Airborne particulate size distributions in underground mines and their relationship to size-selective sampling criteria
- Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
- Bureau of Mines, Minneapolis, MN (United States); and others
Researchers are becoming increasingly concerned with airborne particulate matter, not only in the respirable size range, but also in larger size ranges. International Standards Organization (ISO) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH) have developed standards for {open_quotes}inhalable{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}thoracic{close_quotes} particulate matter. These require sampling particles up to approximately 100 {mu}m in diameter. The size distribution and mass concentration of airborne particulate matter have been measured in air quality studies of the working sections of more than 20 underground mines by University of Minnesota and U.S. Bureau of Mines personnel. Measurements have been made in more than 15 coal mines and five metal/nonmetal mines over the past eight years. Although mines using diesel-powered equipment were emphasized, mines using all-electric powered equipment were also included. Particle sampling was conducted at fixed locations, i.e., mine portal, ventilation intake entry, haulageways, ventilation return entry, and near raincars, bolters and load-haul-dump equipment. The primary sampling device used was the MSP Model 100 micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI). The MOUDI samples at a flow rate of 30 LPM and. provides particle size distribution information for particles primarily in the 0.1 to 18 {mu}m size range. Up to five MOUDI samplers were simultaneously deployed at the fixed locations. Sampling times were typically 4 to 6 hrs/shift. Results from these field studies have been summarized to determine the average size distributions and mass concentrations at various locations in the mine section sampled. From these average size distributions, predictions are made regarding the expected levels of respirable and thoracic mass concentrations as defined by various health-based size-selective aerosol-sampling criteria.
- OSTI ID:
- 166550
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9510126-; TRN: 95:008181-0041
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association for Aerosol Research, Pittsburgh, PA (United States), 9-13 Oct 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) `95; PB: 464 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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