Real-Time Diesel Particulate Monitor for Underground Mines

Details

• Personal Author:
  Janisko, Samuel J. ; Mischler, Steven E. ; Noll J
• Description:
  The standard method for determining diesel particulate matter (DPM) exposures in underground metal/nonmetal mines provides the average exposure concentration for an entire working shift, and several weeks might pass before results are obtained. The main problem with this approach is that it only indicates that an overexposure has occurred rather than providing the ability to prevent an overexposure or detect its cause. Conversely, real-time measurement would provide miners with timely information to allow engineering controls to be deployed immediately and to identify the major factors contributing to any overexposures. Toward this purpose, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed a laser extinction method to measure real-time elemental carbon (EC) concentrations (EC is a DPM surrogate). To employ this method, NIOSH developed a person-wearable instrument that was commercialized in 2011. This paper evaluates this commercial instrument, including the calibration curve, limit of detection, accuracy, and potential interferences. The instrument was found to meet the NIOSH accuracy criteria and to be capable of measuring DPM concentrations at levels observed in underground mines. In addition, it was found that a submicron size selector was necessary to avoid interference from mine dust and that cigarette smoke can be an interference when sampling in enclosed cabs. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Monitoring Metals Mining Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Vehicle Emissions
• Keywords:
  Analytical-instruments Analytical-methods Diesel-emissions Diesel-engines Diesel-exhausts Equipment-reliability Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Exposure-limits Lasers Measurement-equipment Metal-mining Mining-equipment Mining-industry Monitoring-systems Monitors Nonmetal-mining Particulate-sampling-methods Particulates Sampling Sampling-methods Underground-mining

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• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  17599660
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OMSHR - Office of Mine Safety and Health Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  5
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20042804
• Citation:
  Anal Methods 2013 Jun; 5(12):2954-2963
• Contact Point Address:
  James Noll, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh PA 15236, USA
• Email:
  jnoll@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon (CAS RN 7440-44-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Analytical Methods
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d40fead192d741ff0d896833e20dfce00197cad2bde12a6c73fba1c5cc9a30b7c9d83b25d67f0b0a3fb2a3b8014a0fb223ab735fc5d68657d0937e01498d5f21
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/227990/cdc_227990_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.04 MB ]