HEALTHWPLN NASHVILLE
Black lung rates in Appalachia are high as the 1970s, with thousands of miners sick
New NIOSH data indicates that underground coal miners in central Appalachia are suffering from black lung disease at rates high for nearly 50 years. Researchers found that one in three veteran underground coal miners tested positive, a rate comparable to that recorded in 1978. The findings also suggest that even miners with as few as 15 years of underground work have elevated rates.
Mentioned
Marcy FreemanpersonNorton, VirginiaplaceNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)organizationAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineorganizationAppalachiaplaceblack lung disease/coal workers’ pneumoconiosistopicMine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)organization
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