Abstract
This paper presents dust exposure study of 69 workers engaged in 11 categories of jobs over seven coalmines of Jharia Coalfields. Dust samples were analysed for dust concentration, maximum exposure limit (MEL), free silica and other minerals present, and particle size and shape. Study reveals that workers engaged in vicinity of coal/rock cutting operation, are exposed to higher dust concentration (50% samples exceeding MEL), and contain more fine particles (d 50 < 5 μm) with sharp edges. Samples exceeding MEL are classified as high-risk category which needs special attention for taking preventive and protective measure like use of personal protective equipments, job rotation and reduction in dust generation through engineering control using appropriate technology of dust suppression and dust extraction as per their applicability. The study also suggests presence of kaolinite and asbestos along with quartz which make the dust more harmful in nature necessitating further investigation and careful control measures.
Similar content being viewed by others
Reference
Agarwal D, Pandey JK, Pal AK (2015) Study on pulmonary function test of mine workers exposed to respirable dust in Jharia Coalfield, India. International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research 6:1570–1576
Ainsworth SM, Gero AJ, Parobeck PS, Tomb TF (1995) Quartz exposure levels in the underground and surface coal mining industry. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 56:1002–1007
Althouse RB, Castellan RM, Attfield MD, Bang KM, Parker JE (1998) Surveillance of pneumoconiosis morbidity in US underground coal mines: 1970–95. In: Chiyotani K, Hosoda Y, Aizama Y (eds) Advances in the prevention of Occupational Respiratory diseases, 174. Elsevier Science BV
Antao VC, Petsonk EL, Sokolow LZ, Wolfe AL, Pinheiro GA, Hale JM, Attfield MD (2005) Rapidly progressive coal workers’ pneumoconiosis in the United States: geographic clustering and other factors. Occup Environ Med 62:670–674
Attfield MD, Castellan RM (1992) Epidemiological data on US coal miners pneumoconiosis, 1960–1988. Am J Pub Health 82:964–970
Attfield MD, Seixas NS (1995) Prevalence of pneumoconiosis and its relationship to dust exposure in a cohort of US bituminous coal miners and ex-miners. Am J Ind Med 27:137–151
Attfield MD, Castranova V, Wagner GR (2007) Respiratory disease in coal miners. Environmental and occupational medicine, Philadelphia, Wolters Kluwer 4:345–363
Aydin H (2010) Evaluation of the risk of coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP): a case study for the Turkish hard coal mining. Sci Res Essays 5:3289–3297
Bang KM, Althouse RB, Kim JH, Game SR, Castellan RM (1995) Silicosis mortality surveillance in the United States, 1968–1990. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 10:1070–1074
CDC/NIOSH (1994) Work-Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report, 94–120, DHHS (NIOSH), Cincinnati. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/94-120/pdfs/94-120.pdf. Accessed on 20.02.13
Chester R, Green RN (1968) The infrared determination of quartz in sediments and sedimentary rocks. Chem Geo 3:199–212
CMPDIL (1998) Compendium on updated and revised geology of Jharia Coalfield, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
Coal Mines Regulation Act 1982 (New South Wales) (1957) Coal Mines Regulation, Respirable Dust 1978. Queensland
Coates JP (1997) The IR Analysis of Quartz and Asbestos, Nelioth Offset Ltd. Chesham, England
Cowie RL, Mabena SK (1991) Silicosis, chronic airflow limitation, and chronic bronchitis in South African gold miners. Am Rev Respir Dis 143:80–84
DGMS (2004) (Tech.) (S&T) Circular No. 01, Guidelines For Conducting Respirable Air-Borne Dust Survey In Coal Mines Under Reg. 123 of Coal Mines Regulations, 1957. Ministry of Labour and Employment, Govt. of India. https://elibrarywcl.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/dgms-all-circular-2004.pdf. Accessed 29.09.15
DGMS (Tech.) (S&T) Circular No.01 (2010) Respirable Dust Measurements and Control to Prevent Pneumoconiosis in Mines. Ministry of Labour and Employment, Govt. of India. Available at: https://elibrarywcl.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/dgms-tech-st-circular-no-01-of-2010-respirable-dust.pdf. Accessed 20.09.2013
Farmer VC (1974) The IR spectra of minerals mineral. Soc London 42:308–320
Filloon R (2001) Implementing silica analysis by X-ray diffraction part II: health effects, analysis and regulations. UHL Hygienic Laboratory 39:2–4
Finkelman RB, Orem W, Castranova V, Tatu CA, Belkin EH, Zheng B, Lerch HE, Maharaj SV, Bates AL (2002) Health impacts of coal and coal use: possible solutions. Int J Coal Geol 50:425–443
Ghotkar VB, Maldhure BR, Zodpey SP (1995) Involvement of lung and lung function tests in stone quarry workers. Ind J Tub 42:155–160
Glass WI, McLean D, Armstrong R, Pearce N, Thomas L, Munro G, Walrond J, McMillan A, O’Keefe R, Power P, Rayner C, Stevens M, Taylor R (2003) Occupational Health Report Series Number 9: 2003: Respiratory Health and Silica Dust Levels in the Extractive Industry, Occupational Safety and Health Service, Department of Labour, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Memorial Hospital, New Zealand. http://www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/information-guidance/all-guidance-items/respiratory-health-and-silica-dust-levels-in-the-extractive-industry/ohrs009.pdf. Assessed on 10.05.14
Hlavay J, Jonas K, Elek S, Inczedy J (1978) Characterization of the particle size and the crystallinity of certain minerals by infrared spectrophotometry and other instrumental methods-II. Investigation on quartz and feldspar. Clay and clays Minerals 26:139–143
HSE 101 (2005) Crystalline silica in respirable airborne dusts. Direct-on-filter analyses by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. MDHS Methods for the determination of hazardous substances health and safety laboratory. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_protect/@protrav/@safework/documents/publication/wcms_118100.pdf. Accessed on 14.03.13
IARC (1987) Monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans: Silica and some silicates, WHO, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon. 42:49–51
IARC (1997) Monograph on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans silica, some silicates, coal dust and para-aramid fibrils World Health Organization, Geneva. Vol. 68:211:1997
Jones T, Blackomore P, Leach M, Berube K, Sexton K, Richards R (2002) Characterisation of airborne particles collected within and proximal to an opencast coalmine: South Wales. U.K. Environ Monit Assess 75:293–312
Kapur MS (1965) Coal miners’ pneumoconiosis. J Indian Med Assoc 45:538–539
Kenny LC, Hurley F, Warren ND (2002) Estimate of the risk of contracting pneumoconiosis in the UK coal mining industry. The Annals Occup Hyg 46:257–260
Kumar SR, Rajkumar P (2014) Characterization of minerals in air dust particles in the state of Tamilnadu, India through FTIR, XRD and SEM analyses. Infrared Phys Technol 67:30–41
Kumari S, Kumar R, Mishra KK, Pandey JK, Udayabhanu GN, Bandopadhyay AK (2011) Determination of quartz and its abundance in respirable airborne dust in both coal and metal mines in India. Procedia Engineering 26:1810–1819
Li W, Shao L, Shi Z, Li J, Yang S (2008) Physical and chemical characteristics of individual mineral particles in an urban fog episode. Environ Sci 29:253–258 (In Chinese with English abstract)
Love RG, Miller BG, Groat SK, Hagen S, Cowe HA, Johnstop PP, Hutchinson P, Soutar CA (1997) Respiratory health effects of opencast coalmining: a cross sectional study of current works. Occup Environ Med 54:416–423
McCunney RJ, Morfeld P, Payne S (2009) What component of coal causes coal workers’ pneumoconiosis? J Occup Environ Med 51:462–471
Mukherjee AK, Bhattacharaya SK, Saiyad HN (2005) Assessment of respirable dust and its free silica contents in different Indian coalmines. Ind Health 43:277–284
Munro JF, Crompton GK (1999) Health effects of respirable dust from opencast coal mining. Proceedings of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 29:11–15
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2007): NIOSH/OSHA Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005–149. (third printing, September 2007). http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-149/pdfs/2005-149.pdf. Accessed on 10.07.15
NIOSH hazard review (2002) Health effects of occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica DHHS (NIOSH). Publication No. 2002–129. Cincinnati OH USA. Available at: www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2002-129/pdfs/2002-129.pdf, Accessed on 27.06.15
Pandey JK, Agarwal D (2012) Biomarkers: A potential prognostic tool for silicosis. Indian J Occup Environ Med 16:9–15
Patnaik JP, Parihar YS (1990) Analysis of 144 cases of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis detected in SECL. Indian J Industr Med 36:157–161
Malcolm Ross, Robert P. Nolan, Arthur M. Langer, W. Clark (1993a) Copper in health effect of minerals dust, in: George D. Guthire, Brooke T Mossma (Eds) Mineralogical Society of America, Washington DC 28:361
Ross M, Nolan RP, Langer AM, Cooper WC (1993b) Health effects of mineral dusts other than asbestos. Rev Mineral Geochem 28:361–407
Roy KB (1956) Pneumoconiosis in Central Indian coal mines. Br J Indust Med 13:184–186
Satsangi PG, Yadav S (2014) Characterization of PM 2.5 by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectrometer: its relation with different pollution sources. Int J Environ Sci Technol 11:217–232
Stasiow A, Marek K (1998) Major epidemiological problems of coal workers pneumoconiosis in the area of Upper Silesia in poland, In: Chiyotani K, Hosoda Y, Aizama Y (eds) Advances in the prevention of Occupational Respiratory diseases 187, Elsevier Science BV.1998
Tomb TF, Peluso RG, Parobeck PS (1986) Quartz in United States coal mines. In: Wheeler RW (ed) International Conference on the Health of Miners. Cincinnati, OH, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 513–9
Turkmenoglu AG, Yavuz-Isik N (2008) Mineralogy, chemistry and potential utilization of clays from coal deposits in the Kütahya province, Western Turkey. Appl Clay Sci 42:63–73
Ulvestad B, Bakke B, Eduard W, Kongerud J, Lund MD (2001) Cumulative exposure to dust causes accelerated decline in lung function in tunnel workers. Occup Environ Med 58:663–669
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pandey, J.K., Agarwal, D., Gorain, S. et al. Characterisation of respirable dust exposure of different category of workers in Jharia Coalfields. Arab J Geosci 10, 183 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-2974-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-2974-4