Incidence of chronic bronchitis in coal miners

An epidemiological survey of 2000 Donbass coal miners revealed data on the initial dust bronchitis prevalence and its progress. It was established that the coal miners who work in mines with steep coal strata exhibit higher bronchitis morbidity in comparison with the miners engaged in sloping strata mines. A correlation was established between dust bronchitis prevalence and length of professional service and coal miners' labour specificity. Tobacco smokers displayed a markedly higher percentage of chronic dust bronchitis cases.     

Contrasting geographical distribution of mortality from pneumoconiosis and chronic bronchitis and emphysema in British coal miners.

To explore whether the characteristics of coal mine dust that predispose to chronic airways obstruction are the same as those associated with pneumoconiosis, mortality from the two disease was compared in coal miners in 22 counties of England and Wales during 1979-80 and 1982-90. The proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) for coal workers' pneumoconiosis varied from 135 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 16-488) in Leicestershire to 3825 (95% CI 1538-7881) in South Glamorgan. The PMRs for chronic bronchitis and emphysema were consistently higher than those in other occupations, but showed much less geographical variation and did not correlate geographically with those for pneumoconiosis. These findings indicate that the pathogenetic mechanisms by which coal mine dust causes chronic bronchitis and emphysema depend on different features of the dust from those producing pneumoconiosis. Also, they suggest that current social security regulations in Britain, which require evidence of pneumoconiosis as a condition of compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema in coal miners, may discriminate unfairly against claimants from some regions.     

煤矿工人慢性胃炎流行病学调查研究

目的探讨煤矿井下工人慢性胃炎的患病现状及患病的危险性因素。方法对617名男性煤矿井下矿工采用单纯随机抽样问卷方法进行慢性胃炎相关症状调查,根据症状决定进行胃镜检查。结果肥城矿区井下作业工人慢性胃炎患病率为30.79%,矿区附近一般人群患病率为16.37%。两组患病率差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。井下作业环境、口服非甾体抗炎药、心理障碍、不良生活习惯是患病的危险性因素。结论慢性胃炎已成为矿井下煤矿工人常见的疾病,应积极改善工作环境以及生活习惯。     

Chronic bronchitis in ex-coal miners working in the steel industry

Lowe, C. R., and Khosla, T. (1972).Brit. J. industr. Med.,29, 45-49. Chronic bronchitis in ex-coal miners working in the steel industry. Data are presented comparing ventilatory capacity and prevalence of chronic bronchitis in 3 012 ex-coal miners and 9 361 non-miners of similar age and social class, all employed at the time of the investigation in two intergrated steel works in South Wales.     

乡镇煤矿工人生产环境与其皮肤病的相关性调查

目的调查煤矿工人皮肤病的患病情况,探讨煤矿作业工人的生产环境等因素与其皮肤病的相关性。方法选取淄博市102家乡镇煤矿的4516名煤矿职工作为调查对象,按工种分为采掘组和辅助工组,采掘组包括采煤工和掘进工,共3326名；辅助工组包括电工、安全员、绞车司机、井口工、司磅员等,共1190名。对全部调查对象进行皮肤专科检查,并进行两组之间皮肤病患病率的比较分析。在102家乡镇煤矿中随机抽取20家进行现场环境检测,同时对防护用品使用情况、煤矿除(防)尘措施和煤矿职工卫生状况等进行调查分析。结果采掘组煤工中,疖病21例(0．6%)、毛囊炎264例(10．9%)、痤疮987例(29．7%)、皮肤瘙痒症142例(4．3%)、湿疹162例(4．9%)、胼胝2414例(72．6%)、手癣645例(19．4%)、足癣667例(20．1%),与辅助工组比较,两组的毛囊炎、痤疮、皮肤瘙痒症、胼胝、手癣、足癣的患病率差异有统计学意义(P＜0．01或P＜0．05)。煤矿生产环境检测结果显示,井下气温19．8℃～28．7℃,平均温度22．3℃±2．1℃；相对湿度41%～68%,平均相对湿度为50．7%±6．8%；井下粉尘测定176个作业点,65个合格作业点,合格率36．9%；有害气体检测195个作业点,除9个作业点CO检测超标外,其余均在职业接触限值范围之内。劳动防护用品使用情况调查结果显示,除防尘口罩使用率较低外(12．26%),其余均基本正常。煤矿职工卫生状况调查结果显示,大多数浴室条件简陋,淋浴占25%,职工浴后皮肤清洁率仅为24．57%。结论乡镇煤矿井下作业工人的工作环境、防护用品使用情况、煤矿除(防)尘措施和煤矿职工卫生状况等对煤工皮肤有一定的影响,导致井下作业的采掘工在毛囊炎、痤疮、皮肤瘙痒症、胼胝等皮肤病患病率明显增高。     

Mortality of British coal miners in 1961

Liddell, F. D. K. (1973).Brit. J. industr. Med.,30, 15-24. Mortality of British coal miners in 1961. In an earlier enquiry, a sizeable proportion of deaths officially ascribed to coalmining occupations was shown to have been in men who had worked in the industry but not in jobs specific to coalmining, or who had left the mines and taken up other employment. This led to overstatement of mortality among miners, and particularly among face workers.

A new coding of occupations was introduced in 1960, and the present investigation was concerned with all 5 362 men aged 20 to 64 who died in 1961 and were recorded as having last worked in a coalmining occupation or for the National Coal Board. The occupation at the time of last employment was determined from colliery records or after special enquiry by medical officers of health, and again was found to be at considerable variance with that on the death certificate. `Promotion' into coalmining occupations existed in all coalfields and depended on age at death and year of last appearance at work. `Promotion' to the face was particularly marked; however, more men had been working in the industry than were recorded as in specifically coalmining occupations. The effect of retirement from the coalface to other mining work was investigated.

In occupied miners underground, mortality was less than in all occupied and retired males, substantially so at the face. Miners generally had high rates of deaths from accidents and pneumoconiosis, and low rates for lung cancer. For most other causes, face workers had very low rates, while other underground workers and surface workers had rates below and above the national rates for occupied and retired males. Death rates were higher in Scotland than in the other British coalfields.

     

Role of nitrosation in the mutagenic activity of coal dust: a postulation for gastric carcinogenesis in coal miners

The mutagenicity of coal dust solvent extracts with and without nitrosation was studied using the Salmonella/microsome assay system. Coal dust solvent extracts were either non-mutagenic or very weakly mutagenic with S9 activation. High mutagenic activities, however, were found when extracts of bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal dusts were reacted with nitrite under an acidic condition. Formation of mutagens from coal dust extracts by nitrosation was highest at pH 3.2 and decreased with increasing pH in the reaction mixture. Mutagenic activity appeared to be independent of metabolic activation. The mutagens formed from nitrosation of coal dust extracts induced frameshift mutations. The results reported here may have possible implications for the explanation of an elevated incidence of gastric cancer in coal miners.     

Role of nitrosation in the mutagenic activity of coal dust: A postulation for gastric carcinogenesis in coal miners

The mutagenicity of coal dust solvent extracts with and without nitrosation was studied using the Salmonella/microsome assay system. Coal dust solvent extracts were either non-mutagenic or very weakly mutagenic with S9 activation. High mutagenic activities, however, were found when extracts of bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal dusts were reacted with nitrite under an acidic condition. Formation of mutagens from coal dust extracts by nitrosation was highest at pH 3.2 and decreased with increasing pH in the reaction mixture. Mutagenic activity appeared to be independent of metabolic activation. The mutagens formed from nitrosation of coal dust extracts induced frameshift mutations. The results reported here may have possible implications for the explanation of an elevated incidence of gastric cancer in coal miners.