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PubMedDate not supplied

Respiratory disorders and lung function impairment in pyrite miners.

A research study was carried out at a pyrite mine in Niccioleta, southern Tuscany, during the period 1980-1983 to investigate the possible effects of gaseous and particulate pollutants on the respiratory function of mine workers. The study was undertaken to fill the gap in recent scientific information in this field and also collect data which could be used for future planning of epidemiological and environmental controls at the mine. For the most exposed underground workers a dust exposure of 1.04 mg/m3 of inhalable dust and 0.60 mg/m3 of respirable dust was found. The average quartz content was less than 1.5% in both types of dust. Median exposures of the most exposed risk group were 6.0 ppm for carbon monoxide (CO), 0.22 ppm for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), 0.09 ppm for sulfur dioxide (SO2). The health effects of gaseous and particulate pollutants were studied by comparing the respiratory symptoms and lung function data of the miners with those of a reference group. A significantly increased prevalence of simple chronic bronchitis was found among underground miners when compared to the reference group. This condition was not associated with functional impairment of obstructive nature. Chest x-rays revealed 14 cases of p type pneumoconiosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Estimation of the exertion requirements of coal mining work.

The work requirements of coal mining work were estimated by studying a group of 12 underground coal miners. A two level (rest, 300 kg X m/min) test was performed to estimate the linear relationship between each subject's heart rate and oxygen consumption. Then, heart rates were recorded during coal mining work with a Holter type recorder. From these data, the distributions of oxygen consumptions during work were estimated, allowing characterization of the range of exertion throughout the work day. The average median estimated oxygen consumption was 3.3 METS, the average 70th percentile was 4.3 METS, and the average 90th percentile was 6.3 METS. These results should be considered when assessing an individual's occupational fitness.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Relative bioavailability of lead from mining waste soil in rats.

The purposes of this study were to determine the extent of absorption of lead (Pb) in mining waste soil from Butte, Montana, and to investigate the effect of mining waste soil dose (g soil/day) on tissue lead concentrations. Young, 7- to 8-week-old male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (5/sex/group) were given mining waste soil that contained 810 or 3908 ppm lead mixed in a purified diet (AIN-76) at four different dose levels (0.2, 0.5, 2, and 5% dietary soil) for 30 consecutive days. Standard groups included untreated controls and dosed feed soluble lead acetate groups (1, 10, 25, 100, and 250 micrograms Pb/g feed). The test soil dose levels bracketed a pica child's soil exposure level and the lead acetate concentrations bracketed the test soil dose levels of lead. Liver, blood, and femur were analyzed for total lead concentration using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. Clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, and liver weights for test soil and standard groups were similar to control. Tissue lead concentrations from test soil animals were significantly lower than the tissue concentrations for the lead acetate group. Relative percentage bioavailability values, based on lead acetate as the standard, were independent of the two different test soils, dose levels, and sex and were only slightly dependent on the tissue (blood > bone, liver). Mean relative percentage bioavailability values of lead in the Butte mining waste soil were 20% based on the blood data, 9% based on the bone data, and 8% based on the liver data. The results of this study will provide the information needed to determine the significance of lead exposure from Butte soils in assessing human health risks as part of the Superfund Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study process.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Bronchopulmonary cancer in workers exposed to arsenic: a case control study].

Case-control methodology was used to assess lung cancer risk from exposure to arsenic in air, employing data from former workers in different units at the Chuquicamata copper mine and smelter complex. Thirty two workers from this complex were identified among the lung cancer deaths that occurred in the Northern region of Chile between 1987 and 1991. Each case was matched on age and sex, with controls that had a similar date of enrolment in the company. Available data on arsenic concentrations in air for six work sites were compiled from 1952 to 1991 and these were used to categorize the workplaces: Administrative area (1.6 micrograms/m3), Mine (2.3 micrograms/m3), Oxid Plant (3.1 micrograms/m3), Workshop and Services (9.8 micrograms/m3), Sulphur Plant (8.4 micrograms/m3) and Smelter (201.7 micrograms/m3). The results indicate an Odds Ratio of 5.7 (Fisher's p = 0.016) of dying from lung cancer among workers of the smelter compared with the rest of the workers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Regulatory implications of airborne respirable free silica variability in underground coal mines.

The respirable dust standard for respirable free crystalline silica in underground coal mines is expressed as milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) of respirable dust and is determined by the silica content of the dust. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulates silica exposure by determining and enforcing compliance with the respirable dust standard for each active mine section. The MSHA strategy for regulation is examined in the context of respirable free crystalline silica and dust data. Deficiencies of the strategy include the same enforcement efforts regardless of compliance history, inappropriate treatment of data, and emphasis on short-term variability of silica content. These deficiencies result in inadequate enforcement in chronically dusty mines, "game playing" with optional samples, and an overall approach that does not focus on the long-term impact of silica exposure on lung health. Alternative approaches include enforcement efforts proportional to compliance history, use of a moving average silica content, and more statistically sound approaches to data interpretation.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1995

Variability of particle size-specific fractions of personal coal mine dust exposures.

This study estimated the ratio of the tracheo-bronchial dust fraction to the fraction collected by a respirable dust sampler for a variety of job classifications found in conventional, continuous, and longwall coal mining sections. The ratios could then be applied in epidemiologic studies to existing respirable dust measurements to estimate thoracic mass concentrations for evaluation of the relative importance of the respirable and thoracic dust fractions to obstructive lung disease. Data collected include particle size distributions from four U.S. underground coal mines using eight-stage personal cascade impactors. A total of 180 samples were examined by mine, occupation and occupations grouped by proximity to the mine face, and by mining technology. Several fractions--that collected by the 10-mm nylon cyclone, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists respirable and thoracic particulate mass fractions, and the estimated alveolar and tracheo-bronchial deposition fractions--were estimated. These were not significantly different when grouped by occupation, by proximity of work to the mine face, or by the type of mining technology in use. Distributions from one mine varied from the others, perhaps because it used diesel equipment in the haulage ways, which contributed to the fine aerosol fractions. Results suggest that although the tracheo-bronchial dust fraction may contribute to the development of obstructive lung disease, occupation-specific tracheo-bronchial dust fractions are not likely to produce stronger exposure-response estimates than the historically collected respirable dust concentrations.

Bronchi↗
PubMed1998

Use of an intelligent control system To evaluate multiparametric effects on iron oxidation by thermophilic bacteria

A learning-based intelligent control system, the BioExpert, was developed and applied to the evaluation of multiparametric effects on iron oxidation by enrichment cultures of moderately thermophilic, acidophilic mining bacteria. The control system acquired and analyzed the data and then selected and maintained the sets of conditions that were evaluated. Through multiple iterations, the BioExpert selected sets of conditions that resulted in improved iron oxidation rates. The results obtained with the BioExpert suggested that temperature and pH were coupled, or interactive, parameters. Elevated temperatures (51.5 degreesC) in combination with a moderately high pH (pH 1.84) impaired the growth of and iron oxidation by the enrichment culture. Moderate-to-high oxidation rates were achieved with a relatively high pH in combination with a relatively low temperature or, conversely, with a relatively low pH in combination with a relatively high temperature. The interactive effect of pH and temperature was not apparent from the results obtained in an experiment in which temperature was the only parameter that was varied. When the BioExpert was applied to a mixed culture containing mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria, the computer "learned" that pH 1.8, 45 degreesC, and an inlet iron concentration from 30 to 35 mM were most favorable for iron oxidation. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the learning-based intelligent control system BioExpert was an effective experimental tool that can be used to examine multiparametric effects on the growth and metabolic activity of mining bacteria.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1985

Government regulation of occupational safety: underground coal mine accidents 1973-75.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence of federal mine safety inspections on underground coal mine accidents. An economic incentives model is developed to relate federal enforcement activities to accident rates. The determinants of accident rates are analyzed for 535 coal mines during the period 1973-75. Estimates based on these data when applied to the model indicate that increasing inspections by 25 per cent would have produced a 13 per cent decline in fatal accidents and an 18 per cent decline in disabling accidents.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1995

[Clinical analysis of 130 cases of Siberian silicosis].

One hundred thirty patients with Siberian silicosis occurring under exposure to large amounts of dust at labor in a siberian mine were analyzed for 67 clinical and 122 laboratory data. Eighty-eight of 130 patients are now alive, but 42 have already died. When they started work, 122 of the patients were under thirty years of age. The duration of work was 7 to 12 months for 17 patients, 13 to 18 for 43, and 19 to 24 for 40. Seventy-six of 99 patients were initially diagnosed with lung tuberculosis and 23 with silicosis. Almost all patients have complained of respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, sputum, and cyanosis. All of the pulmonary function tests including %VC, FEV1.0/FVC, V25/height, RV, TLC, and DLco showed abnormal values. The chest roentogenograms showed 3 of type 1, 22 of type 2, 55 of type 3, and 124 of type 4. Of 124 type-4, large opacities, 84 were type A, 28 B, and 12 C. Of 416 small opacities, 144 were type P, 191 Q, and 81 R. The complications and secondary changes that appeared with progression of the disease were lung emphysema, hilar and mediastinal lymphnode enlargement, egg shell calcification in lymphnode, and bulla or bleb.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Lifetime prevalence of major depression and dysthymia: results of a community survey in Sardinia.

Epidemiological data about depressive disorders emerging from European and North American community surveys are not easily comparable due to several methodological differences. Only in recent years have studies performed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) supplied comparable data. They support the evidence of higher prevalence rates of major depression (DSM-IIIR criteria) in European than in US and Canadian community studies carried out in the 1980s. Moreover, a new nationwide USA survey, using CIDI, confirmed a higher frequency of depressive disorders compared to ECA results. This report is part of a survey ('Health in Sardinia') which involved five urban districts of Cagliari, three rural areas and the same mining district involved in a previous community study. The present data concern four of the five urban districts and one rural area. Subjects were clinically interviewed with the CIDI Simplified, in the Italian version. Diagnoses were made according to DSM-IIIR criteria. Our study seems to confirm the general trend toward higher prevalence rates of major depression (lifetime prevalence 13.3) shown in earlier community studies.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1977

A retrospective epidemiological study of mortality at a large western copper smelter.

In comparing the smelter with the mine, concentrator, and State of Utah, it was found that they were very similar in the percentage of deaths due to all causes except lung cancer; 7.0% of all deaths at the smelter were due to lung cancer compared to 2.2% for the mine, 2.2% for the concentrator, and 2.7% for the state. The excess at the smelter was statistically significant. Approximate age-adjusted death rates were obtained for various causes of death. The rates for the smelter are higher than for the mine and the state for lung cancer and for all causes combined. The average age at death for smelter workers is nearly the same as for mine employees, even for those who died of lung cancer. Smoking data was examined and there was no indication of a smoking synergism. Cumulative exposure indices for SO2, H2SO4 mist, As, Pb, and Cu were computed for each deceased smelter worker based n the length of time he worked in each of 12 major areas. Those who died of lung cancer had the highest average exposure index for all five constituents. Stack emission data showed much higher levels of As and SO2 prior to 1959.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Epidemiological data on US coal miners' pneumoconiosis, 1960 to 1988.

OBJECTIVES: Statistics on prevalence of pneumoconiosis among working underground coal miners based on epidemiologic data collected between 1960 and 1988 are presented. The main intent was to examine the time-related trend in prevalence, particularly after 1969, when substantially lower dust levels were mandated by federal act. METHODS: Data from studies undertaken between 1960 and 1968 were collected and compared. Information for the period 1969 to 1988 was extracted from a large ongoing national epidemiologic study. Tenure-specific prevalence rates and summary statistics derived from the latter data for four consecutive time intervals within the 19-year period were calculated and compared. RESULTS: The results indicate a reduction in pneumoconiosis over time. The trend is similar to that seen in a large radiologic surveillance program of underground miners operated concurrently. CONCLUSIONS: Although such factors as x-ray reader variation, changes in x-ray standards, and worker self-selection for examination may have influenced the findings to some extent, adjusted summary rates reveal a reduction in prevalence concurrent with reductions in coal mine dust levels mandated by federal act in 1969.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Dietary determinants of lung-cancer risk: results from a case-control study in Yunnan Province, China.

The relation between diet and lung cancer was studied among male residents of a mining community in Yunnan Province. After obtaining food frequency data from subjects or proxies, we compared diets of 428 cases, aged 35-74 years, and 1,011 age-matched controls. Cases tended to consume slightly more rice, but less protein-rich foods (i.e., bean curd, meat, eggs) and vegetables than did controls. The relative risks of lung cancer across increasing quartiles of meat (i.e., pork) consumption, for example, were 1.00, 0.67, 0.72 and 0.46 (p for trend less than 0.01). The relative risks of lung cancer across increasing quartiles of consumption of dark-green, leafy vegetables were 1.00, 0.62, 0.52 and 0.41 (p for trend less than 0.01). Although specific dietary constituent(s) responsible for the protective effect of vegetable consumption could not be identified, carotenoids other than beta-carotene, or compounds in cruciferous or Allium vegetables, are possibilities.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The assessment of health policy changes using the time-reversed crossover design.

The time-reversed crossover design is a quasi-experimental design which can be applied to evaluate the impact of a change in health policy on a large population. This design makes use of separate sampling and analysis strategies to improve the validity of conclusions drawn from such an evaluation. The properties of the time-reversed crossover design are presented including the use of stratification on outcome in the sampling stage, which is intended to improve external validity. It is demonstrated that, although this feature of the design introduces internal validity threats due to regression toward the mean in extreme-outcome strata, these effects can be measured and eliminated from the test of significance of treatment effects. Methods for within- and across-stratum estimation and hypothesis-testing are presented which are similar to those which have been developed for the traditional two-period crossover design widely used in clinical trials. The procedures are illustrated using data derived from a study conducted by the United Mine Workers of America Health and Retirement Funds to measure the impact of cost-sharing on health care utilization among members of its health plan.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1995

Social cost of land mines in four countries: Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cambodia, and Mozambique.

OBJECTIVES: To document the effects of land mines on the health and social conditions of communities in four affected countries. DESIGN: A cross design of cluster survey and rapid appraisal methods including a household questionnaire and qualitative data from key informants, institutional reviews, and focus groups of survivors of land mines from the same communities. SETTING: 206 communities, 37 in Afghanistan, 66 in Bosnia, 38 in Cambodia, and 65 in Mozambique. SUBJECTS: 174,489 people living in 32,904 households in the selected communities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Effects of land mines on food security, residence, livestock, and land use; risk factors: extent of individual land mine injuries; physical, psychological, social, and economic costs of injuries during medical care and rehabilitation. RESULTS: Between 25% and 87% of households had daily activities affected by land mines. Based on expected production without the mines, agricultural production could increase by 88-200% in different regions of Afghanistan, 11% in Bosnia, 135% in Cambodia, and 3.6% in Mozambique. A total of 54,554 animals was lost because of land mines, with a minimum cash value of $6.5m, or nearly $200 per household. Overall, 6% of households (1964) reported a land mine victim; a third of victims died in the blast. One in 10 of the victims was a child. The most frequent activities associated with land mine incidents were agricultural or pastoral, except in Bosnia where more than half resulted from military activities, usually during patrols. Incidences have more than doubled between 1980-3 and 1990-3, excluding the incidents in Bosnia. Some 22% of victims (455/2100) were from households reporting attempts to remove land mines; in these households there was a greatly increased risk of injury (odds ratio 4.2 and risk difference 19% across the four countries). Lethality of the mines varied; in Bosnia each blast killed an average of 0.54 people and injured 1.4, whereas in Mozambique each blast killed 1.45 people and wounded 1.27. Households with a land mine victim were 40% more likely to experience difficulty in providing food for the family. Family relationships were affected for around one in every four victims and relationships with colleagues in 40%. CONCLUSIONS: Land mines seriously undermine the economy and food security in affected countries; they kill and maim civilians at an increasing rate. The expense of medical care and rehabilitation add economic disability to the physical burden. Awareness of land mines can be targeted at high risk attitudes, such as those associated with tampering with mines.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2025

Demixer: a probabilistic generative model to delineate different strains of a microbial species in a mixed infection sample.

MOTIVATION: Multi-drug resistant or hetero-resistant tuberculosis (TB) hinders the successful treatment of TB. Hetero-resistant TB occurs when multiple strains of the TB-causing bacterium with varying degrees of drug susceptibility are present in an individual. Existing studies predicting the proportion and identity of strains in a mixed infection sample rely on a reference database of known strains. A main challenge then is to identify de novo strains not present in the reference database, while quantifying the proportion of known strains. RESULTS: We present Demixer, a probabilistic generative model that uses a combination of reference-based and reference-free techniques to delineate mixed infection strains in whole genome sequencing (WGS) data. Demixer extends a topic model widely used in text mining to represent known mutations and discover novel ones. Parallelization and other heuristics enabled Demixer to process large datasets like CRyPTIC (Comprehensive Resistance Prediction for Tuberculosis: an International Consortium). In both synthetic and experimental benchmark datasets, our proposed method precisely detected the identity (e.g. 91.67% accuracy on the experimental in vitro dataset) as well as the proportions of the mixed strains. In real-world applications, Demixer revealed novel high confidence mixed infections (101 out of 1963 Malawi samples analysed), and new insights into the global frequency of mixed infection (2% at the most stringent threshold in the CRyPTIC dataset) and its significant association to drug resistance. Our approach is generalizable and hence applicable to any bacterial and viral WGS data. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: All code relevant to Demixer is available at https://github.com/BIRDSgroup/Demixer.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis↗
PubMed1989

[Structure and dynamics of systemic organization of the cardiorespiratory function during the adaptation process of miners to occupational factors in deep coal mines].

Characteristics of the systems organization of the cardiorespiratory function were analyzed in miners of different age. The findings were compared to the data on labour turnover, work efficiency and the rate of cardiovascular diseases. It is indicated that an initial adaptation period in deep coal mines was accompanied by the stress of vegetative regulatory mechanisms, significant labour turnover and low work efficiency of miners. The stage of resistant adaptation was characterized by raising functional flexibility, decrease in labour turnover and elevation of the degree of professional work capacity. For miners aged 35 and older the process of systems restructuring of vegetative functions was followed by the decrease in labour efficiency and significant growth of cardiovascular diseases.

Adaptation, Physiological↗