Non-occupational
Pneumoconiosis in high altitude villages of Ladakh
Till
recently it was believed that the problem of silicosis and
other types of pneumoconiosis is limited to industries and
mines only, although a few scattered case reports describing
non‑occupational pneumoconiosis cases are available.
NIOH made detailed investigation of the cases of non
occupational pneumoconiosis reported from certain villages of
Ladakh. Environmental epidemiological study showed the
prevalence of pneumoconiosis to be 2.0%, 20.1% and 45.3%
respectively in three villages. The chest radiographs were
indistinguishable from those of miners and industrial workers
suffering from pneumoconiosis. There are no industries and
mines in this district and the pneumoconiosis observed amongst
the villagers was attributed to dust stormsand exposure to
soot from domestic fuels used for cooking and heating. The
dust concentrations in the kitchens without chimneys varied
from 3.22 to 11.30 mg/M3 with a mean value of 7.50
mg/M3.
Dust samples sufficient enough to allow measurement of the
dust concentrations could not be collected during the periods
of dust storms, but preliminary analysis of the samples
indicated that about 80% of the dust was respirable and its
free silica contents ranged between 60 and 70%. This study is
one of its kind reporting endemic non occupational
pneumoconiosis.
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Resolving Fluorosis Controversy in the neighborhood of an
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Identification
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Determination of Heat Transfer Coefficients for Application of
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