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Railroad Emphysema

Railroad employees are at a greater risk of developing lung diseases, including COPD because of the kinds of substances they work with. They are exposed to diesel and coal fumes. Some workers also develop respiratory illnesses from smoke from welding and cigarettes.

Emphysema affects the walls of air sacs within the lungs, making it harder to breathe. It is a kind of chronic lung disease known as obstructive (COPD).

Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of COPD. Other factors can be an absence of a protein called alpha-1 antitrypsin, or lung infections.

Coal and Mineral Dusts

Inhaling dust and fumes when working with certain chemicals, coal, grain and cotton can increase your chance of developing emphysema. The smoke from secondhand smoke and environmental pollution like car exhaust could increase your risk.

Recent studies have reported that the combustion of fossil fuels is the primary cause of ambient PM2.5-related mortality. Dust fugitive from coal transport could be a major cause. Trains transport about 70 percent of coal deliveries in the United States, and it is believed that coal dust fugitive from trains accounts for about half of all coal-related particulate matter.

Coal dust is a poisonous mixture of various metals, including mercury, arsenic, and Uranium. It is known to leach toxins into water and soil. It can also cling on to the foliage of nearby plants which reduces their photosynthesis, and depriving them of nutrients. It could even cause the death of wildlife and plants.

Scientists have found that when a coal train passes the train, concentrations of fine particles known as PM2.5 are almost 90% higher than when a freight train passes. The study was conducted at Richmond, California. This is a densely populated, racially diverse community with a high rate of asthma and respiratory illness. Coal trains were compared with fully loaded and railway empty (unloaded) cars in order to capture real-world conditions of long-haul coal transport. They also investigated methods for loading coal on trains to find out how chemical binders can help in reducing the release of coal dust.

Silica Dust

Silica is among the most abundant minerals found on Earth. Silica is found in a variety of materials, such as soil, sand and rocks, concrete, and masonry. It could be hazardous if it is inhaled by the worker. The tiny crystals could scrape and tear the lining of the nose sinuses, sinuses and respiratory passages. This can lead to a condition called silicosis. The lung disease is incurable and impacts the lungs ability to absorb oxygen. This condition can also trigger chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) or kidney disease. Smoking can reduce the lungs' capacity to eliminate silica dust.

Workers may be exposed the use of tools that produce dust in the air. This can be done by cutting and grinding. It can also be carried away by trains. A NIOSH study conducted at the CSX's Radnor Yard found that many track department workers were exposed to unsafe levels of silica dust. This was due to sand used for locomotive brakes, which was found in shops and yards of railroads.

The most effective method to safeguard against exposure to crystalline silica is to use personal protective equipment that is fitted properly. Employers should also offer training on how to properly use the equipment. This is particularly crucial for those with facial hair as particles can be absorbed into the lungs behind the hair.

Secondhand Smoke

COPD, emphysema as well as other lung diseases can be caused by secondhand smoke. Ammonia, formaldehyde, and other chemical compounds present in smoke can irritate eyes, noses, throats and the lungs. They can also trigger or worsen asthma. In addition that, if a woman has been exposed to smoke while pregnant, the chemicals may affect the unborn baby and trigger a variety of health problems including respiratory infections.

Railroad employees who were employed in enclosed locomotive cabs were regularly exposed to both diesel exhaust and secondhand smoke. Many railroads resisted implementing smoking bans in trains, despite the overwhelming evidence of the negative effects of secondhand smoke.

Silica dust poses a risk to railway workers, specifically those who operate or maintain the shops or rail yards. The fine dust, which can be inhaled, could cause respiratory ailments like silicosis or occupational asthma. It can also lead to chronic bronchitis. It may be mixed with other substances that can cause lung damage, such as asbestos, coal and diesel fumes, resulting in toxic smoke.

Herbicides are used to kill unwanted plants, and welding fumes containing silicon dioxide and railway metallic oxides can also cause lung damage. These fumes can also cause lung injuries and increase the risk of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a disorder caused by the breakdown of a protein known as beta-1 antitrypsin that is found in the lungs.

Exposure to Diesel Exhaust

Diesel exhaust, also known as diesel smoke, is a hazardous chemical mix that is made up of hundreds of different chemicals. Many of these particulates like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, are regarded as carcinogens. Excessive exposure to diesel exhaust over time can result in a range of lung diseases and ailments, such as diesel asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Recent research into railroad workers' lung health revealed exposure to diesel exhaust raises the risk of lung carcinoma. This is in line with other studies and is based on both direct exposure to diesel exhaust and indirect exposure to smoking in the presence of diesel exhaust.

The study also included data on a large cohort of railroad employees who worked in positions that exposed them to diesel exhaust from 1959 until 1996. The results showed that, in addition to being associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, exposure to diesel exhaust was associated with a higher mortality from COPD. This effect remained after adjustment for cigarette smoking history and was proportional to years of work in diesel-exposed jobs. The authors conclude diesel exposure in the railway workplace is a major contributor to the high prevalence of respiratory ailments among career railroaders. This is particularly true for those who smoke throughout their careers. They are at risk of suffering from debilitating and life-threatening lung conditions such as emphysema, asthma triggered by secondhand smoke, lung cancer and mesothelioma.