Abstract
Diesel-powered equipment is an essential component of all underground mining operations as it offers easy maneuverability in confined mine openings. However, acute and/or continuous exposure to diesel engine exhaust can cause serious health issues, including lung cancer, reduced lung capacity, respiratory diseases, and heart disease. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) regulations are relatively new in the United States mining industry and are based on the mineral commodity with two main standards—one for coal and one for metal-nonmetal. The NIOSH 5040 method is the standard for measuring shift average-based DPM exposure, although processing often takes weeks. A number of real-time monitors are now available that can estimate DPM concentrations in mines. Due to the reported adverse health effects of DPM exposure, options to treat, control, and reduce DPM emission in mines have become a main area of interest. Fortunately, several control technologies and strategies that can efficiently reduce miners' DPM exposure are now available to the mining industry.
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