Dataset Information

Mining Tenure and Job Duties Differ Among Contemporary and Historic Underground Coal Miners With Progressive Massive Fibrosis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To characterize differences in mining jobs and tenure between contemporary (born 1930+, working primarily with modern mining technologies) and historic coal miners with progressive massive fibrosis (PMF).

Methods

We classified jobs as designated occupations (DOs) and non-DOs based on regulatory sampling requirements. Demographic, occupational characteristics, and histopathological PMF type were compared between groups.

Results

Contemporary miners ( n = 33) had significantly shorter mean total (30.4 years vs 37.1 years, P = 0.0006) and underground (28.8 years vs 35.8 years, P = 0.001) mining tenure compared with historic miners ( n = 289). Silica-type PMF was significantly more common among miners in non-DOs (30.1% vs 15.8%, P = 0.03) and contemporary miners (58.1% vs 15.2%, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Primary jobs changed over time with the introduction of modern mining technologies and likely changed exposures for workers. Elevated crystalline silica exposures are likely in non-DOs and require attention.

SUBMITTER: Zell-Baran LM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10081940 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Mining Tenure and Job Duties Differ Among Contemporary and Historic Underground Coal Miners With Progressive Massive Fibrosis.

Zell-Baran Lauren M LM Go Leonard H T LHT Sarver Emily E Almberg Kirsten S KS Iwaniuk Cayla C Green Francis H Y FHY Abraham Jerrold L JL Cool Carlyne C Franko Angela A Hubbs Ann F AF Murray Jill J Orandle Marlene S MS Sanyal Soma S Vorajee Naseema N Cohen Robert A RA Rose Cecile S CS

Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 20221117 4

<h4>Objective</h4>To characterize differences in mining jobs and tenure between contemporary (born 1930+, working primarily with modern mining technologies) and historic coal miners with progressive massive fibrosis (PMF).<h4>Methods</h4>We classified jobs as designated occupations (DOs) and non-DOs based on regulatory sampling requirements. Demographic, occupational characteristics, and histopathological PMF type were compared between groups.<h4>Results</h4>Contemporary miners ( n = 33) had sig ...[more]

PMID: 36730599

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Project description:RATIONALE:There has been a resurgence of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) in the United States, particularly among central Appalachian miners. OBJECTIVES:We characterized the proportion of PMF among former U.S. coal miners applying for Federal Black Lung Program benefits, 1970-2016. METHODS:Data from the U.S. Department of Labor were used to characterize trends in proportion of PMF cases, defined as an approved black lung claim with a determination of PMF, among all miners who filed for federal benefits between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 2016. Joinpoint, logistic, and linear regression models were used to identify changes in the proportion of claimants with PMF over time. RESULTS:There were 4,679 unique PMF cases among claimants for federal black lung benefits between 1970 and 2016, with 2,474 miners determined to have PMF since 1996. The number of PMF cases among Federal Black Lung Program claimants fell from 404 (0.5% of claimants) in 1978 to a low of 18 cases (0.6%) in 1988, and then increased to 353 cases (8.3%) in 2014. The proportion of federal black lung benefits claimants with PMF has been increasing since 1978 (0.06% annual percent change [APC]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05-0.07%; P < 0.0001), and began increasing at a significantly increased rate after 1996 (0.26% APC; 95% CI, 0.25-0.28%; P < 0.0001). Most miners with PMF (84%) last mined in West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, or Virginia. Since 1970, the proportion of claimants with PMF has increased significantly among miners who last worked in Kentucky (16.6% APC; 95% CI, 16.5-16.7%), Pennsylvania (4.7% APC; 95% CI, 4.6-4.8%), Tennessee (16.1% APC; 95% CI, 15.7-16.4%), West Virginia (16.8% APC; 95% CI, 16.6-16.9%), and most sharply among miners last working in Virginia (31.5% APC; 95% CI, 31.2-31.7%), where in 2009, more than 17% of claimants received a PMF determination. The proportion of PMF determinations for the rest of the United States has not exceeded 4%. CONCLUSIONS:There has been a resurgence of PMF, particularly in central Appalachian miners. The resurgence of this preventable disease points to the need for improved primary and secondary prevention of dust-related lung disease in U.S. coal miners.

Project description:The status of vitamin D in underground working coal miners and its association with their cardiometabolic health is rarely studied. This study aimed to examine vitamin D (VitD) status in Serbian underground coal miners and to correlate it with anthropometric and laboratory indicators of cardiometabolic risk. Nutritional data (food frequency questionnaire, FFQ, and two times repeated 24 h recall), anthropometric data (including segmental analysis by bio-impedance analyzer TANITA BC-545N), arterial tension, and biochemical and hematological data of 103 coal miners (aged 22-63 years) were correlated with their late summer (early September) serum 25 (OH)D levels (measured by HPLC). 68.9% of the studied coal miners were overweight/obese, and 48.5% had metabolic syndrome. Their mean VitD nutritional intakes were low: 5.3 ± 3.8 μg/day (FFQ) and 4.9 ± 8 μg/day (24 h recalls), but their mean serum 25 (OH)D levels were surprisingly high (143.7 ± 41.4 nmol/L). Only 2.9% of the coal miners had 25(OH)D levels lower than 75 nmol/L (indicating an insufficient/deficient status), while 63.2% had values above 125 nmol/L (upper optimal limit), and even 10.7% had values above 200 nmol/L. There were no statistical differences in 25 (OH)D levels in the coal miners with or without metabolic syndrome (or overweight/obesity). Interestingly, 25(OH)D levels had significant positive correlations with body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM), fat mass percentage (FM%), limbs FM%, serum triglycerides, GGT, AST, ALT, and ALT/AST ratio, and had significant negative correlations with serum HDL-cholesterol and age. All these correlations were lost after corrections for age, FM, FM%, and legs FM%. In Serbian coal miners, high levels of early September VitD levels were observed, indicating sufficient non-working-hour sun exposure during the summer period. Furthermore, the unexpected positive correlations of VitD levels with anthropometric and biochemical parameters indicative of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease were found. More research is needed on the VitD status of coal miners (particularly in the winter period) and its relationship with their cardiometabolic status.

Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the current situation regarding occupational burnout among coal miners, explore the relationship between NR3C2 gene polymorphism and occupational burnout, and analyze the influence of the interaction between environment and gene on occupational burnout. This study provides a scientific basis for formulating health strategies to combat job burnout.MethodsA total of 1,500 first-line coal mine workers were selected by cluster random sampling, and the job burnout scale, job content questionnaire (JCQ), and simplified coping style questionnaire (SCSQ) were used for the questionnaire survey. A total of 150 workers were randomly selected from the high burnout group and the low burnout group, and a total of 300 workers were selected as the research objects to examine the relationship between gene polymorphism, environment-gene interactions and burnout. This study employed iMLDRTM genotyping technology for NR3C2 gene (rs5522, rs2070950) polymorphism analysis. The relationship between the occurrence of job burnout, occupational stress, coping styles and the NR3C2 gene was analyzed.ResultsFinally, a total of 1,282 valid questionnaires were retrieved, with an effective recovery rate of 85.5%. The study included 128 participants (10%) with zero burnout, 400 (31.2%) with mild burnout, 649 (50.6%) with moderate burnout and 105 (8.2%) with severe burnout. There were significant differences in the rate of burnout among miners with respect to sex, age, working years, educational level, shifts, and marital status (P < 0.05). The difference in occupational stress between the different job burnout groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with the GG genotype of rs2070950 of the NR3C2 gene, the CC genotype was identified as a susceptibility gene for occupational burnout (P < 0.05). In respect to rs5522, rs2070950, occupational stress, positive coping, and negative coping, the low-risk group was unlikely to suffer from job burnout compared with the high-risk group (OR = 0.103, 95%CI: 0.058-0.182).ConclusionIn addition to demographic characteristics, occupational stress and negative coping styles were also identified as risk factors for job burnout. The interaction between locus rs5522, locus rs2070950, occupational stress, positive response, and negative response were found to affect the incidence of occupational burnout.

Project description:BackgroundIn previous questionnaire surveys of miners, sleep disorders were found among underground workers. The influence of the special deep-underground environment and its potential mechanism are still unclear. Therefore, this study intends to utilize LC-MS metabolomics to study the potential differences between different environments and different sleep qualities.MethodsTwenty-seven miners working at 645-1,500 m deep wells were investigated in this study, and 12 local ground volunteers were recruited as the control group. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to examine and evaluate the sleep status of the subjects in the past month, and valuable basic information about the participants was collected. PSQI scores were obtained according to specific calculation rules, and the corresponding sleep grouping and subsequent analysis were carried out. Through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) non-targeted metabolomics analysis, differences in metabolism were found by bioinformatics analysis in different environments.ResultsBetween the deep-underground and ground (DUvsG) group, 316 differential metabolites were identified and 125 differential metabolites were identified in the good sleep quality vs. poor sleep quality (GSQvsPSQ) group. The metabolic pathways of Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis (p = 0.0102) and D-Glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism (p = 0.0241) were significantly enriched in DUvsG. For GSQvsPSQ group, Butanoate metabolism was statistically significant (p = 0.0276). L-Phenylalanine, L-Tyrosine and L-Glutamine were highly expressed in the deep-underground group. Acetoacetic acid was poorly expressed, and 2-hydroxyglutaric acid was highly expressed in good sleep quality.ConclusionsThe influence of the underground environment on the human body is more likely to induce specific amino acid metabolism processes, and regulate the sleep-wake state by promoting the production of excitatory neurotransmitters. The difference in sleep quality may be related to the enhancement of glycolytic metabolism, the increase in excitatory neurotransmitters and the activation of proinflammation. L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine and L-glutamine, Acetoacetic acid and 2-hydroxyglutaric acid may be potential biomarkers correspondingly.

Dataset Information

Mining Tenure and Job Duties Differ Among Contemporary and Historic Underground Coal Miners With Progressive Massive Fibrosis.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Mining Tenure and Job Duties Differ Among Contemporary and Historic Underground Coal Miners With Progressive Massive Fibrosis.

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