Risk of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Patients with Coal Workers'Pneumoconiosis: A Case-control Study in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

The aim of this study was to estimate the association between occupational, environmental, behavioral risk factors, and active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients. A matched case-control study was conducted in 86 CWP patients with active PTB and 86 CWP controls without TB. A standardized questionnaire was used for risk factors assessment. Conditioned logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between the risk factors and active PTB among CWP patients. The results showed that the stage of CWP, poor workplace ventilation, family history of TB, and exposure to TB were independent risk factors for active PTB in patients with CWP with which recommendations for improving work environments, and for case finding activities in patients with CWP could be made.

Analyses on the characteristics and the trends of pneumoconiosis notified between 2001 and 2012 in Hebei Province / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To describe the incidence, development and death of pneumoconiosis reported in Hebei from 2001 to 2012 and investigate the epidemiological trends and characteristics of pneumoconiosis to provide basic data for formulating the guidelines and policies for control of pneumoconiosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The Hebei database of new cases of pneumoconiosis reposed from 2001 to 2012 were subjected to systematic arrangement. Clean data and descriptive analysis using SPSS 17.0. The statistical indices included number of new and death pneumoconiosis cases in each year.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From 2001 to 2012 a total of 4558 new cases of pneumoconiosis were reported. The situation was same to coal-workers' pneumoconiosis and silicosis. (2) The pneumoconiosis cases were distributed mainly in the city of Tang Shan, Cheng De, Zhang Jia Kou and Han Dan (88.24%). (3) Most cases were centerred in coal industry, metallurgical industry, nonferrous metals industry, architectural material industry and light industry. (4) The mean age of onset in new cases was shorted each year for silicosis, coal-workers' pneumoconiosis, potter pneumoconiosis and electric welder pneumoconiosis, especially for 2010 to 2012 (9 years). (5) The work types of these cases mainly included drilling (26.72%), mining as the main work (6.67%), hybrid coal mine work (6.95%), molding worker (5.24%) and berterring worker (4.82%). (6) The new cases of pneumoconiosis reposed from 2001 to 2012 were diagnosissed I (3415, 74.92%), II (782, 17.16%), III (361, 7.92%). (7) The death cases of pneumoconiosis reposed from 2001 to 2012 were 1182, most of them were distributed mainly in the city of Tang Shan, Cheng De, Zhang Jia Kou and Han Dan (88.24%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The incidence of pneumoconiosis is still high: the new cases of pneumoconiosis is still rising. The mean age of onset in new cases was shorted each year. The new cases of pneumoconiosis reposed from 2001 to 2012 were diagnosed II was above 25%. The prevention and control of pneumoconiosis should be enhanced in key industries and for people engaging in key regions, industries, types of work according to the epidemiological characteristics of pneumoconiosis. Most cases were centerred in coal-workers' pneumoconiosis and silicosis.</p>

Carvão fóssil / fossil coal

A história do carvão fóssil no Brasil tem início em 1795 (primeira descoberta), mas somente a partir da Segunda Guerra Mundial passa a adquirir status de indústria moderna. De 1970 em diante têm lugar trabalhos de pesquisa geológica sob bases técnicas adequadas que mudaram o panorama do conhecimento de nossos depósitos. Há oito grandes jazidas e diversas menores no Brasil, sendo que 88 por cento dos recursos estão no Rio Grande do Sul. Os parâmetros geométricos e físico-químicos são conceituados e apresentados para os principais depósitos. As reservas mundiais de carvão são cerca de quatro vezes superiores às de seus principais concorrentes: petróleo e gás natural, além de terem distribuição geográfica mais desconcentrada. O maior consumo de carvão nacional está na termoeletricidade; outros consumidores são a indústria cimenteira, petroquímica, papel e celulose, alimentos e cerâmica. A siderurgia, que já foi grande consumidora, hoje depende inteiramente de importações. O balanço de exportações/importações mostra um déficit de US$ 807 milhões, sendo o segundo produto na pauta de importações. Mais do que a insuficiência de recursos, constata-se serem as dificuldades na indústria carbonífera devidas a erros de planejamento, de caráter técnico e político, tornando-se necessário, portanto, resolver os problemas pendentes do passado antes de projetar novos empreendimentos.

Although the history of the Brazilian fossil coal started in 1975, when it first was discovered, it was only after the II World War that it began to reach the status of a modern industry. Since 1970 a proper geological exploration has improved the knowledge on coal deposits. There are eight large coal fields and several minor ones in the country, most of them (88 percent) in the Rio Grande do Sul state. The geometric and physicochemical parameters of the main deposits are defined and presented in this paper. The world coal reserves correspond to about four times those of its major concurrents: oil and natural gas, and they have a better geographical spread. Thermoelectricity uses most of the Brazilian coal; cement, petrochemical, paper and cellulose plants as well as food and ceramic industries are usual consumers. The steel manufacturing industry was an important consumer in a recent past, but nowadays it totally relies on the imported coal. Brazil's balance of trade in 1996 showed a deficit of US$ 807 million and coal is the second commodity of the country's imports. More than a lack of money, the main difficulties of the coal industry were due to a technical and political misplanning that is indispensable to correct, before projecting new enterprises.