McIntyre Powder Project looking for answers on health effects of aluminum dust

Aluminium dust is taking its toll on miners 70 years later.

Janice Martell’s father worked as a miner between 1959 and 1990 in northern Ontario and he currently suffers from Parkinson’s Disease. Martell says the miners were told to ingest aluminium dust in order to protect their lungs from silica dust, but the health effects of this dust may be just as bad;

Silica dust caused silicosis when it was inhaled. This method of inhaling aluminum dust was used from 1943 until between 1970-80. The research into using aluminum dust was completed and funded by Workers Compensation Board of Ontario and the Ontario Depart of Health at the time, but there was no follow-up on the long-term effects of inhaling aluminum dust. Martell says these government entities and the Ontario Mining Association need to be held accoutable for this.

So far, 123 miners (including 54 who are deceased) are on Martell’s voluntary registry who have experienced neurological side effects or other health conditions, including 46 from Timmins.

She is working with The United Steelworkers and the Occupational Health Clinic of Ontario Workers to put together an intake clinic in Timmins so they can try to document more medically and what kinds of health issues workers have experienced.

For more information on the project, go to McIntyre Powder Project. To contact Janice Martell, you can email her at minersinfo@yahoo.ca