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Definition

noun

An occupational lung disease of coal workers caused by the deposition of carbon in the lungs from the prolonged exposure to smoke or coal dust particles; anthracosis.

Supplement

This disease is a common affliction of those who work with coal. Because of the prolonged exposure to coal dust, the lungs contain heavy deposits of coal or carbon around the bronchioles as seen from 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.

Variants: coal worker's lung or coal workers' lung

Synonyms:

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