BLACK LUNG DISEASE
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The risk of having black lung disease is
directly related to the amount of dust inhaled over the years; the
disease typically affects workers over age 50. Its common name comes
from the fact that the inhalation of heavy deposits of coal dust
makes miners lungs look black instead of a healthy pink. Although
people who live in cities often have some black deposits in their
lungs from polluted air, coal miners have much more extensive
deposits.
In the years since the federal government has regulated dust levels
in coal mines, the number of cases of black lung disease has fallen
sharply. Since the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969,
average dust levels have fallen from 8.0 mg. per cubic meter to the
current standard of 2.0 mg. per cubic meter. The 1969 law also set
up a black lung disability benefits program to compensate coal
miners who have been disabled by on-the-job dust exposure.
Despite the technology available to control the hazard, however,
miners still run the risk of developing this lung disease. The risk
is much lower today, however; fewer than 10% of coal miners have any
x ray evidence of coal dust deposits. When there is such evidence,
it often shows up as only small black spots less than 1 cm. in
diameter, and may have been caused by smoking rather than coal dust.
This condition is called "simple CWP" and does not lead to symptoms
or disability. |
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| BLACK LUNG DISEASE RELATED ITEMS |
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