Occupational hygiene, also known as industrial hygiene, is the discipline of anticipating, recognising, evaluating and controlling health hazards in the working environment with the objective of protecting worker health and well-being and safeguarding the community at large.
This section provides occupational hygiene resources that are relevant for the management of DPM.
Occ HygieneA Ground-Based Assessment Framework for Validating Diesel Particulate Emission Models and Applicability in Portland, OR
An open source Thesis by Kirsten Marie Sarle. Exposure to diesel emissions causes a range of health effects throughout the body, impairing; respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous, renal, and cognitive systems. (More…)
Aerosols and Criteria Gases in an Underground Mine That Uses FAME Biodiesel Blends
Analysis of ventilation and human exposure changes impacted by changing to different combinations of biodiesel content. [More...]
Aerosols Emitted in Underground Mine Air by Diesel Engine Fueled with Biodiesel
An analysis on the positives and negatives of biodiesel deployed in naturally aspirated engines. [More...]
Airborne dust generation and dispersion profiles due to loaded LPDT haulage in decline of a highly mechanized underground lead–zinc ore mine
An open source article by B Paluchamy. In underground metalliferous mines, declines serve as one of the primary intake airways. The intake air in declines gets contaminated by dust, gas, heat, and diesel particulate matter (DPM) generated due to the low-profile dump truck (LPDT) haulage. (More...)
Airborne respirable dust in fully mechanised underground metalliferous mines – Generation, health impacts and control measures for cleaner production
An open source article by B Paluchamy. Mining operations are inherently associated with dust generation, which is detrimental to cleaner production in mines. Exposure to airborne respirable dust causes serious health hazards to the miners. (More…)
Assessment of occupational exposure to diesel particulate matter through evaluation of 1-nitropyrene and 1-aminopyrene in surface coal miners, India
An open source article by Dinesh Wadikar. DPM (diesel particulate matter) is ubiquitously present in the mining environment and is known for mutagenicity and carcinogenicity to humans. However, its health effects in surface coal mines are not well studied, particularly in India. (More…)
Biodiesel as a control strategy for reducing exposure of underground miners to diesel aerosols: Part I: Effects on physical and chemical properties of emitted aerosols
Qualitative comparison between two biodiesel blends and neat biodiesel compared with ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel. [More...]
CFD numerical simulation on diffusion and distribution of diesel exhaust particulates in coal mine heading face
An open source article by Jinjie Duan. Diesel equipment used in underground production and transportation will produce a large amount of diesel particulate matter (DPM), which seriously pollutes the fresh air in underground and endangers the life and health of miners. (More…)
Characterization of Particle Size and Composition of Respirable Coal Mine Dust
An open source article by Lei Pan. Respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) particles, particularly the nano-sized fraction (<1 μm) of the RCMD if present, can cause severe lung diseases in coal miners. Characterization of both the particle size and chemical composition of such RCMD particles remains a work in progress, in particular, with respect to the nano-sized fraction of RCMD. (More...)
Characterization of Particulates from Australian Underground Coal Mines
An open source article by Nikky LaBranche. The re-identification of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis in Queensland in 2015 has prompted improvements in exposure monitoring and health surveillance in Australia. The potential consequences of excessive exposure to respirable dust may depend upon the size, shape and mineralogical classes of the dust. (More...)
Complexity of Respirable Dust Found in Mining Operations as Characterized by X-ray Diffraction and FTIR Analysis
An open source article by Rachel L.T. Walker. The mineralogical complexity of mine dust complicates exposure monitoring methods for occupational, respirable hazards. Improved understanding of the variability in respirable dust characteristics, e.g., mineral phase occurrence and composition, is required to advance on-site monitoring techniques that can be applied across diverse mining sectors. (More...)
Continuously regenerated trap for underground mining heavy-duty applications
Vale Totten Mine, Creighton Mine, and Copper Cliff Mine. Continuously regenerated DPF systems optimized for heavy-duty underground mining applications. [More...]
Diesel Oxidation Catalytic Converters for Underground Mining Applications
The diesel oxidation catalytic converter (DOC) has been extensively used by the underground mining industry to reduce exposure of workers to carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) emitted by diesel engines. The effects of those devices on the gaseous and diesel particulate matter emissions strongly depend on catalyst formulation. In 2015, NIOSH reviewed certain formulations of catalytic coatings used in DOCs marketed to underground mining were scrutinized for their potential to adversely affect emissions of the highly toxic compound, nitrogen dioxide. [More...]
Diesel particulate matter & occupational health issues AIOH Position Paper
Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, Diesel particulate matter & occupational health, Position paper, AIOH, 2018
Effects of Diesel Exhaust Aftertreatment Devices on Concentrations and Size Distribution of Aerosols in Underground Mine Air
A combination of three types of uncatalyzed diesel particulate filter (DPF), three high temperature disposable filter elements (DFE) and one diesel oxidation catalytic converter (DOC) are reviewed [More...]
Effects of FAME biodiesel and HVORD on emissions from an older-technology diesel engine
A review of two alternative, biomass-derived fuels that can help to reduce the exposure of underground miners to aerosols and gases emitted by diesel-powered equipment. [More...]
Effects of hydrotreated vegetable oil on emissions of aerosols and gases from light-duty and medium-duty older technology engines
Results of a study assessing the potential of hydrotreated vegetable oil renewable diesel (HVORD) in reducing the exposure of workers. [More...]
Environmental impact improvements due to introducing automation into underground copper mines
An open source article by Kyle Moreau. A life-cycle assessment (LCA) model was developed to comparatively analyze the use of manual and automated mining equipment in underground copper mine sites. Processes and key variables that were determined to contribute to the environmental impact of operations were identified for six mine sites in a range of geographical locations around the world. (More...)
European Commission Non Road Mobile Machinery Emissions
European Commission Off Highway Emissions
Global Miner leads industry in DPM Monitoring
This case study presents a precis of the application of real time DPM monitors in multiple sites - both above and below ground. A key finding was the ability to generate sound base-line DPM levels...
Guide to managing risks of exposure to diesel exhaust in the workplace – Safe Work Australia
Safe Work Australia, 2015, Guide to managing risks of exposure to diesel exhaust in the workplace, Safe Work Australia. 10 pp
Human health risk assessment in opencast coal mines and coal-fired thermal power plants surrounding area due to inhalation
An open source article by Akhilesh Kumar Yadav. The study aimed to provide quantitative data on air pollution on people living in an industrial area of middle India. The twenty-four monitoring of nitrogen dioxide concentrations, sulfur dioxide, PM 2.5 and PM 10 was used to investigate people’s exposure and health effects in the surrounding study area from January 2016 to December 2017. (More...)
ICMM Good practice guidance on occupational health risk assessment
ICMM, 2016, Good practice guidance on occupational health risk assessment - second edition, London: ICMM.
Improvement of Working Conditions and Opinions of Mine Workers When Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) Are Used Instead of Diesel Machines — Results of Field Trial at the Kittilä Mine, Finland
An open source article by A. Halim. A major part of the European Union’s (EU) project Sustainable Intelligent Mining System (SIMS) is investigating the development of diesel-free/carbon–neutral underground mines in order to ensure sustainable underground mining in the future. More…
Isolated zone evaluation of the Tier 4i diesel engine equipped with an SCR system
Implementing the latest engine and exhaust aftertreatment technologies is one of the major strategies used by the mining industry to control exposures of underground miners to gases and aerosols emitted by diesel-powered vehicles. [More...]
Management of diesel emissions in Western Australian mining operations – Guideline
Department of Mines and Petroleum, 2013, Management of diesel emissions in Western Australian mining operations ? guideline: Resources Safety, Department of Mines and Petroleum, Western Australia, 37 pp
Method 5040 Elemental Carbon – NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods, Fourth Edition
Birch E 2003, Method 5040 Elemental Carbon, NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods, Fourth Edition
NIOSH Mining Site Search Browser Link
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Site Browser, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed 3 December 2019
NSW Regulator DPM Management Findings
The NSW (Australia) Regulator for U/G Coal Mines conducted a review of operating sites to determine the level of conformance with regulatory and site specifications for the control and management of DPMs. The findings highlighted a range of weaknesses that may be relevant for other operations in different jurisdictions. [More...]
Performance evaluation of diesel particulate filter technology in the underground environment
Case study/research paper on the efficacy of diesel particulate filters in an U/G work environment. [More...]
Real-time diesel particulate matter monitoring in underground mines: evolution and applications
An open source article by Muhammad Usman Khan. Diesel exhaust is a major cause of large number of occupational diseases. Acute and continuous exposure to DPM can cause numerous health issues including respiratory disease, lung disease, heart disease, etc. The NIOSH and the IARC consider DPM as ‘probable carcinogenic’ and ‘carcinogenic’, respectively. (More...)
Sintered metal filter systems for light-duty diesel powered underground mining vehicles
A characterisation of the effects of sintered metal filter (SMF) systems on improving mine ventilation conditions for workers. [More...]
Study on respiratory deposition doses of typical Indian opencast coal mineworkers using occupational particulate matter levels
An open source article by Ambasht Kumar. The open cast coal mineworkers experience site-specific microenvironments (MEs) during coal production due to different benches. This study investigates the particulate matter (PM0.5, PM0.5-1, PM1-2.5, and PM2.5-10) exposure in MEs of opencast coal mines near Dhanbad, India. More...
The application of low-cost particulate matter sensors for air quality monitoring and exposure assessment in underground mines – A review
An open source article by Nana Amoako Amoah. Exposure to mining-induced particulate matter (PM) including coal dust and diesel particulate matter (DPM) causes severe respiratory diseases such as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) and lung cancer. Limited spatiotemporal resolution of current PM monitors causes miners to be exposed to unknown PM concentrations, with increased overexposure risk. (More...)
Underground Gold Miner Exposure to Noise, Diesel Particulate Matter and Crystalline Silica Dust
An open source article by Siddharth Singh. The present study compared exposure levels of diesel particulate matter, crystalline silica dust and noise experienced across different underground mine worker job titles. (More…)