Coal Miners Research Articles

A green but also just transition? Variations in social and industrial policy responses to industrial decarbonisation in EU member states

The EU aims for net carbon neutrality by 2050. Since industry contributes substantially to carbon emissions, reforms to decarbonise industry are necessary to achieve this goal. However, these reforms may entail labour market costs in the form of unemployment, which may necessitate social policies to mitigate them. Our article provides a novel contribution to the existing literature by developing a framework to classify how these policy responses may vary across EU Member States and it also suggests sources for these variations. We analyse the planned social policy responses of four countries – Denmark, Germany, Spain and Poland – by comparing the emphasis on social investment relative to compensation; the emphasis on social relative to industrial policy; and the extent to which social policy is targeted. Our findings suggest that Danish plans will rely primarily on social investment, whereas Poland will rely on compensation. In Germany, there is a greater emphasis on industrial policy, and Spain’s planned responses differ between policies targeted at coal miners and policies for other workers.

Transition obstructionism and ‘embodied energy injustice:’ a Wyoming case study

ABSTRACT Wyoming is the epicentre of the coal transition in the United States. The coal industry is critical to the state’s economy, both in terms of jobs and a state revenue model dependent on federal coal leasing payments, mineral royalties, and mining severance taxes. However, due to economic, regulatory, and political pressures, the U.S. is currently on track to retire half of its coal-fired electricity generation capacity by 2026. Accordingly, Wyoming faces an uncertain future. Despite the difficult path ahead, many Wyoming policymakers, industry officials, and residents express hostility toward the idea of transition. This often manifests in opposition to renewable energy through policies that double down on investments in fossil fuel energy, despite the increased availability of federal resources and programmes to ease the burden of change. I refer to this phenomenon as transition obstructionism. While transition obstructionism is detrimental to residents across the state, harm is also distributed downstream in the fossil fuel lifecycle, particularly in historically marginalised communities. This article reviews recent efforts by state lawmakers and institutions to actively disincentivize transition and prolong the fossil fuel economy in Wyoming. It then considers how transition obstructionism contributes to ‘embodied energy injustices’ both within and beyond Wyoming.

A Survey of the Plastic Waste used in Paving Blocks

Plastic is a material that does not degrade in the environment. Step by step, the volume of plastic garbage in municipal solid waste is growing rapidly. Hydrocarbons, which can be obtained from a variety of sources including coal, oil, and certain minerals, are used to make plastic. Plastic is considered useful during a time of scarcity,however after it is used, it is practically thrown away, posing a variety of risks There are many different types of plastic, such as Low Thickness Poly-ethylene (the material) and High Thickness Poly- ethylene (HDPE). These leftover polymers are then to be effectively utilized in the production of paver squares. In order to produce high-quality blocks with warm and sound protection qualities to cope with contamination and to lower the overall cost of construction, low thickness polyethylene is spotlessly mixed in with the sand and aggregate at varying rates. development, this is likely the best way to prevent the accumulation of plastic garbage, a non- biodegradable poison. The goal of this initiative is to use plastic waste as a binder instead of cement, which will decrease the decrease the need for cement and lower the price of paver blocks. The country produces over 5.6 million tone of plastic garbage annually. Plastic disintegration is a very drawn-out process that takes several years. Thus, it makes sense to employ plastic trash in paver blocks. We have mixed fine and coarse gravel with plastic trash in different proportions for this technique. After being assembled, the paver squares were tested. The square plastic paver's maximum capacity to retain water is When compared to paver square, the results showed greater quality.

Improvement and optimization of coal dust concentration detection technology: Based on the 3σ criterion and the kalman filtering composite algorithm

Due to the inherent time delay in dust concentration data transmission, dust reduction equipment is unable to respond according to the current moment's dust concentration. Hence, the focus of mine dust concentration detection technology extends beyond the current dust concentration to accurately predicting the next moment's dust concentration, allowing a response window for dust reduction equipment, leading to more optimal dust reduction effects. This necessitates the introduction of the Kalman filtering algorithm. Despite the traditional single Kalman filtering algorithm's ability to make certain dust concentration predictions, it is constrained by high-temperature, high-humidity underground environments and electromagnetic pulse signal interference from fan and coal mining machine operations, with an error rate reaching up to 40 %, seriously disrupting underground dust reduction equipment. However, the composite Kalman filtering algorithm incorporating the 3σ rule effectively eliminates bad values and removes instability from the underground environment and noise, rendering it applicable to most complex environments, providing accurate predicted concentrations for dust reduction equipment, and boosting overall universality. This study designed a fusion algorithm based on the Pauta criterion and Kalman filter to further optimize the dust concentration detection technology based on electrostatic induction. The sensor's model and measuring principle were first analyzed, and the initial calibration and precision testing of the sensor using the experimental system were completed. The dust concentration fluctuation characteristics were then modeled with Matlab, and the noise variance was estimated to process and filter the dust concentration data with the Pauta criterion, Kalman filter, and fusion algorithm respectively. The accuracy of the dust concentration sensor was tested again after applying the fusion algorithm, which proved to significantly enhance the stability and accuracy of the electrostatic induction-based dust concentration sensor. This study has critical implications for coal mine dust concentration monitoring and coal miner occupational health protection.

Coal cleat network stimulation through a combination of acidizing and liquid nitrogen fracturing

Gas extraction from Coal Bed Methane has proved challenging mainly due to the low permeability of coals. This study investigated a combination of 2 stimulation techniques, Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) fracturing and acidizing, to increase pore structure and cleat network connectivity in coals. Microcomputed Tomography (μ-CT) scanning results suggested that a combination of those 2 applications, in either sequence of implementation, has substantial potential in recovering mineralized fractures and inducing new fractures; thus, leading to wide-open cleat networks. X-ray images show that if LN2 fracturing of coal is preceded by acidizing, the stimulation efficiency increases from more than double the initial value to over 700% of it, where a porosity of 12% can be achieved. Alternatively, the efficiency of acidizing in porosity enhancement can increase from 300% to 530% when a preceding application of LN2 freezing provides an open cleat network to facilitate acid access to remote areas. Acid diffusion and digital microscopy images also determined that in fractured coal, HCl concentrations of both 1% and 3% can result in desirable demineralization (13% porosity increment), whereas in the acidizing of original coals, 1% HCl might not be promising. Further, the latter experiments created a wide and connected cleat network after LN2 fracturing of efficiently acid-stimulated coal. Therefore, a combination of two enhanced recovery techniques, acidizing and LN2 fracturing, was used in this study to achieve a dramatically boosted cleat network in coals. Additionally, an analytical model was developed to predict the acid reaction rate with coal minerals; it had a good match with experimental results.

INTERACTIONS AND INFLUENCES ON COAL MINERS' SAFETY ATTENTION: AN EVALUATION USING IMPROVED DEMATEL-ISM

In coal mining, the myriad of factors influencing miners' attention to safety necessitates deeper exploration. Particularly, discerning the significance and interplay of these factors offers crucial insights into the actual disparities in miners' safety attentiveness. Yet, a limited number of comprehensive studies address this dimension. Thus, an advanced Decision Making Trial Evaluation Laboratory-Interpretive Structural Model (DEMATEL-ISM) has been employed to probe the determinants impacting coal miners' safety focus and the mechanisms underpinning these interactions. The objective is to provide strategies that could diminish the occurrence of minor accidents. Results revealed that there are 9 causative factors and 6 resultant factors shaping the coal miners' attention to safety. Within the structural model of these factors, three layers and seven levels were identified. Notably, the intricacy of relationships among these factors was found to be profound. Emphasis is recommended on the management of these intricate deep-level causative factors boasting high driving power, and mid-level resultant factors characterized by both substantial driving force and dependence.

Оценка золошлаковых отходов как источника загрязнения окружаюшей среды и источника вторичного сырья

Introduction. Currently, more than 500 million tons of fly ash have been accumulated on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the volume of which will increase to one billion tons by 2030. Such accumulation of fly ash in storages creates a powerful anthropogenic impact on the biogeocenosis. A significant proportion of these man-made materials are formed during the burning of Ekibastuz coals. There is practically no processing of ash and slag waste on an industrial scale. For various reasons, ash dumps are not used in Kazakhstan, because the physico-chemical properties have been very poorly studied, in addition, during their processing, other wastes or ash dumps unsuitable for use are obtained from these wastes, because they contain a lot of unburned coal. As of 01.01.2020, the share of recycled, reused, burnt ash and slag waste in Kazakhstan amounted to 0.7%. The relevance and significance of this problem is due to the fact that man-made waste from CHP plants is not sufficiently processed, and current ash waste accumulates and occupies huge areas, which removes them from land use. Knowledge of the chemical composition of the ash will allow it to be used to obtain building materials. The purpose of this work is to study the properties of ash and slag waste during the burning of coal from the Ekibastuz deposit in Kazakhstan, to assess them as a source of environmental pollution, to determine the possibility of obtaining demanded building materials from them. Research methods. To determine the phase composition of the studied material, an upgraded diffractometer DRON-3M on CuKa radiation with software was used. Radiographs of the sample were obtained in the range of 2° (angles) from 10 to 70°. The chemical composition was determined using an energy dispersion spectrometer “EDX-8000”. Micrography of fly ash was taken on a scanning electron microscope Superprob-733. Research materials. Ash and slag waste from the burning of coal from the Ekibastuz deposit in Kazakhstan. Research results and discussion. The physical characteristics of ash have been established: specific surface area – ~200 m2/kg, true density – 2.1 g/cm3, bulk density – ~780 kg/m3. Fractional composition: the highest content of particles with a size of 100 microns (25.8%), 80 microns (12.12%), 50 microns (21.46%) and 45 microns (21.38%); at the same time, unburned carbon is concentrated in large fractions, glass phase – in small ones. Analysis of the chemical composition of Ekibastuzky ash allowed to find out the composition of coal minerals. The main components are silicon and aluminum oxides, and there is also a large amount of iron oxide. Knowledge of the chemical composition of ash allows it to be used in the production of building materials. Conclusion. The results of the conducted studies have shown the possibility of using ash and slag waste as secondary raw materials in the construction of road materials in order to reduce the anthropogenic load on the environment.

Dynamic evolution of terahertz permittivity of lignite during oxidation: Microstructural insights

Terahertz technology holds promise for monitoring coal fires and assessing associated risks, relying on the dielectric response of coal during the oxidation process. Besides, unraveling the response mechanism is crucial for enhancing the application's reliability. In light of these, this study focused on investigating the terahertz complex permittivity of lignite with different oxidation temperatures through microstructure analysis. Results indicated that oxidation temperature dependencies in the real and imaginary parts of lignite's permittivity, exhibiting a pattern of initial decrease followed by an increase. The decrease in permittivity during the dehydration and weight loss stage is primarily attributed to moisture content. In the oxygen absorption and weight gain stage, pore development and scattering effects contribute to the continuous decrease in real permittivity and rise in imaginary permittivity. During the oxidative decomposition stage, the hydroxyl group initiates an increased real permittivity. Upon reaching the combustion temperature, there is a sudden surge in permittivity, driven by the dominance of minerals in coal dielectric properties. The conclusions offer theoretical support for terahertz technology in monitoring coal fires, which can contribute to the sustainable development of the coal industry, mineral processing, and safety production.

Associations of coal mine dust exposure with arterial stiffness and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in chinese coal miners.

Whether coal mine dust exposure increases cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk was rarely explored. Our objective was to examine the association between coal mine dust exposure and cardiovascular risk. We estimated cumulative coal mine dust exposure (CDE) for 1327 coal miners by combining data on workplace dust concentrations and work history. We used brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV, a representative indicator of arterial stiffness) and ten-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk to assess potential CVD risk, exploring their associations with CDE. Positive dose-response relationships of CDE with baPWV and ten-year ASCVD risk were observed after adjusting for covariates. Specifically, each 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in CDE was related to a 0.27m/s (95% CI: 0.21, 0.34) increase in baPWV and a 1.29 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.46) elevation in OR(odds ratio) of risk of abnormal baPWV. Moreover, each 1 SD increase in CDE was associated with a 0.74% (95% CI: 0.63%, 0.85%) increase in scores of ten-year ASCVD and a 1.91 (95% CI: 1.62, 2.26) increase in OR of risk of ten-year ASCVD. When compared with groups unexposed to coal mine dust, significant increase in the risk of arterial stiffness and ten-year ASCVD in the highest CDE groups were detected. The study suggested that cumulative exposure to coal mine dust was associated with elevated arterial stiffness and ten-year ASCVD risk in a dose-response manner. These findings contribute valuable insights for cardiovascular risk associated with coal mine dust.

Assessment Of Purine Catabolism And Morbidity In Miners Depending On Their Work Experience

Objective — The role of end products of purine metabolism as predictors of the development of pathological changes and diseases caused by the impact of dust on the human body in a professional environment vs. the work experience (duration of underground experience in the field). Material and Methods — We analyzed the content of the end products of purine metabolism in the blood plasma of coal miners depending on the length of working in dusty conditions and evaluated the morbidity in the studied individuals via an analysis of the biomarkers. Results — The median levels of xanthine and uric acid exhibited similar significant trends with a decrease in values with underground work experience under 3 years and an increase in values with 5 or more years of experience. When assessing outcomes 1-3 years after the selection of coal miners into the study, we revealed that both acute diseases (acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI), COVID-19, acute bronchitis, and community-acquired pneumonia) and chronic diseases were present in all groups. One coal miner (2.9%) from the group with 7-10 years of underground work experience was diagnosed with an occupational disease. The development of radiological changes in the chest organs (pulmonary fibrosis, symptoms of chronic bronchitis) was detected in the groups with an experience of up to 3 years, 3-5 years, 5-7 years, and 7-10 years in 6.4%, 9.4%, 11.1%, and 5.8% of miners, respectively. Conclusion — According to logistic regression data, underground experience of 7-10 years has led to the reduction in the levels of xanthine and uric acid in the blood, which inflicted a statistically significant effect on the development of diseases in miners. Long-term underground work yielded 8.6-fold increase in the risk of developing diseases in miners.

Experimental simulation of water-coal interactions during liquid CO2 injection into coal beds

Injection of liquid CO2 (LCO2) into coal reservoirs is an extremely effective way to enhance coalbed methane recovery and storage. This study aimed to investigate the changes in mineral composition and content during the chemical reaction between coal samples and weakly acidic fluids dissolved in LCO2. Therefore, in this study, simulating the formation temperature (30 °C), three types of coal samples with different metamorphic degrees (lignite, anthracite, and bituminous coal) were selected for CO2–H2O-coal interaction leaching experiments under various pressure conditions (1 MPa, 3 MPa, 5 MPa). X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) was used to test coal samples' mineral composition and content before and after LCO2 injection under different pressure conditions. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to observe the evolution pattern of surface characteristics before and after the dissolution of the coal body by LCO2. The results showed that minerals such as kaolinite, illite, quartz, and potassium feldspar in the three coal samples underwent mineral transformation during the reaction process at different dissolution pressures, and the content changed significantly in the early stage of the reaction. The initial content of kaolinite in the bituminous coal (16.5%) increased to 23.8%, 26.7%, and 25.2% respectively under different leaching pressures of 1 MPa, 3 MPa, and 5 MPa. Carbonate minerals dissolved rapidly in the initial stages of the reaction, the initial content of calcite, a carbonate mineral in the anthracite (9.8%), decreased to 4.2%, 3.8%, and 2.4% respectively under different leaching pressures of 1 MPa, 3 MPa, and 5 MPa. Similarly, the initial content of siderite decreased from 6.8% to 2.8%, 2.3%, and 1.6% respectively. LCO2 pressure had a significant influence on the reaction. These results advance our understanding of LCO2 dissolution of minerals in coal.

Numerical simulation of the dust pollution characteristics and the optimal dustproof air volume in coal washing plant screening workshop

Dust pollution generated during the working process of a screening workshop in a coal washing plant seriously threatens the occupational health of workers. To improve the working environment for workers, we investigated the effects of various airflow parameters on the diffusion of dust particles and pollutants. We established a proportional model of the screening workshop and conducted spatiotemporal analysis of the evolution laws of airflow and particulate matter. We used numerical simulation and on-site measurements to obtain the optimal dust removal air flow rate in a coal washing plant workshop. When the air flow rate is between 360 and 1260 m³/min, the overall dust concentration in the workshop and the average dust mass concentration in the breathing zone decrease significantly as the air flow rate increases. However, if the air flow rate is too high, this can cause re-entrainment of dust, which will pollute the operation area again. The optimum dust removal airflow for the inlet air was 1260 m³/min. This air flow rate decreases the dust at the height of the breathing zone in the working area, and the dust concentration at the sidewalk in the working area decreases by 58.82%. This air flow rate can act as a reference value for workshop ventilation design to provide a clean and safe production environment for coal miners. Our methodology and results are of value the formulation and development of effective dust control and clean production technologies.

Electrophysiological and Cognitive Changes in Hard Coal Miners Associated with Working Underground.

Miners working underground face some risk factors that affect the nervous system-such as high noise, dark environment, chronic stress, and exposure to toxic gases. However, it is not known whether these risk factors affect the cognition of miners. In this study, the cognitive changes of miners were examined through event-related oscillations via electroencephalogram (EEG). Twenty underground miners and control groups, equal to each other in age, education level, and working duration, participated in this study. Neuropsychological tests were applied to all participants to examine their cognitive characteristics. Then, 20-channel EEG was recorded for electrophysiological changes during visual oddball paradigm. Event-related power spectrum and phase locking were analyzed in delta (0.5-3.5), theta (4-7), and alpha (8-13 Hz) frequency bands. It was determined that the delta responses that emerged during the target stimulus differed between the two groups in terms of phase locking (p < 0.05). Considering event-related alpha responses, a statistical difference was found regarding power spectrum and phase locking (p < 0.05). Moreover, the alpha power spectrum in the miners was found to be negatively statistically correlated with working duration (p < 0.05). This study determined that the event-related electrophysiological responses of the miners were negatively affected depending on the working conditions. In addition, neuropsychological assessment determined miners had deficiencies in learning and memory skills and many other cognitive functions such as attention, behavioral inhibition, and visual perception.

Effects of Aqueous Solution and Immersion Duration on Spontaneous Combustion Characteristics of Weakly Caking Coal

ABSTRACT Coal spontaneous combustion (CSC) severely affects the development of the coal industry and threatens the safety of coal miners. This study investigated how immersing coal in aqueous solution affects the CSC risk and evaluated the effect of the immersion duration. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and thermogravimetric−differential scanning calorimetry analysis were performed. Coal samples were immersed in water from an underground coalmine or in distilled water for 30 or 60 days. Changes in microscopic functional groups and thermokinetic behaviors were determined. Immersion in distilled water for 60 days led to 4.41%, 2.26%, and 6.25% smaller masses of C=O, –CH3, and free hydroxyl groups, respectively, relative to their levels in raw coal. Additionally, the characteristic temperatures T 4 , T 5 , and T 6 were 8.8%, 9.0%, and 9.2% lower, respectively, and the average apparent activation energy was 15.67% lower. Immersion in water from an underground coalmine for 60 days led to 5.68%, 2.58%, and 6.54% higher masses of C=O, –CH3, and free hydroxyl groups, respectively, and 12.8%, 13.0%, and 13.5% higher characteristic temperature, respectively; the average apparent activation energy was 20.43% lower. These findings suggest that the coal immersed in water from an underground coalmine was the most susceptible to CSC.

Case study: Noise risk assessment of workers at the mechanized mining face of coal mines

An assessment of workers at the mechanized mining face of coal mines was conducted in China. The survey on the current status of subject exposure to noise of coal miners was administered by occupational health investigation and detailed record of work days. The noise dosimeter measurements of 211 workers were obtained, including coal cutting, supporting, transportation, crushing, and auxiliary (such as air pressure, pump, and maintenance). A total of 56.4% of the LEX,8h exceeded 85 dB(A), and the average 8-hour equivalent sound level of the workers at the mechanized mining face of these coal mines was 91.2 dB(A). Within the noise frequency from 500 to 6000 Hz, there was a “V” shift in the displacement value of hearing threshold. At the noise frequency of 4000 Hz, the hearing loss N50 (dB) of workers reached the maximum. The longer the exposure time, the higher risk both in high-frequency hearing loss and noise-induced deafness. The risk of high-frequency hearing loss reached the high-risk level at 25 years of work, while the risk of noise deafness reached the high-risk level after 30 years of work. In addition, the Pearson correlation coefficient between the noise exposure time and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss was high and positively correlated. The results show that the production noise hazards at the mechanized mining face of coal mine are relatively large. High levels of hazardous noise exposure are typical in coal mines. The noise exposure data can help to develop more feasible noise controls for the employer.

Catalytic pyrolysis of brewer's spent grain in spouted bed reactor using calcium oxide for upgrading oil

This study investigates the potential of brewer's spent grain as a fuel source through fast pyrolysis in a spouted bed reactor, aiming to contribute to sustainable fuel alternatives and the mitigation of the environmental consequences of fossil fuel consumption. Both non-catalytic and catalytic tests evaluated the effects of temperature, biomass feed rate, and catalyst concentration on yields and hydrocarbon composition. The intermediate temperature (550 °C) and biomass feed rate (960 g/h) were optimal for non-catalytic tests, favoring oil production. Additionally, the oil yield was enhanced with the use of CaO as a catalyst during the pyrolysis process. An optimization study identified conditions maximizing both liquid yield and hydrocarbon content. While catalytic tests showed a modest increase in oil yield compared to non-catalytic tests, the addition of CaO significantly improved oil quality by increasing hydrocarbon concentration and facilitating deoxygenation. Under optimal conditions, non-catalytic pyrolysis achieved a 41% liquid yield with 15% hydrocarbon content. For catalytic pyrolysis, optimal conditions yielded 43% oil with a hydrocarbon content of 33% and low water content. Moreover, the resulting oil exhibited a higher heating value (HHV) of 25.7 MJ/kg compared to the spent grain's 19.8 MJ/kg. Utilizing the CaO catalyst further increased the HHV value to 28.2 MJ/kg, highlighting its efficiency in enhancing liquid product quality. The solid products resembled mineral coals with higher energy density compared to the feedstock. This study highlights the potential of brewer's spent grain for fuel production in a spouted bed reactor and the CaO catalyst's effectiveness in improving liquid product quality.

Unraveling psychological dilemma among miners in the context of low-carbon transformation: an ISM-MICMAC approach

Purpose With the rapid low-carbon transformation in China, the industrial approach and labor structure of mining enterprises are undergoing constant changes, leading to an increasing psychological dilemma faced by coal miners. This study aims to reveal the relationship and mechanism of factors influencing the psychological dilemma of miners, and to provide optimal intervention strategies for the safety and sustainable development of employees and enterprises. Design/methodology/approach To effectively address the complex issue of the psychological dilemma faced by miners, this study identifies and constructs five-dimensional elements, comprising 20 indicators, that influence psychological dilemmas. The relational mechanism of action of factors influencing psychological dilemma was then elucidated using an integration of interpretive structural modeling and cross-impact matrix multiplication. Findings Industry dilemma perception is a “direct” factor with dependent attributes. The perceptions of management response and relationship dilemmas are “root” factors with driving attributes. Change adaptation dilemma perception is a “susceptibility” factor with linkage attributes. Work dilemma perception is a “blunt” factor with both dependent and autonomous attributes. Originality/value The aforementioned findings offer a critical theoretical and practical foundation for developing systematic and cascading intervention strategies to address the psychological dilemma mining enterprises face, which contributes to advancing a high-quality coal industry and efficient energy development.

Research on the zoning of blasting for ultra-deep hole cylindrical charges based on thick-walled cylinder theory

To address the challenges faced by coal miners when encountering collapsed pillars in local hard rock formations, we researched ultra-deep hole loosening blasting technology. To overcome issues related to the inapplicability of existing blasting zoning theories and the lack of a solid foundation for borehole design in ultra-deep hole loosening blasting sites, we introduced a blasting zoning model and theoretical calculation formula based on thick-walled cylinder theory. Building on this foundation, we proposed coupled and uncoupled charge calculation methods that take into account strain rate variations and confining pressure effects. Furthermore, numerical simulations using the ANSYS/LS-DYNA software demonstrated that the results obtained from this theory were consistent with the simulation results. Ultimately, based on the blast zone results derived from both theory and simulation, we determined the blasting range of individual blast holes to design effective construction plans for ultra-deep hole blasting sites, achieving satisfactory results.

Predicting coal workers' pneumoconiosis trends: Leveraging historical data with the GARCH model in a Chinese Miner Cohort.

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is one of the most common and severe occupational diseases worldwide. The main risk factor of CWP is exposure to respirable mine dust. Prediction theory was widely applied in the prediction of the epidemic. Here, it was used to identify the characteristics of CWP today and the incidence trends of CWP in the future. Eight thousand nine hundred twenty-eight coal workers from a state-owned coal mine were included during the observation period from 1963 to 2014. In observations, the dust concentration gradually decreased over time, and the incidence of tunnels and mine, transportation, and assistance workers showed an overall downward trend. We choose a better prediction model by comparing the prediction effect of the Auto Regression Integrate Moving Average model and Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity model. Compared with the Auto Regression Integrate Moving Average model, the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity model has a better prediction effect. Furthermore, the status quo and future trend of coal miners' CWP are still at a high level.

Research on coal mining intensity based on the DPSIR-SPA model.

High-intensity mining has become a major trend in future coal mining. However, it will unavoidably worsen the harm done to the natural environment of mining sites by coal mining, which is already prone to doing so. So, how may coal mining intensity (CMI) be decreased? Minimize the harm that coal mining causes to the environment and offer a theoretical basis for protecting the environment in mining sites. In order to achieve this, based on the existing literature on CMI, we first redefine the concept of CMI, analyze its influencing factors, propose an evaluation index system, and introduce the theory of set pair analysis (SPA) to build a quantitative evaluation model of CMI. We then propose an adjustment strategy for the CMI and conduct a verification analysis using the Halagou Coal Mine and Caojiatan Coal Mine as an example. The results show that the Halagou and Caojiatan Coal Mine belong to the higher-intensity mining stage. It is consistent with existing research. Moreover, the development trend of CMI in the Halagou Coal Mine is analyzed in conjunction with the set pair potential theory, and specific measures to reduce CMI are given, from the perspective of coal mining. It provides the basis for the source protection of the ecological environment in the mining area. Theoretically, this study can help both the quantitative assessment of mining intensity and the source protection of the mining ecological environment. Besides, it offers specific guidelines for building environmentally friendly mines.