Abstract
Air pollution associated with suspended particles has become a significant concern in Vietnam recently. The study aimed to (1) investigate dust sources; (2) measure concentration levels of Total Suspended Particulate (TSP), Particulate Matter (PM) fractions; (3) identify silica levels and the correlation with respirable particles at a cement grinding plant in Vietnam. A total of 312 samples (52 TSP, 160 PMs) at 13 processes were measured using the direct-reading dust meter. The silica composition was analyzed in a certified laboratory using the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique. SPSS version 26 for Window was used to analyze the data. The operations of the cement grinding plant created multiple dust sources from the jetty to the cement dispatch process. The TSP levels ranged 0.06–38.24 mg m−3, and 40.38% (n = 21) TSP samples exceeded the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for an 8-h working shift. Besides that, there was a wide range and significant concentration levels of PMs in the cement processes. The levels of PMs were PM1 (0.00–0.06 mg m−3), PM2.5 (0.01–0.83 mg m−3), PM4 (0.02–4.59 mg m−3), PM7 (0.03–16.94 mg m−3), and PM10 (0.04–26.85 mg m−3). The highest mean levels of PMs factions were measured at the pre-grinding process. The inefficient operation of the dust collector contributed a significant factor to the dust dispersion in this process. The silica’s mean (SD) composition in respirable dust was 20.4% (0.86) and was not significantly different amongst the processes. There was a significant correlation between the levels of respirable dust and silica exposure in the cement grinding plant (r = 0.99). The improvement of indoor air quality is needed to prevent health effects on cement workers.
Highlights
Published: 20 December 2021Air pollution is one of the most significant environmental risks to health globally, significantly affecting low and middle-income countries
This study aimed to identify dust sources, assess the distribution of Total Suspended Particulate (TSP), and different Particulate Matter (PM) fraction sizes in the cement grinding processes
Data obtained with this study showed a wide range distribution of particulate matter fractions in the workplace environment of the cement grinding plant
Summary
Published: 20 December 2021Air pollution is one of the most significant environmental risks to health globally, significantly affecting low and middle-income countries. According to the International Standardization Organization (ISO), “Dust is small solid particles, conventionally taken as those particles below 75 μm in diameter, which settle out under their own weight but which may remain suspended for some time” [2]. Dust particles are usually in size range from about 1 to 100 μm in diameter, and they settle slowly under the influence of gravity [3]. Particulate matter is a mixture of solid and liquid particles in the air that is small enough not to settle onto the Earth’s surface under the influence of gravity, classified by aerodynamic diameter [1]. Depending on the aerodynamic diameter, the airborne particle fractions are inhaled and deposited in the various regions of the respiratory system.
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