Efficiency Comparison of Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) Composite-Incorporated Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibrous Filters for Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust and Coal Dust

Details

• Journal Article:
  ACS Omega
• Personal Author:
  Moradi, Mahsa ; Kakoria, Ashish ; Zheng, Lina ; Xu, Guang
• Description:
  The health of miners working in underground mines is greatly threatened by their exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) found in coal dust. While coal dust includes RCS, it is important to know the specific filtration efficiency for RCS particles compared to coal dust to improve protective measures. This study compares the filtration efficiency of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite-incorporated Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous filters at four different concentrations of rGO (0, 2, 6, and 10 wt%) for RCS particles and coal dust. The filters were made using the electrospinning method. They were tested separately with RCS particles and coal dust with particle sizes from 0.3 to 10 µm, within the respirable range, at various concentrations. Filtration effectiveness was evaluated using a particle counter. A dry dust aerosol generator, model 3410U, operating at 1-6 bar, was used to disperse particles. The results show that the rGO-PAN filters are almost equally effective in removing RCS particles and coal dust across all tested flow rates: 30, 50, and 80 L per minute (L min-1). Moreover, at a flow rate of 50 L min-1, the 6 wt% rGO-PAN filters showed greater efficiency for both types of dust. This indicates their strong potential for targeting both silica and coal dust particles. This study provides useful insights for creating effective filtration systems to lower health risks linked to RCS exposure in underground mining settings. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Coal
  • Coal Mining
  • Dust
  • Graphite
  • Occupational Health
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Safety
  • Silicon Dioxide
• Keywords:
  • Crystalline silica; Respirable dust; Underground miners; Mining industry; Coal dust; Filter materials; Filtration; Filters; Aerosol particles; Aerosols; Nanofibers
• Source:
  ACS Omega 2026 Mar; 11(12):18915-18922
• ISSN:
  2470-1343
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Kansas City Region OSHA ; Missouri
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  8 pdf pages
• Volume:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071625
• Contact Point Address:
  Guang Xu, Department of Mining and Explosives Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri 65401, United States
• Email:
  guang.xu@mst.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  • Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Performing Organization:
  Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259400/cdc_259400_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.18 MB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6fc634ba08ee398152582487c5aaba2552019e58e6530eb7bcf2fe7dd3b8c8a2047c519bf680c036c25c062817299efbc5e41875dd3f6054052400f0e1d92cda