Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, commonly called black lung disease, is an occupational lung disease caused by the long-term inhalation and buildup of coal dust in the lungs, most often affecting coal miners and others who work closely with coal. It is similar in mechanism to silicosis, caused by silica dust, and asbestosis, caused by asbestos dust, in that inhaled particles progressively accumulate in the lungs and trigger inflammation, scarring, and in more severe cases, tissue death. The disease develops gradually after prolonged occupational exposure rather than from any single incident.