Abstract
The inhalation of coal mine dust may lead, under certain circumstances, to three distinct conditions, namely, coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), silicosis, and industrial bronchitis.1 Silicosis is uncommon in coal miners and usually results from the aerosolization of sand that is applied to the rails or tracks in order to provide traction for the electric or diesel locomotives that are used in the United States to haul coal from the face to the portal. Occasionally silicosis may occur in coal miners, specifically “hard headers” and “roof bolters.” In these jobs the drills used by the miners traverse the coal seam and enter strata of rock lying above or below the coal seam. Many of these strata contain significant concentrations of free silica. Industrial bronchitis affects the airways and is a nonspecific response that results from the prolonged inhalation either of inert dusts or irritant gases, eg, sulfur dioxide.2,3 Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis is the condition that develops following prolonged inhalation of coal dust and is best defined as the deposition of coal mine dust in the lung parenchyma and the tissue’s reaction to its presence.
Published Version
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