Real-Time Dust Monitoring in Occupational Environments: A Case Study on Using Low-Cost Dust Monitors for Enhanced Data Collection and Analysis

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cauda, Emanuele G. ; Patts J ; Wolfe C ; Yekich M
• Description:
  A worker's personal exposure to respirable dust in occupational environments has traditionally been monitored using established methodologies which entail the collection of an 8-h representative sample that is sent away for laboratory analysis. While these methods are very accurate, they only provide information on the average exposure during a specific time period, generally a worker's shift. The availability of relatively inexpensive aerosol sensors can allow researchers and practitioners to generate real-time data with unprecedented spatial and temporal granularity. Low-cost dust monitors (LCDM) were developed and marketed for air pollution monitoring and are mostly being used to help communities understand their local and even hyper-local air quality. Most of these integrated sensing packages cost less than $300 per unit, in contrast to wearable or area dust monitors specifically built for mining applications which have been around for decades but still average around $5000 each. At the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), we are leveraging the power of high-volume data collection from networks of LCDM to establish baseline respirable hazard levels and to monitor for changes on a seasonal basis as well as following any application of control technologies. We have seen the effective use and advantages of monitoring live data before, during, and after events like shift changes, operational changes, ventilation upgrades, adverse weather events, and machine maintenance. However, many factors have prevented a systematic adoption of LCDMs for exposure monitoring: concern for their analytical performance, the complexity of use, and lack of understanding of their value are some factors. This contribution outlines a 1-year case study at a mine in Wisconsin, USA, covering the installation, maintenance, data visualizations, and collaboration between NIOSH researchers and the industrial hygiene professionals at the mine. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Dust Environmental Monitoring Mining Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Silicon Dioxide
• Keywords:
  Aerosol Sensors Air Sampling Techniques Author Keywords: Respirable Dust Crystalline Silica Dust Sampling Industrial Hygiene LCDMs Low-cost Dust Monitors Mining Industry Monitoring Systems Particulate Sampling Methods Real-time Monitoring Respirable Dust Sensors

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• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  2524-3462
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PMRD - Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  41
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069915
• Citation:
  Min Metall Explor 2024 Aug; 41(4):1709-1718
• Contact Point Address:
  Cody Wolf, Health Hazards Prevention Branch, Pittsburgh Mining Research Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236
• Email:
  yvv5@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:74ab1ba722e80495bacebf23106600aa56652d79bbf723327bc0d43330b7011c5d53ce02146a053a765cea02737d792111e46d356d77b25e33bd6cde770dc269
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215726/cdc_215726_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.19 MB ]