemporary respirable dust levels in underground US coal mines

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2021-107694 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. oemed-2021-107694

Author(s):

Leonard H T Go ◽

Francis H Y Green ◽

Jerrold L Abraham ◽

Andrew Churg ◽

Edward L Petsonk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Tissue ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Coal Mines ◽

Regulatory Compliance ◽

Respirable Dust ◽

Lung Pathology ◽

Histopathological Findings ◽

Exposure Limit ◽

Underground Coal Mines ◽

The Usa

ObjectivesIn 2010, 29 coal miners died due to an explosion at the Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine in West Virginia, USA. Autopsy examinations of 24 individuals with evaluable lung tissue identified 17 considered to have coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP). The objectives of this study were to characterise histopathological findings of lung tissue from a sample of UBB fatalities and better understand the respirable dust concentrations experienced by these miners at UBB relative to other US coal mines.MethodsOccupational pulmonary pathologists evaluated lung tissue specimens from UBB fatalities for the presence of features of pneumoconiosis. Respirable dust and quartz samples submitted for regulatory compliance from all US underground coal mines prior to the disaster were analysed.ResultsFamilies of seven UBB fatalities provided consent for the study. Histopathologic evidence of CWP was found in all seven cases. For the USA, central Appalachia and UBB, compliance dust samples showed the geometric mean for respirable dust was 0.468, 0.420 and 0.518 mg/m3, respectively, and respirable quartz concentrations were 0.030, 0.038 and 0.061 mg/m3. After adjusting for quartz concentrations, UBB exceeded the US permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable dust in 28% of samples.ConclusionsAlthough higher than average respirable dust and quartz levels were observed at UBB, over 200 US underground coal mines had higher dust concentrations than UBB and over 100 exceeded the PEL more frequently. Together with lung histopathological findings among UBB fatalities, these data suggest exposures leading to CWP in the USA are more prevalent than previously understood.

Download Full-text

Möglichkeit zur Umrechnung der Konzentration von einatembarem in alveolengängigen Staub/Means of converting the concentration of inhalable to respirable dust

Gefahrstoffe ◽

10.37544/0949-8036-2019-09-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 79 (09) ◽

pp. 303-311

Author(s):

C. Wippich ◽

D. Koppisch ◽

D. Breuer

Keyword(s):

Respirable Dust

Zur Bestimmung möglicher Umrechnungsfunktionen der Konzentration von einatembarem (E-Staub) in alveolengängigen Staub (A-Staub) wurden 15 120 Parallelmessungen aus der Expositionsdatenbank MEGA des Instituts für Arbeitsschutz der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (IFA) mithilfe der Regressionsanalyse untersucht. E-Staub ist die wichtigste Prediktorvariable und zeigt ein nach der Anzahl der Messpaare korrigiertes Bestimmtheitsmaß (adj. R2) von 0,585. Unter Berücksichtigung von Tätigkeit und Material ist es möglich, systematisch unabhängige Gruppen zu bilden. Außerdem wird durch die Kombination dieser beiden Variablen die beste Beschreibung des Datensatzes erreicht (Heißverarbeitung mit metallstaub-dominiertem Material; adj. R² = 0,706). Mithilfe einer „Trial & Error“- Auswertung können außerdem sieben spezifische, heuristische Gruppen erstellt werden, die für ausgewählte Tätigkeiten und Materialien gelten (adj. R² zwischen 0,733 und 0,835): Löten, Gießen, Schweißen, Hochtemperaturschneiden, Strahlen, Meißeln/Bossieren/Stemmen und Drahtziehen. Alle Umrechnungsfunktionen sind Potenzfunktionen mit Exponenten zwischen 0,454 und 0,946. Daraus folgt, dass aus den vorliegenden Daten generell kein linearer Zusammenhang zwischen A- und E-Staub-Konzentration angenommen werden kann.

Download Full-text