Black lung disease is associated with

Concept

Occupational pneumoconioses are chronic lung diseases caused by inhaling particular dusts at work.

Black lung is coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, produced by long-term inhalation of respirable coal-mine dust.

Application

Coal miners can repeatedly inhale fine coal-mine dust during extraction and processing, so this occupation has the defining exposure for black lung disease.

Contrast

• Farmers: Moldy hay and agricultural bioaerosols are associated with farmer’s lung, a hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

• Coal miners: Respirable coal-mine dust is associated with coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, commonly called black lung.

• Textile industry workers: Cotton-dust exposure is associated with byssinosis.

• More than one of the above: The listed occupational-disease associations do not make two occupations fit black lung.

• None of the above: This is excluded because one listed occupation has the defining coal-dust exposure.

Cross-check

CDC/NIOSH identifies black lung as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis caused by coal-mine dust. Therefore, black lung disease is associated with coal miners.