Dispersion and modeling discussion of aerosol air pollution caused during mining and processing of open-cast mines

Abstract

Given the importance of mining as a source of Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and fine Particulate Matters (PM10), it is important to develop appropriate methods for estimating emissions for use in modeling forecasts and to be aware of regulatory decisions. Development of site-specific emission estimation and also dispersion radius in copper mines would be a practical guide for environmental regulatory bodies in developing countries with incomplete local data. To address these needs, this research is presented, at an open-cast copper mine in mountainous area, using both one-year measurement observational and AERMOD emission modeling software based on documented Environment Protection Agency emission factors. Results demonstrate TSP dispersion predictions were in better agreement with the measured concentrations than those for PM10. This research finds that PM10 and TSP concentration are lowest in autumn and winter, respectively, while both have the highest concentration in summer. The maximum observed concentration of both pollutants is about 300 μg/m3 which is beyond the standard level. The study further shows that generally, concentration of TSP is three times of PM10. The dispersion radius of aerosols was 14 km with wide dispersion for TSP compared with PM10; so, could potentially pose serious environmental and health threats to the surrounding environment and community. The TSP and PM10 emission are about 3.242 and 0.969 kg per any ton of copper produced. This research was applied to a mountainous copper mine in NW Iran, one of the biggest surface mines all across the world (~ 300Mt/y).