IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i14p8295-d857524.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pulmonary Capacity, Blood Composition and Metabolism among Coal Mine Workers in High- and Low-Altitude Aboveground and Underground Workplaces

Author

Listed:
  • Yi Wang

    (Department of Physical Education, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
    Sports and Social Development Research Center, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100086, China
    Co-corresponding authors.)

  • Hongchu Wang

    (School of Mathematical Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
    Co-corresponding authors.)

  • Yinru Chen

    (College of Education, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Naxin Xu

    (Sport Science School, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Winson Lee

    (School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

  • Wing-Kai Lam

    (Sports Information and External Affairs Centre, Hong Kong Sports Institute, Hong Kong, China)

Abstract

(1) Background: While previous studies revealed how underground mining might adversely affect the cardiopulmonary functions of workers, this study further investigated the differences between under- and aboveground mining at both high and low altitudes, which has received little attention in the literature. (2) Methods: Seventy-one healthy male coal mine workers were recruited, who had worked at least 5 years at the mining sites located above the ground at high (>3900 m; n = 19) and low (<120 m; n = 16) altitudes as well as under the ground at high ( n = 20) and low ( n = 16) altitudes. Participants’ heart rates, pulmonary functions, total energy expenditure and metabolism were measured over a 5-consecutive-day session at health clinics. (3) Results: Combining the results for both above- and underground locations, workers at high-altitude mining sites had significantly higher peak heart rate (HR), minimum average HR and training impulse as well as energy expenditure due to all substances and due to fat than those at low-altitude sites. They also had significantly higher uric acid, total cholesterol, creatine kinase and N-osteocalcin in their blood samples than the workers at low-altitude mining sites. At underground worksites, the participants working at high-altitude had a significantly higher average respiratory rate than those at low-altitude regions. (4) Conclusion: In addition to underground mining, attention should be paid to high-altitude mining as working under a hypoxia condition at such altitude likely presents physiological challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Yi Wang & Hongchu Wang & Yinru Chen & Naxin Xu & Winson Lee & Wing-Kai Lam, 2022. "Pulmonary Capacity, Blood Composition and Metabolism among Coal Mine Workers in High- and Low-Altitude Aboveground and Underground Workplaces," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-10, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8295-:d:857524
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8295/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8295/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shuai Han & Hong Chen & Maggie-Anne Harvey & Eric Stemn & David Cliff, 2018. "Focusing on Coal Workers’ Lung Diseases: A Comparative Analysis of China, Australia, and the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-26, November.
    2. Jarosław Brodny & Magdalena Tutak, 2018. "Exposure to Harmful Dusts on Fully Powered Longwall Coal Mines in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, August.
    3. Yuanni Huang & Mian Bao & Jiefeng Xiao & Zhaolong Qiu & Kusheng Wu, 2019. "Effects of PM 2.5 on Cardio-Pulmonary Function Injury in Open Manganese Mine Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-10, June.
    4. Maria Marin-Farrona & Manuel Leon-Jimenez & Jorge Garcia-Unanue & Leonor Gallardo & Carmen Crespo-Ruiz & Beatriz Crespo-Ruiz, 2020. "Transtheoretical Model Is Better Predictor of Physiological Stress than Perceived Stress Scale and Work Ability Index among Office Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-15, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ayaz, Muhammad & Jehan, Noor & Nakonieczny, Joanna & Mentel, Urszula & uz zaman, Qamar, 2022. "Health costs of environmental pollution faced by underground coal miners: Evidence from Balochistan, Pakistan," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    2. Boyu Luan & Wei Zhou & Izhar Mithal Jiskani & Zhiming Wang, 2023. "An Improved Machine Learning Approach for Optimizing Dust Concentration Estimation in Open-Pit Mines," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Ewa Chomać-Pierzecka & Hubert Gąsiński & Joanna Rogozińska-Mitrut & Dariusz Soboń & Sebastian Zupok, 2023. "Review of Selected Aspects of Wind Energy Market Development in Poland and Lithuania in the Face of Current Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, January.
    4. Hongtao Liu & Cheng Hao & Zijun Han & Qinyu Liu & Haozhu Wang & Jialu Liang & Dandan Zhang, 2023. "Study on the Mechanism of a Hanging Roof at a Difficult Caving End in a Fully-Mechanized Top Coal Caving Face," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, January.
    5. María Jesús Marín-Farrona & Manuel León-Jiménez & Jorge García-Unanue & Leonor Gallardo & Gary Liguori & Jorge López-Fernández, 2021. "Influence of Non-Occupational Physical Activity on Burnout Syndrome, Job Satisfaction, Stress and Recovery in Fitness Professionals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-11, September.
    6. Magdalena Tutak & Jarosław Brodny & Antoni John & Janos Száva & Sorin Vlase & Maria Luminita Scutaru, 2022. "CFD Model Studies of Dust Dispersion in Driven Dog Headings," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(20), pages 1-12, October.
    7. Jinfu Chen & Bowen Cheng & Wei Xie & Min Su, 2022. "Occupational Dust Exposure and Respiratory Protection of Migrant Interior Construction Workers in Two Chinese Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-10, August.
    8. Ming Li & Rujia Wang & Gang Li & Xinzhu Song & Huaizhen Yang & Huinan Lai, 2022. "Comprehensive Chemical Dust Suppressant Performance Evaluation and Optimization Method," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8295-:d:857524. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.