West Virginia study finds higher rates of lung and kidney disease in coal-mining communities

A researcher from West Virginia University found the state's coal-producing counties had higher rates of kidney and lung disease and high blood pressure than the state's non-coal counties, reports Scott Finn of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Researcher Michael Hendryx believes exposure to coal dust and mining runoff might be the cause.

"Hendryx . . . controlled for lifestyle differences, such smoking rates, and other factors like income," Finn reports. "He found that people in coal mining communities have a 70 percent increased risk for developing kidney disease, a 64 percent increased risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as emphysema, and are 30 percent more likely to report high blood pressure."

Hendryx visited the counties he studied, and what he observed leads him to blame coal pollution. “I went to one town where I witnessed an explosion from the mountaintop removal site and watched the dust settles over the neighborhood," he told Finn. "When you see things like that, you know you’re dealing with something real.” Hendryx estimates that coal pollution kills 313 West Virginians each year. He plans to test air and water samples from coalfields to determine the level of pollutants. His current study will be published in next month's issue of American Journal of Public Health. (Read more)

The study also led Hendryx to conclude that people in coal-producing counties are more likely to die earlier, reports Tim Huber of The Associated Press. While the findings "target coal mining pollution, Hendryx blames smoking, poverty and poor education for much of the region's poor health," Huber writes. "I think the environmental impact from coal mining is less than those three, but still significant by itself," Hendryx told Huber. "When I controlled for smoking rates, I found that there was still elevated lung cancer in coal mining areas." (Read more)