Analyzing the Impacts of Soapstone Dust on Respiratory System of Mine Workers Through Structural Equation Modelling Technique: A Case Study of Sherwan Soapstone Mines, Abbottabad, Pakistan

Salim Raza ()
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Salim Raza: Department of Mining Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Pakistan

International Journal of Innovations in Science & Technology, 2024, vol. 6, issue 3, 1386-1401

Abstract: Dust produced in mining has a substantial impact on worker’s health resulting in severe respiratory diseases. Researchers mainly focusedon the dust problems faced in surface mining whereas the dust produced in underground soapstone mines has received comparatively less attention. This study evaluates self-reported respiratory symptoms and medical examinations of underground mine workers in soapstone mines. It establishes a relationship between the respiratory illness factors and its symptoms, providing new insight into the analysis. Demographic and other respiratory symptoms-relateddata is collected through questionnaires from underground soapstone mine workers, located in the Abbottabad area, with medical data from 60 of these workers obtained through medical examinations. The collected data is subsequently analyzedusing Structural Equation Modelling and regression analysis to investigate the relationship between the evaluated factors in the dust analysis. The dust assessment shows that it is primarily composed of silica, with small particle sizes that are smaller than the threshold limit value and pose a risk of silicosis. The questionnaire data indicates that about 75% of workers exhibit symptoms of respiratory diseases, the majority of them are laborers and old age workers whereas the medical examinations revealed that 80% of workers are affected by lunginfections. The Structural Equation Modelling demonstrates that dust inhalation has a stronger effect on symptom occurrence (β = 0.485, p

Keywords: Dust Inhalation; Severity; Respiratory Symptoms; Medical Examination; and Structural Equation Modelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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