Evaluation of occupational exposures to respirable dust in underground coal mines.

Dust can be produced by almost all mining operations in underground coal mines and seen all around the mine. Different occupational groups get exposed to different dust levels and in order to minimize the probability of developing coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), it is necessary to investigate the workers exposed to dust. This study aimed to evaluate the dust concentration conditions in underground coal mines and also the occupational health risks associated with exposures to respirable dust. The data obtained from the dust measurement studies conducted in various underground coal mines between the years 1978-2006 was evaluated by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey-Kramer procedure. In the statistical analyses, the comparison of dustiness between mines and their mining regions were made by using the average dust concentration values. In addition, the numbers of workers with doubtful pneumoconiosis diagnosis were evaluated according to the occupational job category by using the number of the workers with the job illness. It was concluded that the production regions have the higher dust concentration levels and the CWP is mostly diagnosed in the workers working in production regions.