Systematic review of community health impacts of mountaintop removal mining

Abstract

Background The objective of this evaluation is to understand the human health impacts of mountaintop removal (MTR) mining, the major method of coal mining in and around Central Appalachia. MTR mining impacts the air, water, and soil and raises concerns about potential adverse health effects in neighboring communities;exposures associated with MTR mining include particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, hydrogen sulfide, and other recognized harmful substances. Methods A systematic review was conducted of published studies of MTR mining and community health, occupational studies of MTR mining, and any available animal and in vitro experimental studies investigating the effects of exposures to MTR-mining-related chemical mixtures. Six databases (Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Toxline, and Web of Science) were searched with customized terms, and no restrictions on publication year or language, through October 27, 2016. The eligibility criteria included all human population studies and animal models of human health, direct and indirect measures of MTR-mining exposure, any health-related effect or change in physiological response, and any study design type. Risk of bias was assessed for observational and experimental studies using an approach developed by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT). To provide context for these health effects, a summary of the exposure literature is included that focuses on describing findings for outdoor air, indoor air, and drinking water. Results From a literature search capturing 3088 studies, 33 human studies (29 community, four occupational), four experimental studies (two in rat, one in vitro and in mice, one in C. elegans), and 58 MTR mining exposure studies were identified. A number of health findings were reported in observational human studies, including cardiopulmonary effects, mortality, and birth defects. However, concerns for risk of bias were identified, especially with respect to exposure characterization, accounting for confounding variables (such as socioeconomic status), and methods used to assess health outcomes. Typically, exposure was assessed by proximity of residence or hospital to coal mining or production level at the county level. In addition, assessing the consistency of findings was challenging because separate publications likely included overlapping case and comparison groups. For example, 11 studies of mortality were conducted with most reporting higher rates associated with coal mining, but many of these relied on the same national datasets and were unable to consider individual-level contributors to mortality such as poor socioeconomic status or smoking. Two studies of adult rats reported impaired microvascular and cardiac mitochondrial function after intratracheal exposure to PM from MTR-mining sites. Exposures associated with MTR mining included reports of PM levels that sometimes exceeded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards; higher levels of dust, tra...

Model for assessing health damage from air pollution in quarrying area – Case study at Tan Uyen quarry, Ho Chi Minh megapolis, Vietnam

“…The causes of the disease include a group of respiratory diseases (short-term): pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma; new cases of chronic bronchitis (long-term) and groups of cardiovascular diseases (short-term): coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and stroke; Globally, the ability to exploit quarries for infrastructure requirements has been presented in many studies ( Charbonnier, 2001 ). Stone resources are the foundation for the creation and development of many industries, such as heavy industry and construction ( Charbonnier, 2001 ; Fugiel et al., 2017 ; Boyles et al., 2017 ). The exploitation and its environmental impact are also diverse depending on location, structure, and type of quarries ( Charbonnier, 2001 ).…”

“…The open pits mainly contribute to the dust in the air. Dust includes debris, silica dust, coal dust, asbestos dust, and radioactive dust ( Fugiel et al., 2017 ; Boyles et al., 2017 ). In the aforementioned dusts, asbestos dust and radioactive dust are very harmful to human health ( Boyles et al., 2017 ).…”

“…Dust includes debris, silica dust, coal dust, asbestos dust, and radioactive dust ( Fugiel et al., 2017 ; Boyles et al., 2017 ). In the aforementioned dusts, asbestos dust and radioactive dust are very harmful to human health ( Boyles et al., 2017 ). Dust is usually generated during blasting, excavation, loading, and transportation of minerals ( Fugiel et al., 2017 ).…”

Combinations of Epidemiological and Experimental Studies in Air Pollution Research: A Narrative Review

“…This strategy has been followed for many years by prestigious scientific institutions, such as the World Health Organization [8,9] and the Health Effects Institute [10]. Recently, some journals have published high-quality reviews [11][12][13] that combine epidemiological findings with experimental studies. However, the majority of systematic reviews are based on epidemiological studies only, or on a synthesis of different studies because of a lack of research in one setting [11][12][13][14].…”

“…Recently, some journals have published high-quality reviews [11][12][13] that combine epidemiological findings with experimental studies. However, the majority of systematic reviews are based on epidemiological studies only, or on a synthesis of different studies because of a lack of research in one setting [11][12][13][14]. Integrating results from both epidemiological and experimental examples based on the same or similar study setting could provide us a new way to synthesize and summarize the evidence.…”