Use of Electron Microscopy to Determine Presence of Coal Dust in a Neighborhood Bordering an Open-Air Coal Terminal in Curtis Bay, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Details

• Personal Author:
  Aubourg MA ; Chiou W-A ; Dickerson RR ; Heaney CD ; Kamanzi C ; Livi KJT ; Ramachandran G ; Rule AM ; Sanchez-Gonzalez CC ; Sawtell GG ; Spada NJ
• Description:
  Background Despite decreasing US consumption, over 90 million metric tons of coal were exported by the US in 2023, requiring significant infrastructure for transport, handling, and storage of coal at export terminals. Residents in Curtis Bay, Baltimore, Maryland, USA live at the fenceline of an open-air coal terminal and have, for decades, reported rapid accumulation of black dust at their homes. Community-level exposure to coal dust originating from coal handling and storage terminals has remained largely unexplored. Objectives: To investigate community-identified concerns and use a community-driven approach to determine the presence/absence of coal dust on Curtis Bay surfaces. Methods: Passive settled dust samples were collected from two residential areas, 345 m and 1235 m from the coal terminal, using conductive carbon tape. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) of standard reference coal material and positive control material from the coal terminal in Curtis Bay were used to optimize the morphological and elemental classification criteria for coal dust. A manual SEM-EDX protocol was developed to identify coal particles in settled dust collected on conductive carbon tape in community settings. Results: SEM-EDX analysis confirmed presence of coal dust sampled at both residential locations. Estimated coal dust particle loading at the proximal and distal site were 13.2 and 3.4 coal particles/mm2, respectively. The coal dust particles identified met specific criteria, including size (>5 µm), morphology, and elemental composition (≥75 % carbon, ≤20 % oxygen). Discussion: These findings are consistent with longstanding community concerns and lived experiences regarding the presence of coal dust in Curtis Bay, which neighbors a major open-air coal terminal. This approach has potential for other communities neighboring coal terminals to assess similar concerns with residential coal dust exposure. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Community Health Services Dust Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Coal Dust Coal Dust Coal Terminal Community-driven Research Community Health Dust Characterization Dust Sampling Electron Microscopy Environmental Exposure Environmental Justice Environmental Pollution Particulates SEM-EDX

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• ISSN:
  0048-9697
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Maryland ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; San Francisco Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  957
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070329
• Citation:
  Sci Total Environ 2024 Dec; 957:176842
• Contact Point Address:
  Matthew A. Aubourg, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
• Email:
  maubour1@jh.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Science of the Total Environment
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:23868a4a8bcff1d9c659a28f546f0ecc7fe1e4d1aa4773153758152373e9880812f5129c92dc92bad5ddd4f92d64a03b83e80f1f5f658596b3cbdea5ba8bc2c5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208563/cdc_208563_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 10.51 MB ]