Mining Publication: Characteristics of Fugitive Dust Generated from Unpaved Mine Haulage Roads
Original creation date: December 2004
Fugitive dust is generated along unpaved mine roads from intermittent equipment traffic. Typically, the majority of such traffic consists of trucks hauling either mine product or waste from the surface mine pit and/or the processing plant. Fugitive dust generated along these unpaved mine roads includes particles of all sizes that become airborne. The potential hazards include the deleterious effects to human health of inhaled dust, traffic visibility hazards, and environmental impacts on the localized area by the larger-sized visible airborne dust. Two field surveys were recently conducted to quantify fugitive dust generation and dispersion from truck traffic on unpaved and untreated mine haulage roads. For these surveys, airborne dust sampling was conducted at multiple sampling locations away from an unpaved haulage road at a limestone quarry/plant and at a coal mine preparation plant to measure the size characteristics, concentrations, and dispersive behavior of the dust cloud generated from truck traffic. Results show that at least 80% of the airborne dust generated by haul trucks was larger than 10 micrometers. Airborne respirable, thoracic, and total dust concentrations all decreased and approached background concentrations 30.5 m (100 ft) from the road. This report describes the average and instantaneous peak dust levels that were measured up to 30.5 m (100 ft) from the haulage road.
Authors: JA Organiscak, WR Reed
Peer Reviewed Journal Article - December 2004
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20025996
Int J Surface Min Reclam Environ 2004 Dec; 18(4):236-252
See Also
- Acceleration and GPS Data Monitor Truck-Haulage Jolts
- Continuous Mining: A Pilot Study of the Role of Visual Attention Locations and Work Position in Underground Coal Mines
- Crewstation Analysis Programs - An Easy to Use Personal Computer-based Lighting and Visibility Analysis Software Package for Underground Mining Equipment
- Monitoring Blind Spots: A Major Concern for Haul Trucks
- Preventing Collisions Involving Surface Mining Equipment: A GPS-based Approach
- A Review of Occupational Silica Exposures on Continuous Mining Operations
- Safety Analysis of Surface Haulage Accidents
- Surface Haulage Truck Research
- Test Results of Collision Warning Systems for Surface Mining Dump Trucks
- Tying Acceleration and GPS Location Information Together To Create a Mine Management Tool
- Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program