title: Respirable dust exposures in U.S. surface coal mines (1982-1986).
abstract: Exposure of miners to respirable coal mine dust and to respirable quartz silica at surface coal mines in the United States during 1982-1986 were evaluated by job category using data collected by coal mine operators and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors. Average coal mine dust concentrations were usually well below the MSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for all job categories, but at least 10% of the samples obtained from some coal preparation plant job areas and most drilling job areas had concentrations that exceeded the 2.0 mg/m3 limit. In contrast, a very high proportion of samples from surface mine driller areas exceeded the quartz PEL. Of all samples collected for highwall drill operators and helpers, 78% and 77%, respectively, were greater than the 0.1 mg/m3 quartz exposure limit (average concentrations were .32 and .36 mg/m3, respectively). Although MSHA compliance data may not be entirely adequate for assessing chronic exposure to quartz, these data and the results of other NIOSH studies nonetheless indicate excessive exposure to silica in a group of surface coal miners.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, West Virginia.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Piacitelli
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Amandus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dieffenbach
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D003031:Coal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D003032:Coal Mining; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D010559:Personnel Management; D011791:Quartz / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D003031:Coal; D004391:Dust; D011791:Quartz; D012822:Silicon Dioxide