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Background: Asthma with an occupational etiology contributes to a largely unrecognized burden of preventable disease and disability. In New York State (NYS), estimates of asthma that are associated with work have been reported between 10.6 and 44.5% of all asthma cases. However, studies estimating risk of asthma by industry have not been conducted in NYS. In addition, the quality of life impacts of asthma on NYS workers have not previously been evaluated. Methods: Odds ratios of asthma by industry as compared with the construction industry and adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity and clinic location were examined through logistic regression in a study of NYS Occupational Health Clinic Network (OHCN) patients from 2000 to 2009 (n=32,902). Four quality of life (QOL) measures were evaluated for asthma patients as compared to medical screening patients in adjusted logistic regression models. QOL was measured by the ability to perform tasks around the house, to provide care for family or children, and to participate in recreational tasks. An additional QOL control measure was used to ascertain if the ability to perform tasks was unaffected. Results: The risk of asthma was significantly greater than in the construction industry after adjusting for covariates in real estate, retail trade, health care, finance-insurance, other services, manufacturing, and professional services. The real estate industry had the highest estimated risk (OR= 3.56, 95% CI 1.54-8.26) followed by retail trade (OR=3.19, 95% CI 1.89-5.40) and health care (OR= 2.50, 95% CI 1.62-3.85). After adjusting for covariates, a statistically significant elevated risk of greater than 30 was estimated for each negative QOL by asthma. Conclusion: This study supported and expanded on previous work indicating that real estate, retail trade, health care, finance-insurance, other services, manufacturing, and professional services industries elevate the risk of asthma and that asthma negatively impacts quality of life. Prevention efforts should focus on industries most consistently associated with asthma in the literature. Associations between work-related exposures and asthma warrant further research. / Epidemiology

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The occurrence of multiple fatality events in the U.S. underground coal mining industry, such as the Upper Big Branch mine explosion, illustrates the need for improved methods of major safety hazard identification and control. While many solutions to reducing the risk of mine disasters have been proposed, including stricter regulation and improved technology, a comprehensive risk management approach has yet to be fully integrated in the U.S. mining industry. Comprehensive risk management systems have been developed and implemented across a multitude of heavy industries, most notably the Australian minerals industry. This research examines the successful application of risk management in these industries, along with barriers towards U.S. implementation of risk management, which include the existence of competing safety models (e.g. behavior-based safety) and compliance regulation which consumes company resources, and limits incentive for beyond compliance safety measures. Steps towards the risk-based approach, including increased regulatory pressure and proactive initiation by high-ranking industry individuals, begin with the development of risk-based knowledge within the U.S. mining community. This research reviews the development of mine safety regulation in the U.S., and identifies regulatory constraints which have affected the diffusion of risk management. The development of a risk-based online platform which could complement the existing safety systems of U.S. underground coal operations, based on the Australian RISKGATE tool, is the central work of this research. This online platform has been developed by the research participants and industry professionals whose total underground coal mining experience exceeds 1,290 years. This joint effort has yielded a body-of-knowledge which may be used as a complementary safety control reference for U.S. mine operators who wish to employ risk management policies and practices at their own operations, or identify gaps within their own safety control systems. / Master of Science

Respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) has long been recognized as an occupational health hazard. In addition to coal, RCMD can contain minerals such as crystalline silica (i.e., most often present as quartz). There has been a resurgence of lung diseases among US coal miners since the late-1990s which has emphasized the need for better quartz monitoring, and better dust characterization in general. Quartz monitoring in coal mines has traditionally used infrared (IR) spectroscopy-based analytical methods such as the MSHA Method P7 that require significant sample preparation and must be performed in a centralized lab. There are generally thus days to weeks between dust sample collection and reporting of results, which can prevent the prompt mitigation efforts to better control dust and reduce exposures. Recently, a rapid analysis method for quartz has been developed by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) using direct-on-filter (DOF) Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The method has been demonstrated in a number of NIOSH-led studies using both laboratory and field samples, and the results show very good accuracy relative to the Method P7 reference. However, it has heretofore not been widely used by others or compared to results from other non-IR analytical methods. Moreover, while FTIR can allow the measurement of additional analytes, this has not yet been a focus of DOF FTIR for RCMD analysis. Analytes such as kaolinite and calcite could be of particular interest in the context of RCMD source apportionment. In this thesis, the DOF FTIR method is used to estimate silica, kaolinite, and calcite mineral fraction in RCMD samples collected in 16 coal mines, and in the laboratory using dust source materials from those same mines. The results are compared to results from other dust characterization methods such as mass-based thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and particle-based scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX). Results indicate the usefulness of the DOF FTIR method, and comparison suggests the presence of significant non-carbonate minerals other than silica and kaolinite in the coal mine dust. The results also show that SEM-EDX frequently indicates more mineral content (primarily other aluminosilicates), than that is predicted by either FTIR or the TGA. Additionally, by focusing mainly on calcite (generally sourced from limestone-based rock dust used in coal mines to prevent coal dust explosion), the second part of this study explores basic source apportionment by analyzing mine samples and samples of major dust source materials (such as run-of-mine coal, rock strata, and rock dust products). Results show that calcite can serve as a suitable proxy for rock dust in coal mine dust, and the results are consistent with expectations surrounding the contribution of dust from different mine locations and sample sources. Additionally, the DOF FTIR also showed good agreement with the TGA and SEM-EDX. / Master of Science / Respirable dust generated in coal mines has long been recognized as an occupational health hazard. In addition to coal, coal mine dust can contain minerals such as crystalline silica, which is particularly hazardous. Since the mid-1990s, there has been an alarming and unexpected increase in lung diseases in coal miners. Respirable crystalline silica is assumed to be a likely causal factor for this resurgence of lung diseases, and this has emphasized the need for better respirable crystalline silica monitoring and to better understand coal mine dust composition. The standard method of measurement of silica (called the MSHA Method P7) generally takes days to weeks between dust sample collection and reporting of results, which can prevent the mine from taking prompt mitigative efforts to better control dust and reduce exposures. Recently, a rapid analysis method for silica has been developed by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) called the DOF FTIR (direct-on-filter Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy). This method has been shown to have very good accuracy relative to the standard method (MSHA P7). However, it has heretofore not been widely used by others or compared to results from other analytical methods. Moreover, DOF FTIR can also be used to estimate other minerals of interest such as kaolinite and calcite, which can be important in the context of understanding coal mine dust sources. In this thesis, the DOF FTIR method is used to estimate silica, kaolinite, and calcite mineral fraction in coal mine dust samples collected in 16 coal mines, and in the laboratory using dust source materials from those same mines. The results are compared to results from other dust analysis methods such as mass-based TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) and particle-based SEM-EDX (scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray). Results indicate the usefulness of the DOF FTIR method, and comparison suggests the presence of significant non-carbonate minerals other than silica and kaolinite in the coal mine dust. The results also show that SEM-EDX frequently indicates more mineral content than that is predicted by either FTIR or the TGA. Additionally, by focusing mainly on calcite—which is generally sourced from limestone-based rock dust used in coal mines to prevent coal dust explosion—the second part of this study explores the sources of the dust by analysing samples collected in mines, and samples generated in lab from major dust source materials (such as the raw coal, rock strata, and rock dust products obtained from the mines). Results show that calcite can be representative of rock dust in coal mine dust, and the results are consistent with expectations surrounding the contribution of dust from different mine locations and sample sources. Additionally, the DOF FTIR also showed good agreement with the TGA and SEM-EDX.