Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung)


Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung) 

 Black lung is caused by long-term exposure to coal dust from work-place exposure. It is common in coal miners and others who work with coal. These workers inhale coal dust while they are working, and this dust builds up in their lungs leading to inflammation and scarring of the lungs. Black lung is incurable and often gets worse over time. 

 In 1969, congress passed The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act and created the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) [later renamed the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)]. This act required underground coal mines to undergo annual inspections, created and strengthen safety standards for coal mine workers, enacted fines for violations and provided benefits to miners disabled by the disease. This safety act decreased black lung disease in coal minors by 90%.

In 2012, a joint investigation by National Public Radio (NPR) and the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) found that the incidence of black lung in coal minors has doubled in the last decade. They found that "the mining industry and federal regulators have known for more than two decades that coal miners were breathing excessive amounts of the coal mine dust that causes black lung. CPI and NPR also found that the system for controlling coal mine dust is plagued by weak regulations and inaccurate reporting that sometimes includes fraud (Berkes, 2012)" Loopholes in the 1969 act were allowing minors to be exposed to high concentrations of coal dust. 

 In 2016, new MSHA rules took effect that lowered maximum allowed dust concentrations for surface and underground mines, and exposure by miners who have been found to be developing black lung. 
References:

 American Lung Association (n.d.) Pneumoconiosis Symptoms, Causes and Risk Factors. Retrieved from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pneumoconiosis/pneumoconiosis-symptoms-causes-risks.html

 Berkes, H.[NPR] (2012) As Mine Protections Fail, Black Lung Cases Surge. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2012/07/09/155978300/as-mine-protections-fail-black-lung-cases-surge

 Centers for Disease Control [CDC] (2017) Pneumoconioses. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/pneumoconioses/default.html

 United States Department of Labor (n.d.) Legislative History of U.S. Mine Safety and Health. Retrieved from https://www.msha.gov/about/history

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