Abstract
The sources Sources and characteristics of particulate matter (PM) were determined in a modern underground chrome mine in Finland. Measurements were conducted at five locations in the mine: the maintenance area, blasting area, ore pit dumping area, crushing station and conveyor belt. The measurement set-up consisted of a Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SP-AMS) for the particles’ chemical composition; an Electrical Low Pressure Impactor, Nano Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer and Optical Particle Counter for the particle number and mass size distribution; and an Aethalometer for black carbon (BC). The particle number and mass concentration depended strongly on the measurement location and period. The PM10 and the total number concentrations varied from 22 to 1100 μg m–3 and 1.7 × 103 to 2.3 × 105 # cm–3, respectively, in the mine. In terms of the composition, the sub-micrometer particles (PM1) consisted mostly of organic matter and BC, but at the blasting site, the fraction of sulfate was also significant. The SP-AMS data was analyzed with Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) to identify and quantify the main sources of PM1 in the mine. Based on the PMF analysis, the PM1 originated mostly from diesel engines (35–84%) and blasting (7–60%). The impact of blasting on air quality in mines may become more pronounced in the future as the emissions from diesel engines decrease due to alternative fuels and better engine and after-treatment technologies.
Highlights
Emissions from mining activity have impacts on our environment and health
Compared to the previous study of Saarikoski et al (2018), conducted at a single location in the same mine three years earlier, the present study provides more detailed and quantitative information on the chemistry and sources of particles at several sites of an underground mine
The total particle number concentration measured by the nano-Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) was smallest at the maintenance area (3.4 × 104 # cm–3) and largest at the dumping area and crushing station (10.5–11.7 × 104 # cm–3; Table S1)
Summary
Emissions from mining activity have impacts on our environment and health. There are two types of mines: open pit and underground mines. Mining starts as an open pit but continues as an underground mine as the pit gets deeper and it is economically more reasonable to operate underground. Emissions from mining activities are dispersed into surrounding air and affect the nearby people and environment, while in underground mines the pollutant issue is mainly related to the exposure of workers in the mine. Diesel fuel is commonly used in the underground vehicles and mining equipment, as for a given power, diesel engines produce a higher torque at low speed than gasoline engines. Particles from diesel engines are mainly composed of soot
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