Abstract
Road construction is one example of heavy constructions that may have a substantial temporary impact on local air quality. Construction of Lule? Road during the summer of 2013 generated a great deal of dust emission. US EPA recommended exposure-profiling method was used to measure dust emission. Inexpensive BSNE dust samplers were used instead of high volume samplers. The objective was to give a general idea of the amount of dust generated due to the construction work. Dust generation related to weather was discussed under conditions. Estimated threshold wind velocities for road surface materials at the height of 2 m were 12.88 m/s, 12.88 m/s and 24.76 m/s which were lower measured wind velocities, indicating no dust generated from wind erosion. Dust masses for 7 sampling periods show dust generation had a close relation with moisture content of surface material. Wind speed, humidity had minor or no effect. The estimated dust emission rate in the construction work during the measuring period was 22.86 kg TSP/d, 6 kg/d was from construction work and 16.86 kg/d was generated due to traffic on temporary roads.
Highlights
The WRAP Dust Emission Joint Forum (DEJF) presented a definition of dust
The measurement was done by US EPA recommended exposure-profiling method using inexpensive Big spring number eight (BSNE) dust samplers instead of high volume samplers
As estimated threshold wind velocities of surface materials were higher than measuring wind velocity, dust emission was only from mechanical construction works rather than wind erosion of surface material
Summary
The WRAP Dust Emission Joint Forum (DEJF) presented a definition of dust. Dust is defined as “particulate matter (PM) which is or can be suspended into the atmosphere by mechanical, explosive, or windblown suspension of geologic, organic, synthetic, or dissolved solids, and does not include non-geologic particulate matter emitted directly by an internal and external combustion process” [1]. Road construction is one example of heavy constructions that may have a substantial temporary impact on local air quality. Suspended particulate matters from construction work have a substantial visible adverse effect on the air quality during the ongoing construction activities. It causes reduced air visibility and health problems, and has to be quantified so that it could be used as one of the foundations of environmental assessment. Studies have rarely been focused on quantification of dust generation from sources due to difficulties on defining a dust cloud and many uncontrollable affecting factors during construction works. In this study exposure-profiling method was used to estimate the dust amount generated from a phase of a road construction process.
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