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• The hybrid cooling and dust suppression solution that prioritizes efficiency, energy saving, and environmental protection has been proposed. • The effects of the hybrid cooling and dust suppression solution in hot fully-mechanized mining face have been conducted by computational fluid dynamics numerical simulation. • The hybrid solution will be of benefit to the improvement of the thermal and clean environment. With the increasing depth of coal mining, the hot and humid environment at the mining faces is becoming more severe. Mining in these conditions, coupled with the hazardous effects of coal dust, poses a significant risk to the health of coal miners. To improve the working conditions in underground coal mines, this study proposes a hybrid solution that combines evaporative cooling and dust suppression in fully mechanized working faces. Numerical models of the mining face are also created to simulate the cooling effects of the proposed solution. Additionally, the migration laws of water droplets from the spray system are also studied. The results indicate that the proposed solution can effectively improve thermal environments and suppress coal dust. This research can enhance the workplace safety in underground coal mines and provide valuable insights for addressing high airflow temperatures and concentrated dust levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of the mining industry and advancements in deep mining technology, mine environment optimization has become key to ensuring safety and improving the efficiency of mining. The high-temperature environment, particularly in deep mines, not only poses a serious threat to miners' health but also significantly reduces operational efficiency. These issues have been determined based on the current application status and development trends of mine cooling technology, including traditional mechanical and non-mechanical cooling technologies, as well as emerging roadway insulation materials and mine cooling clothing applications. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each technology, the main challenges related to the use of current mine cooling technologies are pointed out, including the low energy efficiency ratio, high cost, and difficult implementation. Finally, this paper looks forward to the future development directions of mine cooling technologies, emphasizing the importance of intelligent, energy-saving, and environment-improving comprehensive system management and, in turn, promoting the progress and application of mine environment optimization technology and supporting safe and efficient deep mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the exploitation of deep coal resources, the gas hazard becomes increasingly significant, severely threatening the high-quality development of the coal industry and the occupational safety and health of miners. Coal seam water injection is underground coal mines' most commonly used dust control measure. Additionally, it is an effective method for preventing localized coal and gas outburst hazards. After injecting water into the coal seam, spontaneous imbibition causes the retained water in the fractures to migrate under capillary action and widely distribute the water within the coal seam, which enhances the wetting degree of the coal by water and the effectiveness of gas prevention. To reveal the migration characteristics of water in the coal during spontaneous imbibition and its impact on gas control, a self-developed gas-bearing coal spontaneous imbibition system was used to conduct isobaric water injection imbibition and gas desorption experiments on gas-bearing coal samples. The results showed that after the water was injected into the coal sample, it migrated from bottom to top under capillary action, resulting in three stages of abrupt, rapid, and gradual changes in the electrical resistivity of different layers of the coal sample over time. The migration distance of water increased with the imbibition time, but the rate of increase gradually decreased. The compaction load increase reduced the coal sample's average pore size, resulting in faster water migration speed. After imbibition, the water content decreased gradually from bottom to top along the axial direction and showed a non-uniform distribution in the radial direction. During imbibition, the water displaced gas within the coal sample, and the amount of gas displaced increased with the imbibition time. Increasing the amount of water injected and the coal sample compacted load can promote water migration within the coal, expanding the wetted area and displacing more gas. After imbibition, due to the displaced gas being released and the water-lock effect, the atmospheric gas desorption amount of the coal sample decreased with an increase in the amount of water injected, following a modified power function relationship. When the amount of water injected into the coal sample was low, increasing the water-injected amount could significantly reduce the gas desorption expansion energy of the coal sample. However, this trend became less apparent as the amount of water injected continued to increase. To improve the effectiveness of coal seam water injection in preventing gas outburst hazards, it is recommended to carry out water injection operations as early as possible to expand the wetted area of the coal seam and to add gas drainage holes to prevent increased coal body outburst tendencies due to local gas pressure rise in the coal seam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) still poses health risks to miners. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) is a powerful tool for RCMD characterization because it provides particle-level data, including elemental ratios (via the EDX signals) that can enable classification by inferred mineralogy. However, if the particle loading density (PLD) is high on the analyzed substrate (filter sample), interference between neighboring particles could cause misclassification. To investigate this possibility, a two-part study was conducted. First, the effect of PLD on RCMD classification was isolated by comparing dust particles recovered from the same parent filters under both low- and high-PLD conditions, and a set of modified classification criteria were established to correct for high PLD. Second, the modified criteria were applied to RCMD particles on pairs of filters, with each pair having one filter that was analyzed directly (frequently high PLD) and another filter from which particles were recovered and redeposited prior to analysis (frequently lower PLD). It was expected that application of the modified criteria would improve the agreement between mineralogy distributions for paired filters; however, relatively little change was observed for most pairs. These results suggest that factors other than PLD, including particle agglomeration, can have a substantial effect on the particle EDX data collected during direct-on-filter analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To control the diffusion of high concentrations of coal dust during tunnel boring and minimize the threat to the life and health of coal miners, theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and field measurements were combined in this study. First, computational fluid dynamic simulation software was used to simulate the generation of dust particles and their transport pattern in the tunnel. Subsequently, an innovative orthogonal test was performed to study the effect of four ventilation parameters [the pressure airflow rate (Q), distance between the air duct center and heading face (LA), distance between the air duct center and tunnel floor (LB), and distance between the air duct center and nearest coal wall (LC)] on dust diffusion. According to the orthogonal test results, the optimal ventilation parameters for effective dust control are as follows: Q = 1400 m3/min, LA = 7 m, LB = 2.8 m, and LC = 1 m. The optimized set of ventilation parameters was applied to the Wangpo 3206 working face. The results show that dust diffusion in the tunnel was effectively controlled and that the air quality was sufficiently improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Significant stressors which affect miners' health conditions are screened out. • Associations of stressors and subsequent health outcomes are updated by meta-analysis. • Core influencing factors and paths of miners' psychosocial stressors are identified. Introduction : The workplace's health hazard remains a significant concern to workers in the mining industry, where miners are continually exposed to various kinds of exposure sources. Method : First, the determinants of miners' health were systematically extracted from 259 publications, comprising chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial stressors, vulnerability factors, and common health outcomes. Then, 16 meta-analyses were performed to ascertain the epidemiological evidence for associations between four stressors and three health outcomes. The seven top contributing factors affecting miners' health were identified through 166 available prospective studies. Finally, based on the classic and domestic measurement scales, a cross-sectional survey of 559 Chinese miners was conducted to determine the core psychosocial predictors. In addition to the traditional mechanisms, complex interactive networks among the antecedents and consequences and the reversed effects of consequences were also obtained, where 379 strong association rules were yielded via the Apriori algorithm. Results : The results showed that occupational dust, NO 2 , heavy metals, heat, vibration, awkward posture, and job stress are significant risk factors associated with individuals' health conditions. Psychological capital, coping style, job demand, social support, organizational support, justice, and culture are core psychosocial predictors of miners. Conclusions : This study presents a case for identifying the most significant occupational risk factors related to individuals' health, which could be extended and applied to other industries, as working populations around the world are suffering from various chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial stressors. Practical Applications : Identifying the significant occupational risk factors affecting workers' health conditions is essential for comprehensive occupational health risk assessment and management. Therefore, this study could be important for health management in mines and other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Dust pollution is common in Indian roads and several industrial settings (including mines) that affects human health. Identification and characterization of the dust particles in the mining area is essential for knowing the properties of the dust that effectively causes ailments to humans, particularly among workers those who are working in unorganized industrial settings. The present study aimed to determine the level of dust pollution and to know the size and characterize the dust particles in the Pachami-Hatgacha stone mine areas of Birbhum district, West Bengal, India. Dust samples were collected and analysed for Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) to determine the size and shape of the particles, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) to determine the free silica content, and X-ray Florence (XRF) analysis for quantitative estimation of components in the sample. All the analyses were done following standard instrumentation and techniques. The size of the dust particles was much less (ranges 101–298 nm) than the size of respirable particles (2500 nm). Those were mostly generated as well as precipitated during peak working hours of the day. Presence of considerable amounts of silica was confirmed by the FT-IR (strong and broad band at 1000 cm−1) and XRF analysis (76.85% SiO2). Exposure to these dust particles may cause severe health impairments. Therefore, interventions like wet drilling and blasting, sprinkling of water during peak working hours, and awareness of use of personal protective devices among workers are required to reduce the risk and hazards associated with dust pollution to the health of miners and inhabitants around the mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientometrics has become the most important tool to evaluate and analyze the performance of scientists, cooperation between universities, the impact of public funding of science on the results of national research and development, the effectiveness of education, and others. Therefore, professionals and scientists need a range of theoretical and practical tools to measure experimental data. The purpose of this article is to provide an up-to-date overview of the various tools available for scientometric analysis, including data sources, performance analysis and visualization tools. In this study performed a scientometric analysis based on 21,180 publications from the Scopus database was conducted with only published articles in mining industry between 1960 and 2023. It also revealed that 77% of the articles were published in journals and only 2.6% corresponded to review studies. Using network analysis in VOSviewer, the publications were grouped by keywords into 5 clusters with Strength. Cartographic analysis confirmed the descriptive findings and visualized the co-authorship of authors. Using bibliographic linkage analysis, the semantic relationship between authors and their associated institutions and countries was investigated (consist of 38 clusters with 404 link). Average number of citations per keyword (3.2) will allowed the most cited area is devoted to health risks. Recent studies have focused on dust and lung diseases which can pose a serious threat to the life and health of mine workers, therefore risk of coal dust explosions, which in result poses a direct risk of injury or even loss of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The presented article is empirical in nature and deals with the issue of human resource management in the mining work environment in the face of health risks for workers exposed to the harmful effects of coal mine dust at the workplace. Its purpose is to draw the attention of the management of coal mines in Poland to the growing problem of the increase in the incidence of pneumoconiosis among miners and the obligations that fall on the employer and management in connection with the need to fulfill the provisions of Article 207 of the Labour Code (Labour Code) and the changing European legislation (Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2017/2398 of December 12, 2017). The article presents the results of a health study of miners employed in the mining divisions of mine X exposed to the risk of harmful dusts and SiO2 chemicals contained in mine dust. The impetus for the study in question was the increasing incidence of occupational diseases among workers in Polish coal mines in recent years, among which new cases of pneumoconiosis predominated. In 2022, pneumoconiosis of miners accounted for 92.1% of all diagnosable occupational diseases in the PKD's economic activity section B - mining and quarrying. The second factor prompting the research topic was the amendment of the regulation on chemicals, their mixtures, agents or technological processes with carcinogenic or mutagenic effects in the work environment introduced on January 24, 2020, including crystalline silica - the respirable fraction formed during work - among the agents with carcinogenic or mutagenic effects. Design/methodology/approach: A study of the assessment of the prevailing dust hazard and the frequency of respiratory lesions among workers in the mining departments of mine X exposed to the harmful effects of mine dust as a by-product of the manufacturing process was carried out using the following methods: individual dosimetry, infrared spectrometry, directional interview, diagnostic tests and spirometry. Findings: The results made it possible to identify the workplaces with the highest exposure to harmful effects of coal dust and to recognize the effects of this action in the form of respiratory lesions in 28.6% of the miners of mine X examined, who had not previously reported health complaints. Research limitations/implications: Health examinations of coal mine workers are a sensitive issue and one that is reluctantly raised by mine management, union organizations and the workers themselves. The inadequacy of Polish legislation, which, in the event of the diagnosis of symptoms of an occupational disease, guarantees an employee to keep his or her previous salary as a result of transfer to another job for only 6 months (Article 230 of the Labor Code), causes employees to hide their health status until they are eligible for retirement and are reluctant to undergo earlier diagnostic examinations. The condition for making the data available for the purposes of the above article was to guarantee the complete anonymity of the subjects and the workplace, which is in line with the policy of the Silesian University of Technology, which guarantees the anonymity of the data obtained in circular letters addressed to the Mining Companies. Practical implications: Recognized new cases of pneumoconiosis incidence among surveyed employees of mining divisions indicated the necessity of changing the current approach of employers and managers to the issue of measuring harmful factors at workplaces and the necessity of expanding preventive examinations of miners to include capillary blood gasometry, peripheral blood morphology, low-dose high-resolution computed tomography allowing scrinig of lung cancer. The proper approach of mine management and health and safety services to miners' health issues should improve the financial condition of mining companies and mines by reducing the occupational morbidity of the protection of employees, who are the pillar of the company's efficiency. Social implications: A review of the literature and the results obtained show that the problem of the incidence of pneumoconiosis among coal mine miners not only in Poland is again a growing social problem, resulting in an increase in occupational morbidity rates and incurred social costs related to the loss of physical ability to perform work by miners and the need for their treatment. On the other hand, the consequences of long-term exposure of workers to harmful factors leads to occupational diseases, the consequence of which is often a change of job and loss of part of the workers' wages, so it would be advisable to consider public consultations in this area in order to develop new legal regulations to increase worker protection. Originality/value: The article is directed to the management of coal mines and health and safety services. It presents the results of environmental measurements and diagnostic tests of miners carried out in real time, to which access is difficult. In addition, the article presents solutions for early diagnosis of respiratory health disorders and better management of human resources and protection of miners' health as a superior value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the diesel particulate matter pollution problem at the 12,306 continuous mining face of Shangwan coal mine, the spatial and temporal evolution law of diesel particulate matter generated at the three locations of the shuttle car head tunnel, contact alley, and support tunnel under the pressure-in ventilation condition of the double lane of the continuous mining face was studied by numerical simulation. The results show that the highest diesel particulate matter concentration at the shuttle car discharge is about 144.17 mg/m3, which seriously affects the health of miners. The highest diesel particulate matter concentration at the shuttle car tunnel is 52.58 mg/m3, and at the contact alley, the diesel particulate matter diffusion space is limited by the compression of the space inside the contact alley by the shuttle car machine body and the alley wall, which makes the diesel particulate matter accumulate here, forming a high diesel particulate matter concentration distribution area with a concentration value of 112.75 mg/m3. When supporting the roadway at the shuttle, diesel particulate matter accumulates in the range of X = 55 m ~ 60 m, Y = 0 m ~ 4 m, and Z = 23.4 m ~ 29.4 m. According to the degree of DPM pollution in different areas, different individual protective equipment is used to obtain different levels of pollution protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The total of 66 articles on using Wireless Sensor Networks to enhance mine safety is evaluated. • Extracting and tabulating related publication distribution data. • Benefits and limitations of WSNs for safety and health in underground mines. • Possible future path for improvement in the application of WSNs to mining safety and health management. Introduction: The very complex and hazardous environment of underground mines may significantly contribute to occupational fatalities and injuries. Deploying wireless sensor network (WSN) technology has the potential to improve safety and health monitoring of miners and operators. However, the application of WSN in the industry is not fully understood and current research themes in this area are fragmented. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive review that directly explores the contribution of WSNs to occupational safety and health (OSH) in underground mines. Method: This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review on the existing applications of WSNs for improving OSH in the underground mining industry to pinpoint innovative research themes and their main achievements, reveal gaps and shortcomings in the literature, recommend avenues for future scholarly works, and propose potential safety interventions. The major contribution of this review is to provide researchers and practitioners with a holistic understanding of the integration of WSN applications into underground mine safety and health management. Results: The review results have been categorized and discussed under three predominant categories including location monitoring and tracking, physiological and body kinematics monitoring, and environmental monitoring. Finally, seven major directions for future research and practical interventions have been identified based on the existing research gaps including: (1) further applications of WSNs for underground mining OSH management; (2) application of WSNs from research to real-world practice; (3) big data analytics and management; (4) deploying multiple WSNs-based monitoring systems; (5) integration of WSNs with other communication systems; (6) adapting WSNs to the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure; and (7) autonomous WSNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working against nature and an uncertain environment makes underground mining a hazardous profession. Every year hundreds of miners lose their valuable lives due to mine hazards. Increasing demand for coal necessitates the extraction of coal at a higher rate. As a result, easily minable shallow coal deposits are depleting speedily, and in near future, deep-seated deposits will be left for mining by underground methods. With rising depth and deployment of high-capacity machines, increasing heat stress becomes a major hazard in the underground mine environment posing threat to the miners' health, productivity and safety. Ignoring the effect of heat stress may lead to dangerous circumstances, even result in death. To avoid such unwanted event, it has become imperative to predict the heat stress to reduce its adverse impact in underground coal mines. Therefore, in this study a detailed field survey is conducted to collect the environmental data of three underground coal mines. Genetic programming (GP) is done to develop a relation between the environmental parameters and heat stress, by taking the mine survey data as input. A good correlation coefficient (R = 0.9816) is obtained between the GP predicted heat stress and actually measured heat stress, which indicates that GP can be effectively used to predict the heat stress in underground mines. A sensitivity analysis (SA) is done to determine the effect of input parameters on heat stress. The SA results revealed that all six input parameters have a considerable effect on the heat stress; however, the dry-bulb temperature has the highest effect (0.98) on heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the comprehensive design and performance validation of a wind tunnel specifically developed for advanced investigations into respirable dust deposition pertinent to coal mining environments. The design integrates a constant particle delivery system engineered to maintain uniform particle dispersion, which is critical for replicating real-world conditions in coal mines. Our methodology involved using ANSYS Fluent for the design and optimization of a blowing-type wind tunnel, with a focus on controlling turbulence levels and minimizing pressure drops, which are crucial for accurate dust behaviour simulation. The core of our research emphasizes the deployment of the Aerosol Lung Deposition Apparatus (ALDA) alongside a custom dust injection system to measure particle distributions within the test section. This setup enabled us to simulate the inhalation of coal dust particles, providing a realistic scenario for assessing potential hazards to miners. Validation of the tunnel's performance was achieved through extensive testing with dust sensors and a hot-wire anemometer, which verified the airflow velocity and turbulence against the initial design specifications. The findings affirm the wind tunnel's capability to effectively model dust deposition and its impacts, thereby offering opportunities for enhancing miner safety and health standards. [Display omitted] • Designed a blowing-type wind tunnel for simulating coal mine dust deposition using ANSYS Fluent. • Implemented a constant particle delivery system for consistent dispersion. • Simulated miner inhalation of coal dust using MALDA and custom dust injection. • Verified airflow and turbulence using dust sensors and a hot-wire anemometer. • Demonstrated wind tunnel effectiveness in modeling dust deposition for miner safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 1. The principle of dynamic interaction between fog droplets and coal dust was explored. • 2. Droplet size ratio ≥ 2, speed between 20–40 m/s dust capture PM10 effect is better. • 3. The preferred spray parameters were found to be: 1.5 mm caliber, pressure of 6mpa. • 4.The wetting effect was better when the ratio was 0.1 % ALES + 0.08 % CDEA + 0.01 % NaCl. Coal mines produce large quantities of dust during production and transportation of coal, especially respirable particulate matter of diameter < 10 µm (PM 10). This not only jeopardizes the health of workers but also pollutes the environment. Currently, spraying is the most commonly used dust reduction technology. Traditional spraying techniques use pure water; however, the wetting and condensing of dust by pure water droplets is poor, resulting in low dust reduction efficiency. To address this issue, we used orthogonal tests to determine the optimal ratio of composite dust-reducing agents. Using the coupled level set and volume of fluid (CLSVOF) method, we investigated the dynamic wetting process of PM 10 when using solutions of dust-reducing agents. We found that a particle size ratio of ≥ 2 and an initial velocity of droplets of 20–40 m/s resulted in optimal wetting and encapsulation of dust particles by droplets. We then conducted macroscopic experiments and found that the settling efficiency of PM 10 reached 88.98 % when using a 1.5-mm caliber fine atomizing nozzle and a spray pressure of 6 MPa. Our findings reveal the dynamic wetting law of droplets and dust during the process of spray dust reduction, which could lead to improved efficiency of dust-reducing agents and better management of respirable dust. These findings will help to improve clean production in coal mines and the occupational health of coal miners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcoidosis is a rare multisystem granulomatous disease traditionally considered to be of unknown etiology. The notion that sarcoidosis has no known cause is called into question with the increasing number of case reports and epidemiologic studies showing associations between occupational exposures and disease published in the past 10–20 years. Occupational exposures for which associations are strongest and most consistent are silica and other inorganic dusts, World Trade Center (WTC) dust, and metals. Occupations identified as at‐risk for sarcoidosis include construction workers; iron‐foundry and diatomaceous earth workers; WTC emergency responders; and metal workers. We report here 12 cases of sarcoidosis in a cohort of hard‐rock miners in Northern Ontario, Canada. To our knowledge sarcoidosis has not been reported previously in hard‐rock miners. The cases are all male and Caucasian, with average age 74 years. At the time of diagnosis, two were never smokers; six, former smokers; and four, current smokers. Five have extrapulmonary sarcoidosis: two cardiac and three endocrine (hypercalciuria). Using occupational histories and air sampling data from the gold, uranium, and base‐metal mines in which they worked, we examined exposure of each case to respirable crystalline silica (RCS). The annual mean RCS exposure for the 12 cases was 0.14 mg/m3 (range: 0.06–1.3 mg/m3); and the mean cumulative RCS exposure was 1.93 mg/m3 years (range: 0.64–4.03 mg/m3 years). We also considered their exposure to McIntyre Powder, an aluminum powder used for silicosis prophylaxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artisanal mercury mining (AMM) is an informal economic activity that employs low technology and limited protection, and poses a risk to workers and their families; due to the extraction process, these scenarios involve exposure to complex mixtures of pollutants that synergistically aggravate the health of miners and people living near the site. Although mercury is the predominant pollutant, there are others such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toluene, arsenic, and lead which have been classified as nephrotoxic pollutants. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the association between exposure to a complex mixture of pollutants (mercury, lead, arsenic, PAHs, and toluene) and kidney damage in artisanal Hg mining workers through early kidney damage proteins (KIM-1, OPN, RBP-4, NGAL, and Cys-C). The results demonstrate the presence of OH-PAHs at concentrations of 9.21 (6.57–80.63) μg/L, hippuric acid as a biomarker of exposure to toluene, As and Pb (655. 1 (203.8–1231) mg/L, 24.05 (1.24–42.98) g/g creatinine, and 4.74 (2.71–8.14) g/dL, respectively), and urinary Hg (503.4 (177.9–878.7) g/g creatinine) in the study population. As well as biomarkers of kidney damage, NGAL and RPB-4 were found in 100% of the samples, KIM-1 and Cys-C in 44.1%, and OPN in 41% of the miners. Significant correlations were found between several of the evaluated pollutants and early kidney damage proteins. Our results demonstrate the application of the early kidney damage biomarkers for the assessment of damage caused by the exposure to mixtures of pollutants and, therefore, the urgent need for monitoring in AMM areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to continuous exposure to airborne respirable dust, miners are in danger of acquiring pneumoconiosis, a lung illness. Extra tiny particles in this sort of dust can be ingested into lung tissue which can result in pneumoconiosis creating disease conditions of disability with associated medical complications leading to premature death. This study tries to establish the current trends in pneumoconiosis research globally. A total of 950 results in the scholarly peer-reviewed publications from 2011-2020 curated from Web of Science Core Collection showed India to have contributed 20 records. This analysis also revealed that the most opted or chosen journal by the authors for the publication was the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Apart from this, it was also seen that the scholars from Peoples R China and USA ranked highest in the list with almost half of the publications achieved alone. However, for Indian scholars to be counted among the lead global leaders, it is imperative that a more concerted effort is made in the specific area of pneumoconiosis research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal dust in the coal mining process may lead to a serious threat to the safety and health of miners. The addition of surfactants during coal seam water infusion can significantly improve the effect of dust suppression, so it is crucial to study the influence mechanism of surfactants on coal wettability. The variation of the hydration film thickness on the Tunliu coal surface at different concentrations of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) solution was investigated by atomic force microscopy. The experimental results indicate that the hydration film thickness increases initially and decreases afterward with the SDBS solution concentration increase, with a maximum value of 11.4 nm. The surface free energy (SFE) of coal molecules adsorbed with different numbers of SDBS molecules were calculated using two coal molecule cell models developed by Materials studio 8.0, and the simulation results display a good agreement with the experiments. The higher the SFE, the greater the hydration film thickness on the coal surface, and the stronger the enhancement effect of SDBS solution on the wettability of coal at the corresponding concentration. The interface formation energy (IFE) and cohesive energy density (CED) of coal molecules after adsorption of SDBS molecules were calculated separately. It was found that when three SDBS molecules were adsorbed, the absolute value of IFE and CED reached the maximum, and each SDBS molecule had the strongest average effect on coal molecules, the bond between them would be tighter. SFE simulations are helpful to optimize the selection of surfactants for practical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of practices to protect miners' health was slowly formalized in Europe beginning from the end of the 19th century. The legal pathway was equally long in all countries, especially in relation to the recognition of companies' liability in the emergence of pathologies related to workplace morbidity. As there were no precise regulations and no medical agreement on the interpretation of certain diseases, health in the mine remained an ambiguous matter for mining companies, especially in relation with psycho-physical selection of workers and qualification of labour. In the interwar period, the problem of occupational health in the mines became more urgent, worsened by the introduction of scientific management and new extractive technologies. As showed by Paul André Rosenthal, silicosis became and it's still today a global problem, both geographically and conceptually. In this paper we focus on the case of Italian mines of Pertusola, the Italian subsidiary of the greater group Peñarroya, which became one of the biggest European mining and metallurgical corporations in the first part of the 20th century. At the crossroads between the value of health and that of performance at work, a space was opened for the development of practices, tools, measures, and techniques to act on both performance and occupational health, via the materiality of the human body. By the analysis of the firm strategy and initiatives, this paper aims at clarifying the transformation of occupational health in a managerial issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this descriptive and cross-sectional study was to evaluate smoking characteristics and smoking cessation behaviors among smoking coal miners according to the Health Belief Model (HBM). The population of this cross sectional study consisted of 582 coal miners, while the sample consisted of 473 miners who agreed to participate in the study. The miners working above ground obtained significantly higher scores compared to those who worked underground (p = 0.027). There was a significant positive correlation between smoking costs and perceived susceptibility (p < 0.001; r = 0.249) sub dimension scores, while smoking costs also had a weak positive correlation with perceived severity (p < 0.050; r = 0.179). In addition, many sub dimensions of the HBM-SCS were found to be correlated (p < 0.001). This finding shows that workers who have smoking costs may have made smoking cessation a strategic goal. Smoking habits are widespread among coal miners, and it was thought that further efforts should be made to explain to those coal miners the health hazards of smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Solidworks software is used to construct the geometric model of the heading face. • Temporal-spatial evolution laws of diesel particulate matter (DPM) was obtained. • DPM concentration variation along the heading face is obtained. • The reliability of numerical simulation was verified by field measurements. Diesel equipment used in underground production and transportation will produce a large amount of diesel particulate matter (DPM), which seriously pollutes the fresh air in underground and endangers the life and health of miners. In order to study the diffusion and distribution of DPM, this paper based on CFD numerical simulation technology, carries out numerical simulation of airflow and DPM field in heading face. The results show that from 15 s to 60 s, DPM continuously accumulates in the blind zone of the airflow and on both sides of the monorail locomotive, with the DPM concentration greater than 1.2 × 10−7 kg/m3. At this time, the DPM cloud is 60 m in the horizontal direction, and shows a distribution characteristic of high in the middle and low on both sides. When T = 90 s, part of DPM diffuses to the roadway exit. At this time, in the entire roadway, starting from a section of 23 m away from the heading face, the DPM concentration sharply increases, reaching a peak of 2.91 × 10-7 kg/m3 at 33 m. Then it begins to decline slowly. The research results are of great significance to clean production in mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) of gold has adversely affected the environment and human health for decades, mostly due to excessive use of mercury. With the enactment of the zero mercury law, miners in Columbia began to replace mercury with cyanide and improve their processes. We analyzed the extraction dynamics, based on what had been identified in the municipality of Andes (Colombia) and indexed the pollutant loads of discharges from different small-scale mining gold plants. Gold production for the year 2022 in the municipality of Andes is predicted to total 9811.4 g. None of the sampled small-scale mines currently complies with the permissible parameters for ions and metals in industrial discharges; however, the contamination levels have been reduced for the: La Y mine by 18%, Dorado mine by 13.3%, El Molino by 8.6%, and La Soledad mine by 2.7%. This shows that the ASM operators in the municipality of Andes are beginning to implement cleaner production strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental evaluation of the coalface in underground mining is of great significance to the safety of production and the health of miners. In order to achieve the objective and accurate evaluation of the operating environment of the coalface, the indexes of temperature, humidity, noise, illuminance, dust, harmful gas, and wind speed are selected to construct the environment evaluation index system, and the operating environment evaluation model of the coalface based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and matter-element theory (MET) is established. Firstly, the operation environment classification criterion is established; the environment objects, joint domain, and classical domain mater-element are built; and the correlation function is calculated. Secondly, the comprehensive correlation matrix is calculated and the environmental grade is judged. Finally, from the broad point of view, three measures are proposed to improve the operation environment of the coalface: development of the environmental evaluation index monitoring system, improvement on miners' safety awareness, and formulation of regulations and policies for coal mine operation environment. The research results can provide guidelines for miners, coal mining enterprises, and occupational environmental safety departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sudden outburst of coal and gas is a complex and dynamic incident in the underground coal mines, resulting in the release of thousands of tons of coal and large amounts of gas into the working face within a short time. Due to a rise in the number of exploitations and the depth of extractions, the intensity, and frequency of explosions have increased in recent years. Consequently, these explosions have endangered miners' health and safety, brought about equipment loss and seriously affected coal production. To overcome these obstacles, the first step is to predict the occurrence of such incidents in the coal mines. There are a lot of factors playing a part in the sudden outburst of coal and gas, which can be categorized into natural and operational parameters, each of which has a different role. In this paper, a novel method is proposed to predict the possibility of gas outburst in coal seams. For this purpose, ten parameters are considered as the main variables influencing the outburst of coal and gas. To study the interrelation between these determining parameters as well as the uncertainty of the effect of one parameter on another, a fuzzy interaction matrix based on Fuzzy Rock Engineering System (FRES) has been employed. To evaluate the capability and efficiency of the proposed classification system, the C1 coal seam of Tabas coal mine is selected, and the proposed index is used to investigate the potential risk of the outburst in this mine. Index as mentioned earlier could be utilized as a basis through which one can decide on the possibility of the outburst of coal and gas in coal mines to reduce the risks of this incident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the inherent time delay in dust concentration data transmission, dust reduction equipment is unable to respond according to the current moment's dust concentration. Hence, the focus of mine dust concentration detection technology extends beyond the current dust concentration to accurately predicting the next moment's dust concentration, allowing a response window for dust reduction equipment, leading to more optimal dust reduction effects. This necessitates the introduction of the Kalman filtering algorithm. Despite the traditional single Kalman filtering algorithm's ability to make certain dust concentration predictions, it is constrained by high-temperature, high-humidity underground environments and electromagnetic pulse signal interference from fan and coal mining machine operations, with an error rate reaching up to 40 %, seriously disrupting underground dust reduction equipment. However, the composite Kalman filtering algorithm incorporating the 3σ rule effectively eliminates bad values and removes instability from the underground environment and noise, rendering it applicable to most complex environments, providing accurate predicted concentrations for dust reduction equipment, and boosting overall universality. This study designed a fusion algorithm based on the Pauta criterion and Kalman filter to further optimize the dust concentration detection technology based on electrostatic induction. The sensor's model and measuring principle were first analyzed, and the initial calibration and precision testing of the sensor using the experimental system were completed. The dust concentration fluctuation characteristics were then modeled with Matlab, and the noise variance was estimated to process and filter the dust concentration data with the Pauta criterion, Kalman filter, and fusion algorithm respectively. The accuracy of the dust concentration sensor was tested again after applying the fusion algorithm, which proved to significantly enhance the stability and accuracy of the electrostatic induction-based dust concentration sensor. This study has critical implications for coal mine dust concentration monitoring and coal miner occupational health protection. • A composite algorithm combining Kalman filtering with the 3σ criterion is proposed. • The feasibility of the fusion algorithm is verified. • The measurement accuracy of the dust concentration sensor is improved. • A more accurate method for coal mine dust and environmental monitoring was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proper identification of dust sources to reflect the real-world conditions. • Three scenarios of different cutting positions were investigated. • A critical ventilation flow rate was determined for dust removal. • The performance of onboard ventilation was evaluated for dust mitigation. • Recommendations for miner's operators was given for their health and safety. Underground miners in Australia are facing continued threats from dust-related diseases. To address these issues, improved knowledge of airflow migration patterns and respirable dust dispersion characteristics within a continuous-miner-driven heading under an exhausting ventilation system is required. Based on site-specific conditions of a development heading in New South Wales, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was constructed and validated with onsite dust monitoring data, where a good agreement was achieved. Three scenarios of coal cutting at the middle, floor and roof positions were considered and simulated, with dust generated at four different sources. The simulation results indicated that the operators on the left-hand-side (LHS) with the extraction duct should be equipped with fit-for-purpose personal protective equipment and stay behind the ventilation duct inlet during coal cutting process, while miners standing at the right-hand-side (RHS) of the continuous miner for roof and rib bolting and machine operating should stay immediately behind the roof and rib bolting rig where dust concentration is relatively low. In addition, an increase in airflow rate through the exhausting ventilation duct or a reduction in the distance from the duct inlet to the heading face assisted in reducing dust levels within the heading, particularly at the LHS of the continuous miners. Finally, compared to the scenario of the current ventilation scheme, an on-board exhausting ventilation system could improve dust removal performance, with dust concentration at the breathing level reducing by approximately 43.6%. This modelling study can advance the understanding of multi-source dust diffusion characteristics in the heading face and provide guidance on dust mitigation, thus improving the health and safety of miners and creating a cleaner underground working environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the effect of season on cognitive function and psycho-physiological responses during a 14-day swing in mine-service workers. Cognitive function, thermal sensation and comfort, rating of perceived exertion, fatigue, hydration, core temperature and heart rate were assessed throughout a shift, on three separate days over a swing. Working memory and processing efficiency did not differ between seasons (p > 0.05), however counting and recall latencies improved throughout the swing (p < 0.05). Participants reported greater fatigue post-shift compared to pre-shift (p < 0.05). Thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and hydration were significantly elevated in summer compared to winter (p < 0.05). Specifically, workers were significantly/minimally dehydrated in summer/winter (urinary specific gravity = 1.025 ± 0.007/1.018 ± 0.007). Although cognitive function and thermal strain were not impaired in summer compared to winter, it is essential to reinforce worker's knowledge regarding hydration requirements. Additional education and/or incorporating scheduled rest breaks for hydration should be considered to ensure the health and safety of mine workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal mining plays a significant role in the economy of India. The health and safety of miners working in underground mines is a serious concern. One of the risk factors is with regard to the ventilation systems. Computational fluid dynamics is one of the major tools used to study the air-flow distribution. It helps in understanding the blind galleries which may need adequate ventilation. It also helps suppress the spontaneous heating of poorly ventilated workings and in generating heat-stress plots inside the galleries to ensure the safety of mineworkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study used soils collected from a small-scale gold mine area to determine the health risks due to trace elements to the at-risk population in the study area. The work involved 74 soil samples from four sampling categories: 29 samples were from the mining pits (MD), 18 samples from the first washing area (WA), 17 samples from the second washing area (WB), and 10 samples from the control area (C). All samples were analyzed for Cr, Cu, As, Pb, Cd, Co, Ni, Zn, and Hg using the Energy Dispersive X-Ray Florescence (ED-XRF) method. Trace element levels were found to vary across the four sampling categories. The concentrations of trace elements recorded from different sampling categories varied in an increasing order of MD > WA > WB > C. Mercury was detected in the highest levels (max. 3.72 ± 0.15) at WB while it was not detected in the samples from C. Samples from MD indicated that Cu (max. 737.66 ± 1.3 mg/kg) was found in the highest levels whereas Hg (mean = 0.007 mg/kg) was the lowest. At WA, Cu (max. = 178.97 ± 2.46 mg/kg) registered the highest average concentration while Hg (mean = 0.05 mg/kg) had the lowest concentration. For WB, Cu (max. = 230.66 ± 3.99 mg/kg) was found in the highest concentration. The hazard index value for all exposure routes was found to be 1.77, making noncarcinogenic effects significant to the adult population. For children, the hazard index value was 9.11, showing a severe noncarcinogenic effect on children living in the study area. For the noncancer effects through the inhalation pathway, the risk posed by Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb was negligible for both adults and children, while Co posed the highest noncancer risk for children. Cobalt also indicated the highest noncancer risk for children through the dermal pathway, while As indicated the highest noncancer risk to children through ingestion. For the cancer risk, the adults were more at risk compared to children, except for As and Co through the dermal pathway posing the highest threat. Trace element concentrations, hazard quotient, and hazard index values indicated that the area was polluted and that noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic effects on residents and miners were significant. Therefore, there is a need to put in place mining regulations aimed at protecting the at-risk human population in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rudarsko-Geolosko-Naftni Zbornik is the property of Faculty of Mining, Geology & Petroleum Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a growing concern in mining community about the contribution of nano-particulates to miner's health. Despite the health influence of respirable dusts and associated lung diseases have been recognized for decades in the mining industry, the nano-scale particulates accompanying with complicated physiochemical properties and their enormous contribution in quantity have been drawing attentions only in recent a few years because of the advancement of nano-science discipline. In this review, we examine the current regulations of dusts exposure and the dominant mass-based monitoring methods to point out the ignorance of nano-particulates in mining industry. The recognized mining-related nano-particulates sources are summarized to identify the mechanically generated finer particulates including particles and aerosols. In addition, the mechanism of adverse health impact on miner with exposure to nano-scale particulates is discussed in a detail to emphasize their substantial detriment as a potential respiratory hazard. Characterization of the complex physiochemical properties of nano-particulates are then summarized and discussed because these properties could be different from regular respirable dusts due to their dramatically increased surface area and particulate counts. The intent of this review is to demonstrate the potential of adverse health effect of nano-particulate on the mine personals throughout the mining cycle and to identify the research gaps of the mine nano-particulate characterization and quantification. We suggest that further understanding of the mining induced nano-particulate properties and their pathogenesis are critical for the future engineering control measure to mitigate the potential health threat for future miners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Psicologia. Organizacoes e Trabalho is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Psicologia Organizacional e do Trabalho and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The exposure of mining workers to crystalline particles, e.g., alpha quartz in respirable dust, is a ubiquitous global problem in occupational safety and health at surface and underground operations. The challenge of rapid in-field monitoring for direct assessment and adoption of intervention has not been solved satisfactorily to date, as conventional analytical methods such as X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy require laboratory environments, complex system handling, tedious sample preparation, and are limited by, e.g., addressable particle size. A novel monitoring approach was developed for potential in-field application enabling the quantification of crystalline particles in the respirable regime based on transmission infrared spectroscopy. This on-site approach analyzes samples of dust in ambient air collected onto PVC filters using respirable dust sampling devices. In the present study, we demonstrate that portable Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analysis provides a versatile tool for the identification and quantification of minerals in complex real-world matrices. Without further sample preparation, the loaded filters are immediately analyzed via transmission infrared spectroscopy, and the mineral amount is quantified in real-time using a partial least squares regression algorithm. Due to the inherent molecular selectivity for crystalline as well as organic matrix components, infrared spectroscopy uniquely allows to precisely determine the particle composition even in complex samples such as dust from coal mines or clay-rich environments. For establishing a robust partial least squares regression model, a method was developed for generating calibration samples representative in size and composition for respirable mine dust via aerodynamic size separation. Combined with experimental design strategies, this allows tailoring the calibration set to the demands of air quality management in underground mining scenarios, i.e., the respirable particle size regime and the matrix of the target analyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental disorders are prevalent among the population and seriously endanger people's working ability as well as their physical and mental health. This study employed stratified cluster random sampling to examine occupational stress, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the mental health status of 1675 coal miners in Xinjiang. A cross-sectional investigation was carried out, and BDNF (rs6265, rs10835210) gene polymorphism and TPH2 (rs4570625, rs4131347) gene polymorphism were identified in 30% of the study's participants. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between mental disorders, occupational stress and MSDs, and to explore the role of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in respect to the incidence of psychological disorders. On this basis, the risk prediction model of mental disorders was constructed. The study identified the following risk factors for mental disorders among coal miners: Female, age, four shifts, coal miners, college education or above, single, occupational stress, and MSDs. MSDs, BDNF gene (rs6265) and TPH2 gene (rs4570625) are directly related to mental disorders, and interactions were found between MSDs and BDNF gene (rs6265), TPH2 gene (rs4570625), affecting the incidence of mental disorders. The Bayesian network model of mental disorders showed that MSDs, educational level, TPH2 gene (rs4570625) and marital status had a higher influence on mental disorders. Monthly income and educational level can indirectly affect mental disorders through occupational stress. BDNF gene (rs6265) and TPH2 gene (rs4570625) can indirectly affect mental disorders through MSDs. There may be an interaction between MSDs and educational level. Besides demographic characteristics, occupational stress and musculoskeletal disorders are also factors affecting the mental health of coal miners. It was found that BDNF rs10835210, TPH2 rs4570625 and TPH2 rs4131347 interact with each other, increasing the risk of mental disorders among coal miners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust-related occupational diseases are common in the mining sector. It is important to identify employees who have high potential for these diseases and to investigate the factors affecting disease formation. For this reason, dust and dust-related occupational diseases should be carefully investigated in mining operations. In this study, dust-related occupational diseases in an open-pit lignite mine were investigated. Firstly, dust measurements were performed and then a health check of all employees was implemented. The obtained data set was categorized by taking into account the occupation, age, experience and level of dust exposure of the employees. While the logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the probability of the diseases, a hierarchical loglinear model was established to investigate the factors in the occurrence of these diseases for those employees with the diseases. Therefore, the most important factors for the development of the diseases were determined by the hierarchical loglinear model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of mines, there are dozens of methods concerned with the optimization of ventilation system in underground mines and how bad ventilation system is playing a major effect on miners and mine's activities. The ventilation system is considered very important because it consumed high energy of mines of total power consumption. This paper is a review of previous studies, which have been done before on design of ventilation system and its optimization methods like, using of software tools to simulate the numerical equations based on the pressure, temperature, flow rate, and other effected parameters, which are recorded by various ways of surveying. It has observed that Ventsim software is widely used because of its flexibility in dynamic simulation based on various parameters included deep, fan position and flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review examines health issues around human/social determinants of health within artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM). The focus is on working children and violence. Within the area of violence, the collection of health risks is broad, ranging from self‐directed impacts such as suicide or neglect, to interpersonal impacts such as child or intimate partner abuse, and to collective violence such as trafficking, fighting for resources and ultimately war. Discussions on such impacts are less about accidents and illnesses and more about psychological issues. We review studies shedding light on health implications of ASM for children at sites in Suriname and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These studies helped to dispel the perception that the long list of hazards and health risks commonly cited are present at every mining site. Although worker and community interviews provide useful information about accidents and other common ailments, they cannot replace formal medical screenings for serious health problems. There are likely health effects related to criminality and violence. Detailed interviews from Domaine Marial, DRC, with respect to violence to children and intimate women partners are sobering. Violence has also developed with takeovers by local gangs, domestic and transnational organized criminal groups, and insurgent and terrorist groups. Human health can be negatively impacted by worsened working conditions, collateral damage due to fighting among criminal groups and violence more generally, loss of employment or displacement. The negative impacts of ASM can be reduced through policy interventions based on an understanding of what is happening in various countries. Plain Language Summary: Artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM) has been an ongoing enterprise for millennia. With nothing more than primitive tools, gangs of miners work easily accessible deposits of gold, precious stones, colored stones, coal, and more. Modern narratives commonly disparage the worth of ASM, an enterprise that particularly benefits the poorest people in poor countries. Discussions of health issues around children working in ASM are overgeneralized because of a dearth in actual data, and difficulties in understanding poverty issues within the scope of western sensibilities. Health wise, impacts depend on what is being mined, how it is mined and how children participate. Violence and criminality add significant health risks within ASM. Using what limited information is available, the study identifies a collection of physical and psychological risks within mining communities. Again, context is important because of the complexity associated with health determinants. The risks of chemical poisoning and social concerns around mining towns are important within ASM. Criminality and violence are not unexpected in relation to immensely valuable commodities and strategic metals, located in poor but resource rich countries. Traditional ASM is increasingly at risk for collateral health impacts, associated with displacement of indigenous people or control by hostile actors. Key Points: Artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM) is a critically important enterprise with potential to alleviate poverty especially in AfricaCurrent narratives around health and ASM are based on generalized perceptions that are maintained by deficits in real medical informationViolence associated with ASM is pervasive and widespread, creating a spectrum of health impacts involving miners and their communities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the change and adaptation process of miners who became agricultural settlers on the coast of Hermosillo. All of them had been unemployed because of the closure of the copper mine in Pilares, Sonora, in 1949. The methodological perspective applied instruments of social and cultural history with concepts of memory studies. It is possible to identify a fractured identity through the broken projections for the future, forcing settlers to re-elaborate their life stories. The study involved work with orality, which resulted in some limitations that had to be solved with contrast of documentary and historiographic sources. The visibility of a community with a strong presence in the social imagination of Sonora defined the originality of the study, concluding further that there is a pilgrim cultural identity that was formed outside the mining space but with symbolic elements of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 example, sand, coal, or mica. The mining and refining processes are labor intensive and associated with a variety of health problems due to accidents, overheating, overexertion, dust inhalation, exposure to toxic chemicals and gases, violence, and illicit and prescription drug and alcohol addiction. Evident disadvantages with ASM are counterbalanced by the immense economic benefits. For many, the true scope and scale of ASM activities are unappreciated, along with the unknown health and societal impacts. Here, we set out to elucidate the scope of ASM beyond the recovery of familiar commodities, such as gold and diamonds. We adopt a holistic perspective toward health impacts of ASM, which includes unique occupational, environmental, and human/social drivers. A particular focus is poverty as a health risk with artisanal miners. They are commonly poverty‐stricken people in poor countries, ensnared by a variety of poverty traps, which take a toll on the health and well‐being of individuals and communities. ASM sometimes provides an opportunity to diversify income in the face of a decline in subsistence agriculture. However, ASM often trades one kind of generational poverty for another, coming along with serious health risks and turmoil associated with work in an informal "cash‐rich" business. Plain Language Summary: Many of the world's most valuable commodities, for example, gold, diamonds, and strategic metals, and less valuable resources, for example, sand, clay, and coal, are the products of artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM). The miners are commonly poor people with rudimentary tools, like shovels, buckets, and pans subsisting by working shallow ore deposits. Although an inefficient mining method, the large numbers of people can contribute substantially to a country's total production. Much of this mining occurs in distant, lawless areas like the Amazon River basin or the outback in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The work is grueling and dangerous because of violence and unregulated work sites. Miners suffer from the expected collection of occupational health risks, due to, for example, accidents, chemical exposures, dust inhalation, and lifting and lugging of heavy loads. Mining communities are at risk from incidental exposures to mercury, mosquito‐borne diseases, poor sanitation, and more. Human and social problems also impact health. Our paper emphasizes poverty as a risk factor for disease, as miners are caught in poverty traps—unable to leave. Injuries and disease often must remain untreated because of costs and absent clinics. Key Points: Artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM) is primitive with health problems determined by occupational, environmental, and social settingsASM involves 80 + countries and valuable resources, like gold, diamonds, precious stones, tantalum, tin, tungsten, and commoditiesGrueling work, poverty, illegalities, and worksites located in remote and medically underserved areas contribute to poor health [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension has been declared as a global public health crisis by the World Health Organization, because of its high prevalence. It affects the health of one billion people worldwide and is directly responsible for the deaths of more than 10 million people per year. The purpose of our research was to explore the influence of occupational stress and psychological health on hypertension of miners who work in a noisy environment and provide decision reference for relevant departments to keep miners' health.Methods: A case-control study was carried out in this research. The study subjects were divided into case groups and control groups based on whether they had hypertension or not. Effort-Reward Imbalance questionnaire and Self-Reporting Inventory questionnaire were used to investigate the psychological health status and occupational stress of the target population. General information was balanced between case and control groups through propensity score matching method. After propensity score matching, a multifactorial analysis was used to explore the impact of occupational stress and psychological health on hypertension.Results: According to the result of the multivariate analysis, psychological health was hazard to hypertension (t = 5.080, P<0.001) and occupational stress was not a direct risk factor for hypertension (t = 1.760, P = 0.080). The model was statistically significant (χ2 = 20.4, P<0.01).Conclusions: For miners working in the noisy environment, psychological status was a direct risk factor to hypertension, while occupational stress was an indirect factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) as a source of income is rapidly gaining importance in the economically difficult times in Zimbabwe. Besides limited epidemiological data, no data about the self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of artisanal and small-scale gold miners exist. The aim of the project was to access HRQoL of ASGM workers to improve the data base and compare the data to the urban Zimbabwean population.Methods: Data from 83 artisanal and small-scale gold miners in Kadoma, Zimbabwe was analysed. The HRQoL was assessed using the EuroQol dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) accompanied by the cognition add-on questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L+C) and associated visual analogue scale (VAS). We described the EQ-5D dimensions and VAS values and computed health utility (HU) values using the Zimbabwean tariff. The proportions of miners reporting no problem in each EQ-5D dimension were compared with corresponding proportions reporting any problem (moderate or severe), and mean HU and VAS values were analysed across subgroups of the sample. To test differences between subgroups, Fisher's exact test was used and between urban and mining population, Student's t-test was used.Results: The reported health states of miners were homogenous, with a large amount (42%) reporting 'full health'. Mean (SD) VAS and HU values were 81.0 (17.5) and 0.896 (0.13), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that miners with a lower education reported significantly more problems in the dimension of daily activities and miners with mercury contact had more problems in the dimensions of pain/discomfort and cognition. Comparison between mining and urban population showed that in the oldest age group, self-rated VAS values of miners were significantly higher than of their urban counterparts.Conclusions: There were no significant differences in the HRQoL of mining and urban populations. However, the reason might be adverse health effects faced by the urban population that do not apply to rural mining areas. A higher education level of miners can improve the HRQoL, which is especially impaired by problems in the cognition dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, applications of the Arduino platform in the mining industry were reviewed. Arduino, a representative and popular open-source hardware, can acquire information from various sensors, transmit data using communication technology, and control devices through actuators. The review was conducted by classifying previous studies into three types of Arduino applications: field monitoring systems, wearable systems, and autonomous systems. With regard to field monitoring systems, most studies in mines were classified as atmospheric or geotechnical monitoring. In wearable systems, the health status of the miner was an important consideration, in addition to the environmental conditions of the mine. Arduino can be a useful tool as an initial prototype for autonomous mine systems. Arduino has advantages in that it can be combined with various electronic products and is cost-effective. Therefore, although many studies have been conducted in the laboratory (as opposed to field tests), Arduino applications can be further expanded in the mining field in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]