title: Assessment of potential biases in the application of MSHA respirable coal mine dust data to an epidemiologic study.
abstract: Systematic errors in exposure data will result in biased estimates of the exposure-response relationship derived from epidemiologic analyses. Thus, adjustment of exposure data to account for identified errors may provide for a more accurate assessment of effect. In preparing to apply respirable coal mine dust exposure data collected by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to a study of the pulmonary status of underground coal miners, an assessment of potential systematic errors was undertaken. Potential errors stemming from adjustment of controls during sampling, concentration-dependent sampling, truncation of sampling results, identified sampling equipment problems, and a disproportionate number of low concentration samples in mine operator-collected samples were identified and evaluated. Methods to account for these errors and adjust mean exposures by mine, occupation, and year are given.
authors: Department of Environmental and Industrial Health, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor 48109-2029.
authors: N S
authors: NS
authors: Seixas
authors: T G
authors: TG
authors: Robins
authors: C H
authors: CH
authors: Rice
authors: L H
authors: LH
authors: Moulton
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D003031:Coal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration
chemical_list: D003031:Coal