British data on coal miners' pneumoconiosis and relevance to US conditions.
OBJECTIVE
The current primary federal dust standard for US underground coal miners of 2 mg/m3 respirable dust is based on British epidemiological information on exposure-response derived in 1969. Since then, much new information has become available. This paper reviews and compares the available information as it relates to the US mining situation.


METHODS
Recent exposure-response information on pneumoconiosis and dust exposure derived by British researchers was employed to estimate working-life risks of pneumoconiosis for miners exposed to 2 mg/m3.


RESULTS
It is estimated that close to 9% of underground coal miners who work for 40 years in a 2 mg/m3 environment would develop pneumoconiosis (category 1 or greater). Progressive massive fibrosis would develop in 0.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
There are unresolved questions relating to the validity of extrapolating findings on British mines and miners to the US and also in predicting disease levels at the low end of the dust exposure spectrum. Given the data available, current information suggests miners who are employed for a working life-time at the current federal dust limit of 2 mg/m3 are still at risk of developing pneumoconiosis.
Attfield
M D
MD
Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505.
D015982:Bias; D003032:Coal Mining; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005355:Fibrosis; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology