MINERS’ RESPIRATORY DISEASES AND THE “SPONGE” BEHAVIOUR OF WATER DROPLETS IN MINE AIR

I AM CALLING FOR A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION INTO THE POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESPIRATORY AND LUNG DISEASES IN UNDERGROUND MINERS (PNEUMOCONIOSIS, SILICOSIS, COPD, BRONCHITIS, ETC.) AND THE BEHAVIOUR OF WATER DROPLETS / HUMID AEROSOLS IN MINE AIR AS “MICRO‑CARRIERS” THAT ACT LIKE SPONGES, ABSORBING AND TRAPPING GAS, DUST AND ODOR MOLECULES.

THE CORE QUESTION IS:

DO WATER DROPLETS AND HUMID AEROSOLS IN UNDERGROUND MINE ATMOSPHERES (CONTAINING DUST, GASES, HUMIDITY AND ODOR MOLECULES) CREATE AN ADDITIONAL RISK LAYER BY ACTING AS SPONGES THAT ABSORB AND TRANSPORT THESE CONTAMINANTS DEEP INTO MINERS’ LUNGS, AND HAS THIS MECHANISM BEEN ADEQUATELY CONSIDERED IN EXISTING OFFICIAL MODELS OF OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISEASES IN MINING? [1][2][3]