Silica exposures and silicosis incidence in the Western Australia mining industry.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Silicosis has historically been an issue in the Western Australian mining industry.

Aims

To determine the magnitude of exposures to atmospheric respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in mine workers recorded between 1986 and 2023 and if those exposures risk health effects.

Methods

We used descriptive statistics to compare RCS exposures in mining job types. We identified high exposure occupations and modelled their resulting lung silica burden using known toxicokinetic parameters. These were compared with critical lung silica burdens for alveolar inflammation, soft macules, fibrosis and progressive massive fibrosis. We compared the miners' RCS exposures with historical silicosis cases in Western Australia's mine workers.

Results

The geometric mean of mor

SUBMITTER: Harman AW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12370399 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature