Comments on: Dr. van Steenis Speaks: Unedited Footage http://coalhealthstudy.org/2009/09/26/vansteenislectureunedited/ Coal Health Study Blog Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:14:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: coalhealthadmin http://coalhealthstudy.org/2009/09/26/vansteenislectureunedited/#comment-29 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:08:29 +0000 http://coalhealthstudy.org/?p=105#comment-29 Cancers, especially of the lung, have much greater incidence in communities adjacent coal mines, as noted in the Douglasdale Coal Health Study. In addition, COPD has been found a precursor to lung cancer irrespective of whether the patient smoked (see literature review for COPD reference). In summary, incidence of diseases formerly found only in coal miners are now increasing in the communities adjacent open-cast coal mines.

Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatoid pneumoconiosis (results in large lesions on the lungs) have been correlated to exposure to crystalline silica (quartz dust) in ceramics workers and coal miners. To my knowledge, here have been no studies to date on whether communities adjacent coal mines have greater incidence of such autoimmune diseases.

]]> By: gaynor http://coalhealthstudy.org/2009/09/26/vansteenislectureunedited/#comment-27 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:36:16 +0000 http://coalhealthstudy.org/?p=105#comment-27 have there been studies of other diseases related to coal mining? has cancer, autoimmune system diseases , etc. ever been correlated? thanks for reply.

]]>