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Definition

noun

A chronic lung disease contracted by the prolonged exposure to air pollution or from the inhaled smoke or coal dust particles; anthracosis.

Supplement

Black lung is a common affliction of coal miners due to their prolonged exposure and inhalation of coal dust. The lungs contain heavy deposits of coal or carbon around the bronchioles based on x-ray images. The disease is often asymptomatic but may lead to more serious forms of the disease in which the lung tissues are destroyed and the airways are obstructed.

Variant: black lung disease

Synonyms:

• anthracosis
• coal miner's lung (or coal miners' lung)
• coal worker's lung (or coal workers' lung)
• coal pneumoconiosis
• colliers lung
• colliers anthracosis
• melanedema (or melanoedema)
• miners lung (or miners' lung)
• miners asthma