Medicine
Occupational Hazards and Respiratory Disease in Coal Miners
Quick fact
Despite modern safety regulations, coal workers' pneumoconiosis—commonly known as 'black lung'—still affects thousands of coal miners worldwide, with severe forms appearing in younger workers in recent decades.
Why this is interesting
Coal miners can develop 'black lung' from breathing in coal dust—but how does a simple dust particle lead to such serious, irreversible lung disease?