Working environment condition and health status of gold miners at quang nam province

Introduction
In 2009, there were some cases of “strainge lung disease” found in patients who work in gold mining in Quang Nam province. In order to clairify this information, a case study have been caried out with Objectives: i)To investigate work condition and environment in gold mine in Thang Bình- district, Quang Nam province. and ii) To evaluate a health status of gold miners living in two communes Bình Ðinh and Bình Tri of Thang Bình district

Methods
Methods: Using cross-sectional and forlow-up study in short time. Measure dust pollution in gold mine work place and clinical examination of pneumoconiosis.

Results
Work environment in of gold mine causes a high risk for health of workers. The average concentration of dust in work sites is 63.04mg/m3 of air. Concentration of free silica-87.3-97.3%; Among 92 investigated workers, 78.2% have respiratory symptoms(cough, sputum, chest pain, breathness);52.2% had respiratory disfunction. Chest radiograph shows that there are 11.96% of workers suffered from Silicosis; 18.48% workers have chest x-ray image as Silico-Tuberculosis; Simple tuberculosis takes 7.6%, There were 4 cases with massive silicosis (category B and C by ILO 2000 classification of pneumoconiosis), contributed 4.4%. After 4 months flow-up by X-ray, there were 27.5% cases increasing Silicosis (more seriously than before), one case C level was died.

Discussion
Illegal gold miners working at Donggia gold mine had worked in very bad environmental that cause take high illness and many person die by pneumoconiosis (acute Silicosis and Silico-Tuberculosis). We will need carry out emergency activities to preventive new cases and reduce damage patients.