black lung

Black lung disease, also known as coal workers'pneumoconiosis (CWP), is caused by long exposure to coal dust. It is a common affliction of coal miners and others who work with coal, similar to both silicosis from inhaling silica dust, and to the long-term effects of tobacco smoking. Inhaled coal dust progressively builds up in the lungs and is unable to be removed by the body; that leads toinflammation, fibrosis, and in the worst case,necrosis.

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, in its most severe state, develops after the initial, milder form of the disease known as anthracosis (anthrac - coal, carbon). This is often asymptomatic and is found to at least some extent in all urban dwellers^[1] due to air pollution. Prolonged exposure to large amounts of carbon dust can result in more serious forms of the disease, simple coal workers' pneumoconiosisand complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis.

History and prevention efforts

There are currently about 42,000 underground coal miners actively working in the United States. The mining and production of coal is a major part of the economy in several developed countries. In the past ten years, over 10,000 American miners have died from CWP. Although this disease is preventable, many miners are still developing advanced and severe cases.

In the 40 years since the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 became law, the proportion of miners with black lung disease has gone down by about 90%. But the downward trend of this disease in coal miners has stopped. Rates of black lung are on the rise, and have almost doubled in the last 10 years. From 1994 to 2004, over 14,000 miners died from black lung disease in the United States.