This study was planned to compare the epidemiological features such as radiological and clinical features between coal worker's pneumoconiosis and manufacturing pneumoconiosis in connection with their age and dust exposure duration.

For the study, detailed examination records of those workers who had been confirmed to have pneumoconiosis in coal mining and manufacturing industries by the Ministry of Labour during two year period of 1991 and 1992. Total number of study subjects was 895 pneumoconiosis cases; 504 from coal mining and 391 from manufacturing industries. Information variables for the data analysis were sex, age, dust exposure duration, work position as the independent variables and radiological pneumoconiosis category, pulmonary function test results and pulmonary tuberculosis complication status as the dependent study variables.

There was a significant difference in distribution of radiological categories of both pneumoconiosis groups. The proportion of suspicious and category 1 pneumoconiosis was higher in manufacturing pneumoconiosis group than in coal mine pneumoconiosis group whereas category 2 and large opacity pneumoconiosis was higher in coal mine pneumoconiosis group than in manufacturing pneumoconiosis group. Major ventilatory indices such as FVC and FEV1 were significantly lower in coal mine pneumoconiosis group than in manufacturing pneumoconiosis group even after other variables such as age and smoking history were statistically adjusted for.

It is suggested that some selected outcome variables such as radiological category of pneumoconiosis, ventilatory impairment, and pulmonary tuberculosis complication rate were significantly different between coal mine pneumoconiosis and manufacturing pneumoconiosis.