Control of Airborne Respirable Dust Hazards: A Training Program for Underground Coal Miners The Penn State Miner Training Program University Park, PA Raja V. Ramani, Ph.D., P.E, C.M.S.P. Mark C. Radomsky, Ph.D. MPA, C.M.S.P. Joseph P. Flick, M.S., C.M.S.P. March 31, 2003 Penn State

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH GENERIC MINERAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER ON RESPIRABLE DUST PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU OF DEEP MINE SAFETY

RESPIRABLE DUST TRAINING PROGRAM Section 3 HEALTH HAZARDS OF COAL MINE DUST

 Very small particles like coal, silica, and asbestos can get into the alveoli and cause debilitating lung diseases  Inhaled chemical substances can irritate the respiratory tract at the site of contact (e.g. blasting aftergases) The respiratory system can be damaged in several different ways by inhaled substances: How Airborne Agents Can Affect the Lungs

Airborne Mine Dusts The particle size distribution of dust in mine air include: Respirable, Thoracic and Inhalable mass fractions.  Respirable dust deposits in the gas exchange region, < 5 microns in size  Thoracic dust deposits anywhere in the lung airways and the gas exchange region, < 25 microns in size  Inhalable dust deposits anywhere in the respiratory tract, < 100 microns in size

According to the 1969 Coal Act, any dust collected in a coal mine by an approved sampler for coal mine respirable dust is respirable dust.

Particles less than 10 microns in size are said to be in the "Respirable Range" If you breath them, they can make their way into the alveolar sacs in the lung

Some types of respiratory illnesses can occur quickly after short-term exposures, or develop slowly after many years of exposure

 The degree of any type of health hazard depends on many variables  Several common variables influence where, when, and what type of respiratory illness may occur  Individual variables include age and individual sensitivities Variables Affecting Respiratory Health

 How much was the person exposed to?  How long was the person exposed to the substance?  How often was the person exposed to the substance?  What were the toxic properties of the substance? Common Variables Affecting Respiratory Health

How much of a substance you breathe, and how long you breathe it are major factors in respiratory illnesses

Individual Variables Affecting Respiratory Health  Age  General health  Individual sensitivities  The efficiency of individual's lung clearing mechanisms  Multi-system effect: When lung function is reduced, additional stress is placed on the cardiovascular system

Health Hazards of Respirable Coal Mine Dust  Coal Mine Dust is not Coal Dust but a Complex mixture of more than fifty [50] elements and their oxides. It may contain Coal, Silica, Pyrite, Clays, Organic Materials, etc.  Health Hazards of Coal Mine Dust Are:  Coal Worker’s Pneumoconiosis  Silicosis  Mixed Dust Pneumoconiosis  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

 Dusts can cause various forms of “Pneumoconiosis,” which means “a disease caused from breathing dust”  Silicosis and Black Lung are two forms of Pneumoconiosis, and result from breathing silica or coal dust Dust Caused Lung Disease

 Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (CWP)  Silicosis Overview of Two Important Respiratory Conditions

Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (CWP)

 Also called Black Lung  A CWP is the accumulation of coal dust in the lungs and the lung tissue’s reaction to the dust  It usually takes several years of exposure to coal dust to make a diagnosis of CWP  Exposure to coal dust can reduce the efficiency of the mucociliary escalator in clearing inhaled coal dust from the lungs, and reduce the efficiency of the muscles in the airway walls Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis

Silicosis

 Silicosis is a type of pneumoconiosis caused by inhaling free crystalline silica (quartz)  When very small silica particles enter the alveolar sacs, the macrophages engulf, and attempt to destroy them  After engulfing the silica particles, the macrophages die and enzymes are released, causing fibrous tissue to develop Silicosis

is the oldest known occupational disease

The Normal Lung

Normal lung Normal Lung Versus Silicotic Lung Silicotic lung

Proceed to Section 4 Respirable Coal Mine Dust Standards