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. 2022 Mar 16;39(3):937-945.
doi: 10.1007/s42461-022-00588-y.

Diesel Aerosols in an Underground Coal Mine

Aleksandar D Bugarski  1 , Shawn Vanderslice  1 , Jon A Hummer  1 , Teresa Barone  1 , Steven E Mischler  1 , Shad Peters  2 , Steve Cochrane  2 , Jared Winkler  2
Affiliations

Diesel Aerosols in an Underground Coal Mine

Aleksandar D Bugarski et al. Min Metall Explor. .

Abstract

The case study was conducted in an underground coal mine to characterize submicron aerosols at a continuous miner (CM) section, assess the concentrations of diesel aerosols at the longwall (LW) section, and assess the exposures of selected occupations to elemental carbon (EC) and total carbon (TC). The results show that aerosols at the CM sections were a mixture of aerosols freshly generated at the outby portion of the CM section and those generated in the main drifts that supply "fresh air" to the section. The relatively low ambient concentrations and personal exposures of selected occupations suggest that currently applied control strategies and technologies are relatively effective in curtailing exposures to diesel aerosols. Further reductions in EC and TC concentrations and personal exposures to those would be possible by more effective curtailment of emissions from high-emitting light duty (LD) vehicles.

Keywords: Coal; Diesel aerosols; Mining; Underground.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The continuous miner (CM) section
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The longwall (LW) section
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Number concentrations of aerosols measured with the FMPS at the CM during S1, S2, and S3 shifts: a traces and b average concentrations
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Size distributions of aerosols at the CM OMS for: a S1, b S2, and c S3
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Average OC, EC, and TC concentrations at: a CM OMS and b LW OMS
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
The OC, EC, and TC exposures for: a permissible scoop operator, b shield hauler operator, c shift supervisor, and d outby foreman (the concentrations of OC and EC are below LOQ)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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