Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines
Exposure to diesel engine exhaust (DE) is a major concern in underground mines. It has been linked to cardiopulmonary diseases and is classified as a human carcinogen. The goal of this study is to assess DE exposures in workers at two underground gold mines, to compare exposure levels within and bet...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2017-07-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Mining Science and Technology |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209526861730349X |
| _version_ | 1819079490545909760 |
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| author | Maximilien Debia Caroline Couture Pierre-Eric Njanga Eve Neesham-Grenon Guillaume Lachapelle Hugo Coulombe Stéphane Hallé Simon Aubin |
| author_facet | Maximilien Debia Caroline Couture Pierre-Eric Njanga Eve Neesham-Grenon Guillaume Lachapelle Hugo Coulombe Stéphane Hallé Simon Aubin |
| author_sort | Maximilien Debia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Exposure to diesel engine exhaust (DE) is a major concern in underground mines. It has been linked to cardiopulmonary diseases and is classified as a human carcinogen. The goal of this study is to assess DE exposures in workers at two underground gold mines, to compare exposure levels within and between the mines, and to compare different methods of measuring DE exposures, namely respirable combustible dust (RCD), elemental carbon (EC) and total carbon (TC). Ambient and personal breathing zone (PBZ) measurements were taken. Side-by-side monitoring of RCD and of the respirable fraction of EC and TC (ECR and TCR) was carried out in the workers’ breathing zone during full-shift work. Regarding ambient measurements, in addition to ECR, TCR and RCD, a submicron aerosol fraction (less than 1 µm) of EC and TC was also sampled (EC1 and TC1). Average ambient results of 240 µg/m3 in RCD, 150 µg/m3 in ECR and 210 µg/m3 in TCR are obtained. Average PBZ results of 190 µg/m3 in RCD, 84 µg/m3 in ECR and 150 µg/m3 in TCR are obtained. Very good correlation is found between ECR and EC1 with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.99 (p < 0.01) calculated between the two log-transformed concentrations. No differences are reported between ECR and EC1, nor between TCR and TC1, since ratios are equal to 1.04, close to 1, in both cases. Highest exposures are reported for load-haul-dump (LHD) and jumbo drill operators and conventional miners. Significant exposure differences are reported between mines for truck and LHD operators (p < 0.01). The average TCR/ECR ratio is 1.6 for PBZ results, and 1.3 for ambient results. The variability observed in the TCR/ECR ratio shows that interferences from non-diesel related organic carbon can skew the interpretation of results when relying only on TC data. Keywords: Diesel exposure, Underground mine, Respirable combustible dust, Elemental carbon, Total carbon, Diesel particulate matter, Similar exposure groups |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T19:29:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6fd71c6c89fc41caa3d46e0d403f2ac8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2095-2686 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T19:29:49Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Mining Science and Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6fd71c6c89fc41caa3d46e0d403f2ac82022-12-21T18:52:44ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Mining Science and Technology2095-26862017-07-01274641645Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground minesMaximilien Debia0Caroline Couture1Pierre-Eric Njanga2Eve Neesham-Grenon3Guillaume Lachapelle4Hugo Coulombe5Stéphane Hallé6Simon Aubin7Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2375 chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal H3T 1A8, Canada; Corresponding author.Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2375 chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal H3T 1A8, CanadaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, 1100 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal H3C 1K3, CanadaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2375 chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal H3T 1A8, CanadaHealth and Safety, Agnico Eagle Mines, 145 King Street East, Suite 400, Toronto M5C 2Y7, CanadaHealth and Safety, Westwood Mine (IAMGOLD), Chemin Arthur Doyon, Preissac J0Y 2E0, CanadaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, 1100 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal H3C 1K3, CanadaInstitut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), 505, Boul. de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal H3A 3C2, CanadaExposure to diesel engine exhaust (DE) is a major concern in underground mines. It has been linked to cardiopulmonary diseases and is classified as a human carcinogen. The goal of this study is to assess DE exposures in workers at two underground gold mines, to compare exposure levels within and between the mines, and to compare different methods of measuring DE exposures, namely respirable combustible dust (RCD), elemental carbon (EC) and total carbon (TC). Ambient and personal breathing zone (PBZ) measurements were taken. Side-by-side monitoring of RCD and of the respirable fraction of EC and TC (ECR and TCR) was carried out in the workers’ breathing zone during full-shift work. Regarding ambient measurements, in addition to ECR, TCR and RCD, a submicron aerosol fraction (less than 1 µm) of EC and TC was also sampled (EC1 and TC1). Average ambient results of 240 µg/m3 in RCD, 150 µg/m3 in ECR and 210 µg/m3 in TCR are obtained. Average PBZ results of 190 µg/m3 in RCD, 84 µg/m3 in ECR and 150 µg/m3 in TCR are obtained. Very good correlation is found between ECR and EC1 with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.99 (p < 0.01) calculated between the two log-transformed concentrations. No differences are reported between ECR and EC1, nor between TCR and TC1, since ratios are equal to 1.04, close to 1, in both cases. Highest exposures are reported for load-haul-dump (LHD) and jumbo drill operators and conventional miners. Significant exposure differences are reported between mines for truck and LHD operators (p < 0.01). The average TCR/ECR ratio is 1.6 for PBZ results, and 1.3 for ambient results. The variability observed in the TCR/ECR ratio shows that interferences from non-diesel related organic carbon can skew the interpretation of results when relying only on TC data. Keywords: Diesel exposure, Underground mine, Respirable combustible dust, Elemental carbon, Total carbon, Diesel particulate matter, Similar exposure groupshttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209526861730349X |
| spellingShingle | Maximilien Debia Caroline Couture Pierre-Eric Njanga Eve Neesham-Grenon Guillaume Lachapelle Hugo Coulombe Stéphane Hallé Simon Aubin Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines International Journal of Mining Science and Technology |
| title | Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines |
| title_full | Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines |
| title_fullStr | Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines |
| title_short | Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines |
| title_sort | diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209526861730349X |
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