Coal Mine Dust Exposures and Associated Health …

hour work week; 2. Exposures to respirable crystalline silica should be limited to 0.05 mg/m3 as a time-weighted average concentration for up to a 10 hour day during a 40 hour work week; 3. The periodic medical examination for coal miners should include spirometry; 4. Periodic medical examinations should include a standardized respiratory

Coal as an energy source and its impacts on human health

On the other hand, exposition to high concentrations of ambient air pollution is associated with overweight and obesity among children (2–13 years old) (Dong et al., 2012). PM 2.5 is associated with many diseases and contributed to about 4.2 million premature deaths in 2015 (Cohen et al., 2017; Bowe et al., 2018).

Hazards identified and the need for health risk assessment …

Although mining is a cornerstone of the South African economy (), it generates copious amounts of dust. 1 The dusts may be toxic since they may also be contaminated with various toxic metals.For this reason, the prevalence and severity of occupational diseases in the mining industry depends on the ores mined, the …

Mining is bad for health: a voyage of discovery

Mining continues to be a dangerous activity, whether large-scale industrial mining or small-scale artisanal mining. Not only are there accidents, but exposure to dust and toxins, along with stress from the working environment or managerial pressures, give rise to a range of diseases that affect miners. I look at mining and health from various …

Hazardous minerals mining: Challenges and solutions

Hazards associated with conventional mineral mining4.1. Hazards to the environment. Mining of Minerals has a great role in contributing to a country's economy, yet it is noted that these economic thrust areas are converted to graveyard laden with the most toxic elements after years of mining.

How can metal mining impact the environment?

Material adapted from: Hudson, T.L, Fox, F.D., and Plumlee, G.S. 1999. Metal Mining and the Environment, p. 7,20-27,31-35,38-39. Published by the American Geosciences Institute Environmental Awareness Series. …

Understanding technology in mining and its effect on the …

The European Commission found that in 2007, the mining industry was the economic sector with most work-related health problems in the European Union …

A Review of the Scope of Artisanal and Small‐Scale Mining Worldwide

Some of the poorest people in the world's poorest countries eke out a living in artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM). Equipped with primitive tools like picks, shovels, buckets, and gold pans, they work mining valuable resources, like gold, diamonds, tin, lithium, rare earth elements, tantalum, and cobalt, and any other usable commodity, for …

Risks and opportunities for mining

pandemic will continue, the mining industry appears to be rapidly recalibrating. And our survey suggests mining companies are in a strong position to capitalize on a fresh raft of opportunities. The pandemic may have increased the risk associated with political instability and economic downturns, but at the same time it has prompted

Mining and biodiversity: key issues and research …

2. The many ways mining activities impact biodiversity. Mining affects biodiversity at multiple spatial scales (site, landscape, regional and global) through direct (i.e. mineral extraction) and indirect …

Occupational respiratory diseases in the South African mining …

Migrant labour-related problems are deep-seated within the mining industry, and mine occupational health professionals need to become actively engaged with management on these issues. Oscillating migration is a risk factor for work-related disease and falls within the scope of occupational health services.

Mining industry challenges: Five initiatives for …

Mining and metals companies today must contend with various geopolitical risks, supply chain risks, and target-market risks, but many do so from a strong financial position. For their companies to …

Mining Safety: 7 Hazards to Identify and How to Avoid Them

Inadequate ventilation in underground mines can worsen dust buildup and raise the risk of respiratory problems. ... Standard machinery typically associated with these incidents includes the following: ... communication protocols between operators and ground personnel are crucial to prevent accidents and maintain a safe working environment in ...

Some Challenges of Deep Mining

An increased global supply of minerals is essential to meet the needs and expectations of a rapidly rising world population. This implies extraction from greater depths. Autonomous mining systems, developed through sustained R&D by equipment suppliers, reduce miner exposure to hostile work environments and increase safety.

Mental health in mine workers: a literature review

According to Street et al. 23), job stress was associated with an average of 33.6% work impairment and $45,240.70 ... In order to summarize the evidence, to help knowing about the mental health related problems at mining work and to bridge the existing gap in literature review on the theme, this study presents the results of scoping …

Mining is bad for health: a voyage of discovery

Introduction. I have spent many years working at the interface between the environment, both natural and built, and health, in both general medical (family) practice and in community-focussed public health practice (e.g. Stewart 1990; Stewart et al. 2003; Herm et al. 2005; Stewart et al. 2010; Mahoney et al. 2015; Stewart and Hursthouse …

Ghana's informal mining harms health and the land – but …

They are short-lived and unplanned. They do not address the underlying causes of the problems associated with informal mining. The artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector in Ghana is complicated.

Mining

Mining is the process of extracting useful materials from the earth. Some examples of substances that are mined include coal, gold, or iron ore.Iron . ore is the material from which the metal iron is produced.. The process of mining dates back to prehistoric times.. Prehistoric people first mined flint, which was ideal for tools and …

Environmental Risks of Mining

When companies break up materials during mining, the dust can release a variety of heavy metals commonly associated with health problems. As dust, these minerals (such as the asbestos-like mineral riebeckite) can be absorbed into lung tissue, causing problems like pneumoconiosis and silicosis, commonly known as "Black Lung" (Paul & Campbell, 2011).

Mining industry employment and talent …

Three cross-industry trends are converging to trigger far-reaching changes within the mining workforce. First, the nature of work itself is evolving, with an increasing focus on automation, algorithms, …

Harms and Crimes of Mining

Subsistence mining in Colombia is closely intertwined with the culture and identity of Colombians of African descent. Traditional mining for many of these miners involves activities relying on non-mechanized techniques like barequeo—a gold panning technique. 1 For many barequeadors, gold panning is what "made them feel free and not …

CDC

In the early 1970s, the prevalence of CWP was 33% among miners working 25 or more years. The prevalence dropped to less than 5% by the late 1990s. However, since that time, CWP prevalence has increased to more than 10% for these longest tenured miners. ... to mining. On chest x-rays, r-type opacities are associated with silicosis lung …

'Cobalt Red' describes the 'horror show' of mining the …

"People are working in subhuman, grinding, degrading conditions. They use pickaxes, shovels, stretches of rebar to hack and scrounge at the earth in trenches and pits and tunnels to gather cobalt ...

Impacts for half of the world's mining areas are …

Climate change isn't the only problem associated with coal mining, for example 1. ... governments and mining companies are working to boost the …

Evidence of the impacts of metal mining and the effectiveness of mining

Mining activities, including prospecting, exploration, construction, operation, maintenance, expansion, abandonment, decommissioning and repurposing of a mine can impact social and environmental systems in a range of positive and negative, and direct and indirect ways. Mining can yield a range of benefits to societies, but it may also cause …

What occupational risk factors significantly affect miners' …

Introduction: The workplace's health hazard remains a significant concern to workers in the mining industry, where miners are continually exposed to various kinds …

Environmental and Health Consequences of Uranium Mining

Open-Pit Mining. In open-pit mining, rocks and soil are removed to expose and access the underlying uranium ore. These mines span hundreds to thousands of acres, as seen in Fig. 1. [4] For each ton of ore processed via open-pit mining, 40 tons of waste are generated, and dust and radon gas are released during this process.

Mining and Water Quality | U.S. Geological Survey

Mine drainage is metal-rich water formed from a chemical reaction between water and rocks containing sulfur-bearing minerals. Problems that can be associated with mine drainage include contaminated drinking water, disrupted growth and reproduction of aquatic plants and animals, and the corroding effects of the acid on parts of …

CDC

The Miner Health Program's Mission is to identify, develop, and promote health solutions that maximize miner protection, minimize harmful exposures, and prevent disease.. This mission will be accomplished by achieving our Vision of sustained health and well-being for all miners throughout their working years and retirement.. Successful …

The 5 biggest challenges facing the mining sector

Its other priorities include integrating new technology and hiring a demographically diverse workforce. Julia Gartley, a mineral process engineer at BBA Vancouver, outlines what she sees as the ...