Designing a grain dust simulator for dusty environments in typical grain bins in the Midwestern United States

Abstract

Grain dust represents a significant health risk to grain farmers and workers. Exposure to grain dust can diminish lung function as well as cause respiratory diseases. Grain storage facilities are considered agricultural confined spaces with high concentrations of grain dust. On-farm research for dust sample measurements is time consuming and cost prohibitive. The objective of this research was to design, build, and test a grain dust simulator (GDS) to simulate the dusty environments of grain storage bins in a laboratory setting whereby different types of grain dusts with various environmental conditions (airflow, temperature, and humidity) could be studied. The GDS, a 1/10th scale bin model, was designed with similar ventilation and auger systems as an on-farm grain bin with a diameter of 15.24 m and a capacity of 1762 m 3 . Dust concentration data collected from farms in Ohio, USA were used to guide the development of the GDS. Feasibility and performance tests verified that the GDS designed can be used as a testing platform for simulating the dusty environment in grain bins and development of effective respiratory protection for farmers under various on-farm conditions. • Grain dust simulator designed, built and tested. • Design simulates the respirable dust environment in on-farm grain bins. • Simulator a testing platform for dust mitigation strategies. • Also, simulator a testing platform for respirable protection equipment.