Some investigations into the nature and cause of massive fibrosis (MF) in the lungs of South African gold, coal, and asbestos mine workers

Samples from fibrotic lung lesions greater than 1 cm in diameter macroscopically (by definition, massive fibrosis; MF) were taken from the lungs of 9 randomly selected post-mortem cases of mine workers all showing a background of a pneumoconiosis. These samples were studied histologically, biochemically, and by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. As controls for the biochemical and X-ray diffraction investigations, nonfibrosed lung tissue was taken from the same specimens. The findings suggest that the higher quartz content may be the primary cause responsible for the MF formation in this series of cases, while other factors such as tuberculosis may play a part according to some relevant literature on MF. Although an area of MF appears macroscopically to be a solid lesion, on microscopy this is not the case and the lesion is composed of dense and sparse collagen bundles and cellular elements.     

Case-control study of silicosis, silica exposure, and lung cancer in white South African gold miners

A case-control study was undertaken to assess the association between lung cancer and silicosis or silica dust exposure in white South African gold miners. Cases and controls were identified from deaths reported to the Gold Miners Provident Fund for the period January, 1979-October, 1983. Two controls were matched to each case by year of birth (+/- 2 years) and by smoking (+/- 5 cigarettes or equivalents per day) assessed 10 years (+/- 2 years) prior to death. One hundred thirty-three matched triplets were identified. The results showed no overall association between lung cancer and radiological silicosis (OR = 1.08, p = 0.92). Autopsy data indicated no overall associations between lung cancer and silicosis of the lung parenchyma (OR = 1.49, p = 0.11), the pleura (OR = 0.72, p = 0.30), or the hilar glands (OR = 0.85, p = 0.72). A trend toward increased severity of silicosis of the parenchyma was evident; however, this was not statistically significant (p = 0.08). Odds ratios for lung cancer and silicosis were higher at lower levels of cumulative silica dust exposure (ORs = 2.43, 1.72, 1.35 and 0.62 for lung cancer and autopsy silicosis of the parenchyma for the lowest, second, third, and highest quartiles of dust exposure, respectively; all p greater than 0.05). Cases did not differ from controls for total silica dust exposure, length of exposure, weighted average intensity of exposure, or number of shifts at high dust (all p greater than 0.20). The data do not support the hypothesis of a carcinogenic role for silica dust and no statistically significant associations were found between lung cancer and silicosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

吸烟在云锡矿工肺癌发病中的作用

本文以1975-1984年为时段,对云南锡业公司所属六个单位工人进行了吸烟情况的调查分析。结果表明,吸烟者的肺癌发病率是非吸烟者的3.65倍。吸烟者的SMR为29.41;非吸烟者为8.42。无论吸烟程度如何,其发病、死亡都是有井下史者高于无井下史者。吸烟与职业性因素的复合作用是:吸烟+井下>单纯井下>单纯吸烟>非吸烟无井下史者。     

淮南地区矿工幽门螺杆菌vacA、cagA基因分布特征

[目的]研究淮南地区煤矿工人幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacterpylori,H.pylori)vacA、cagA基因分布特征。[方法]选择经胃镜及病理组织检查诊断证实有相关胃、十二指肠疾病的349名矿工为研究对象,取其胃窦部活检黏膜作H.pylori的分离培养,利用聚合酶链反应技术(PCR)测定分离培养出H.pylori菌株的vacA、cagA基因,并进行分型。[结果]349份样本中共分离培养出244株H.pylori菌株,其中慢性胃炎、萎缩性胃炎、胃溃疡及十二指肠溃疡幽门螺杆菌培养阳性率分别为61.61%(69/112)、61.54%(48/78)、75%(72/96)及87.30%(55/63);基因测定结果显示,244株H.pylori菌株临床分离株中,84.84%(207/244)含vacA基因,73.36%(179/244)含cagA基因;其中慢性胃炎、萎缩性胃炎、胃溃疡及十二指肠溃疡cagA、vacA基因检出率分别为66.67%(46/69)、50.72%(35/69)、85.42%(41/48)和70.83%(34/48)与93.06%(67/72)、84.72%(61/72)、96.36%(53/55)和89.09%(49/55),4种疾病间差异均具显著性(P<0.01)。进一步分型发现,慢性胃炎、萎缩性胃炎,胃溃疡及十二指肠溃疡患者中vacA 、cagA 分别为44.93%(31/69)、66.67%(32/48)、79.17%(57/72)、87.27%(48/55),差异具显著性(χ2=30.80,P<0.01)。vacA 、cagA 菌株主要多见于损害较严重的胃黏膜表面,如萎缩性炎症、炎性坏死等,23例腺体不典型增生的胃黏膜表面均为vacA 、cagA 菌株。[结论]淮南地区矿工H.pylori感染多为vacA 、cagA 菌株,vacA 、cagA H.pylori菌株为高毒力菌株,且与较严重的胃黏膜病理改变有关,可能是导致矿工慢性胃炎、消化性溃疡的重要因素,临床应充分重视H.pylori菌株毒力因子的监测。     

煤矿井下矿工酒精所致心理障碍的研究

目的:探讨煤矿井下矿工酒精所致心理障碍的现状及影响因素。方法:将井下及地面共239例矿工分为研究组和对照组采用密西根酒精依赖调查表、饮酒问卷、社会支持评定量表、生活满意度量表进行问卷调查。结果:1井下矿工的饮酒量表总分、饮酒等级、酒精依赖显著高于地面矿工(P0.001);2以井下矿工的饮酒量平均分数为因变量,一般人口学特征(年龄、井下工龄、有否配偶、文化程度)、社会支持4个维度和生活满意度为自变量进行逐步回归分析,社会支持的4个维度、生活满意度和文化程度进入回归方程,联合解释变异系数为0.332;以井下矿工酒精依赖平均分数为因变量,一般人口学特征(包括年龄、井下工龄、有否配偶、文化程度)、生活满意度和社会支持4个维度为自变量进行逐步回归分析,生活满意度、社会支持的4个维度和文化程度进入回归方程,其联合解释变异系数为0.250。结论:井下矿工"问题饮酒"及酒精依赖较井上矿工严重,需积极引导矿工健康生活方式,提高保健知识的认知水平,减少"问题饮酒"和酒精所致心理障碍的发生。     

煤矿工人工伤所致精神障碍赔偿行为分析

目的探讨煤矿工人工伤与非工伤精神障碍赔偿行为。方法采用自拟的煤矿工人工伤后及非工伤精神障碍待遇调查表对75例工伤和80例非工伤精神障碍矿工进行精神残疾鉴定后的赔偿行为进行对比分析。结果工伤组70.7%尚能胜任工作的患者中重返工作岗位者只有4.0%,76%长期住院或多次住院的患者中有29.3%的患者长期假出院在家;诈病率显著高于非工伤组,1～3级精神残疾率显著低于非工伤组（P〈0.01）;工伤组患者有意扩大病情的比例显著高于非工伤组,医疗费用及工资待遇显著优于非工伤组。结论煤矿工人工伤后有严重的赔偿行为;工人价值观、道德标准低,工作劳动强度大,卫生条件差,危险性大,矿区对工伤待遇优厚等是赔偿行为产生的主要原因。     

合川区煤矿工人职业病防治知识知晓调查分析

目的了解合川区煤矿工人的人群特征和对职业病防治知识知晓情况,评价《职业病防治法》实施以来职业病健康促进工作对煤矿工人的影响,为今后进一步加强职业病防治健康教育和健康促进提供科学依据。方法使用统一设计的调查问卷对合川辖区内煤矿生产企业在岗的从业人员进行了抽样调查。结果绝大多数煤矿工人的文化程度为文盲或小学,对职业病防治知识知晓少,获取职业病防治知识的主要途径是人际传播。结论应将煤矿工人作为重点人群进行宣传教育,将职业病防治知识及相关政策作为重点内容,提高煤矿工人的职业病防治意识。     

Bell miner associated dieback: nutrient cycling and herbivore crown damage in Eucalyptus propinqua

Various interactions appear to be involved in bell miner associated dieback (BMAD) of eucalypts. Native bell miner birds (Manorina melanophrys) defend the psyllids from predation by other birds while a dense understorey (notably Lantana camara) appears to favour the bell miners. The understory is likely to influence soil nutrient availability to the trees by changing the carbon to nitrogen ratio. We investigated the link between soil and leaf nutrient status and crown health as measured by crown index (CI) for Eucalyptus propinqua. Study sites included Bald Knob State Forest (SF), Donaldson SF, Mt Lindesay SF around Woodenbong and two locations on a Toonumbar private property in north-eastern New South Wales. Comparison of E. propinqua leaf macro- and micronutrient status using the ‘paired data sign test’ detected leaf nutrient differences between lightly and severely BMAD-affected tree crowns. Single and multivariate analysis investigated nutrient association with CI. Sign test results across all sites indicated that leaf iron content in trees with low CI (less healthy trees) was significantly higher (P = 0.01) than in healthy trees. In the three SFs the affected crowns also had significantly higher nitrogen to potassium ratios (P = 0.02). Other elements correlated with low CI were low boron (P = 0.06) across all sites and high zinc (P = 0.09) and low sodium values (P = 0.09) for Toonumbar sites. The correlation between soil and leaf nutrients was not significant and we found no significant correlations between soil nutrients and CIs. We did not detect any clear association between understorey (L. camara) and soil nutrients. During leaf sampling we found few psyllids but many concealer moth caterpillars. The scarcity of psyllids during sampling, inconclusive nutrient cycling results and nutrient correlations with CI were likely to be due to drought. Resampling under normal weather conditions with more typical organic matter decomposition rates is recommended.     

The risk of heat exhaustion at a deep underground metalliferous mine in relation to surface temperatures

The risk of heat exhaustion at a deep underground metalliferous mine was assessed in relation to thermal conditions prevailing on the surface. For each day of a 1-year prospective case series of heat exhaustion, surface 24-h mean wet and dry bulb temperatures were recorded. From this data, 24-h mean wet bulb globe temperatures were derived using certain assumptions. The three surface temperature variables were significantly higher on those days on which heat exhaustion occurred, compared to those days on which it did not occur (P < 0.001). The relative risk of heat exhaustion on days when the 24-h mean wet bulb globe temperature was in the range 26.0-28.0 degrees C was 4.82 (95% confidence interval 2.12-10.96). Surface temperature data could be used at this mine to warn miners about the risk of heat exhaustion.     

有色金属矿中氡及其子体浓度与评价

本文报告了1986～1988年福建省宁化钨矿、福安钼矿和连城铅锌矿中氡及其于体浓度调查结果。在三个矿井申氡子体α潜能浓度以宁化钨矿为最高,平均值达4.26×10~(-5)J·m~(-3),比国家标准限值约高出4.5倍;钼矿和铅锌矿氡子体α潜能浓度分别为3.20×10~(-7)J·m~(-3)和5.94×10~(-7)J·m~(-3)。估计了三个矿各工种矿工肺部所受氡子体α潜能年暴露量以及终生肺癌危险度,并将其结果与国内外文献资料作了比较。