Retrospective exposure assessment for respirable and inhalable dust, crystalline silica and arsenic in the former German uranium mines of SAG/SDAG Wismut

Objectives Starting shortly after the reunification of Germany and lasting up to the end of the 1990s, an extensive series of retrospective exposure investigations for the East German uranium mining industry was performed in order to provide information about the exposure situation of the miners towards respirable dust, inhalable dust, crystalline silica and heavy metals. It should provide the necessary information for legal compensation of miners with potential industrial diseases as well as for epidemiological research. Methods Extensive side-by-side measurements using original historic equipments as well as comprehensive evaluation of the time increments of specific jobs with respect to exposure relevant tasks were performed. After attributing average exposures to the tasks, shift exposures for the jobs could be calculated. Results By the end a comprehensive job exposure matrix for all underground jobs of the German uranium mining industry was developed for the components mentioned, including arsenic where relevant. In the early days of SAG/SDAG Wismut dust and silica exposures were extremely high with respirable dust up to 20 mg/m(3) and respirable crystalline silica well above 2 mg/m(3) as shift averages. Beginning from about the early 1960s dust control measures started to improve conditions dramatically. Conclusions It is absolutely necessary to invest sufficient effort for the estimation of exposure situations of past technological environments. Especially, the situation of early mechanised mining, characterised by low ventilation, dry drilling techniques and generally lacking dust control measures was characterized by extreme shift exposures. It is important to keep these in mind when metal mining exposure in different environments is considered.