University study finds link between cancer, taconite mining

Minnesota Daily reports that taconite miners are highly atrisk of developing mesothelioma cancer.

In 2008, the Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study was launched to look the work-related risks that could affect the health of the workers. The $4.9 million-study can reveal that miners actually have a 3 percent risk of contracting the rare lung cancer for every year spent at work.

"This is a landmark study for Minnesota and the Iron Range," revealed School of Public Health dean John Finnegan. "Our goal was to begin to answer questions around how mining and taconite processing have impacted the health of Minnesotans. These studies have started to uncover those answers."

However, the results from the study cannot link the dust from taconite operations into contracting mesothelioma.

"Regardless of whatever is going on with our research, you can't wait around until our results come back," Mandel said in a radio interview.