What impact is diesel particulate matter having on the underground mining sector?
As with many different industries today, research findings about health are changing what the underground mines view as a significant risk and how they manage these risks for the betterment of their people. One area that comes to mind is diesel exhaust emissions.
As we all know, diesel particulate matter, mostly just referred to as ‘DPM’, is the solid fraction of a complex mixture that makes up diesel exhaust.
How does DPM affect health?
Diesel engine exhaust emissions were officially classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2012. As we know, a carcinogen is any substance that tends to produce a cancer – in this case predominantly lung cancer. Other adverse effects of long-term exposure include heart disease, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders and reproduction health problems. These long-term risks coupled with short-term effects like headaches, asthma, nausea and lung inflammation, makes DPM a serious issue for the well-being of the modern day miner.
"Underground miners can be exposed to more than 100 times the typical environmental concentration of diesel exhaust"
In addition to time of exposure, the severity of this risk is also related to the size of the DPM particles. Size of particles is mostly talked about in microns (PM).
Course particles (PM10 – 2.5): - When inhaled can deposit in the upper airways.
Fine particles (PM2.5): - When inhaled can deposit in the lower airways.
Ultrafine particles (PM0.1): - When inhaled, are small enough to be able to deposit in tissue outside of the lungs and can cross into the blood stream.
In decades prior, PM10 sized particles were the common reference for those talking about DPM in this industry. However, diesel exhaust particles from modern engines are now primarily fine particles (PM2.5) and a considerable component of ultrafine particles (PM0.1). This means miners are more susceptible to health effects through the deeper inhalation of these much smaller particles.
As part of the Aletek team, I am passionate about this topic and look forward to continuing to learn from experts in the industry and hear feedback from underground mine sites.
We firmly believe that in addition to adequate ventilation and other controls, the use of diesel particulate filters on mobile machinery is an effective way to eliminate the risk of DPM at its source, as much as reasonably practicable.
Please feel free to express your thoughts on this topic.
References: https://www.car-cre.org.au/, https://www.cdc.gov/, https://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/
Image sourced from: Atlas Copco_images
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7 年Mammoth Equipment & Exhausts
Kevin Mailey Paul Deayton Wayne W.
Product Support Manager at Toromont Cat
7 年A great place to learn about DPM technologies and affects in the MDEC conference in Toronto this week staring Tuesday. We will also be presenting on Thursday our journey of change and the implementation of diesel particulate filters on our equipment. We have been in the change process for the last 3 years. https://mdec.ca/
Portable Air Compressors Atlas Copco Power Technique UK & Ireland
7 年We are busy building a zero emmision product portfolio. Loaders, minetrucks & drills. In the not to distant future we will put this issue to bed....
President at Climatrans Inc.
7 年There are ways to create safe respirable environments. Thanks to Sy-Klone's technology we can eliminate DPM in operator cabs. Climatrans has been successful in eastern Canada, providing solutions for problems in regard to respirable contaminants.