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Minerals
Special Issues
Size Distribution, Chemical Composition and Morphology of Mine Dust
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Size Distribution, Chemical Composition and Morphology of Mine Dust

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 December 2024) | Viewed by 4086

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shoeleh Assemi

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Guest Editor
Imessa Research, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
Interests: respirable dust; surface characterization; colloid/nanoparticle size characterization; nanotoxicology; surface chemistry; material characterization
Dr. Emily Sarver

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Guest Editor
Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
Interests: respirable dust; particulate characterization; mine environmental management; exposure monitoring and control; occupational health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inhalation of dust in mining operations remains a major health concern, particularly in metal/nonmetal and coal mines. Occupational exposure to respirable mine dust results in irreversible and fatal health problems such as silicosis, lung cancer, kidney disease, and non-malignant respiratory diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. In the coal mine industry, the combination of respirable silica dust (RCD) and coal dust can lead to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), or "black lung disease”. 

Formulation of effective mitigation strategies requires reliable data on physico-chemical characteristics of respirable dust, such as size distribution, surface charge, chemical composition, morphology, and metal content. Detection methods with increased sensitivity are also required as the exposure limits are being reduced by governing bodies.

In this Special Issue, we aim to collate research and review articles addressing dust sampling and detection techniques, physico-chemical characteristics, and relevant toxicological studies related to mine dust, in particular crystalline silica.  Example topics include sampling methods, analytical detection, and analysis methods, predominantly at low dust concentrations, as well as dust generation and dust control. Toxicological studies relevant to one or more dust characteristic or constituent, such as particle size, are also welcome.

Dr. Shoeleh Assemi
Dr. Emily Sarver
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • respirable dust
  • mineral dust
  • dust characterization
  • mineralogy and trace element analysis
  • occupational health
  • environmental health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 5770 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Conical Pick Cutter Wear Conditions on Physical Characteristics and Particle Size Distribution of Coal: Health and Safety Considerations with a Focus on Silica
by Manso Sesay, Jamal Rostami, Syd Slouka, Hugh Miller, Rennie Kaunda and Anshuman Mohanty
Minerals 2025, 15(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15020182 - 16 Feb 2025
Viewed by 622
Abstract
This study investigates the correlations between the wear conditions of conical pick cutters and key variables such as the physical properties (shape, aspect ratio, roughness), explosive potential, health and safety implications, and particle size distribution of coal dust and larger fragments using the [...] Read more.
This study investigates the correlations between the wear conditions of conical pick cutters and key variables such as the physical properties (shape, aspect ratio, roughness), explosive potential, health and safety implications, and particle size distribution of coal dust and larger fragments using the linear cutting machine (LCM). This research was conducted within the framework of recent regulatory developments, notably implementing the new silica rule in the mining and construction sectors and climate change consideration. This study reveals critical insights into optimizing operational processes while adhering to stringent health and safety regulations. The findings indicate that as cutting tools wear, there is a significant increase in generated fine particles, including respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which elevates the risk of respiratory diseases and, in the case of coal dust, a higher potential for explosions. The results show that the silica content in respirable dust is a function of rock mineralogy; however, the results showed that the absolute amount of silica-containing dust increased with bit wear in rocks containing pertinent minerals. For the larger fragments, the new bit produced a 1699 fragment count, while the completely worn-out bit produced a 5608 count. The results of the dust concentration show that the new bit produces 89.2 mg/m3 (17.84%); the moderate bit produces 165.1 mg/m3 (33.03%), and the worn-out bit produces 245.6 mg/m3 (49.13%). Moreover, this study highlights the impact of bit wear on the production of larger fragments, which decreases with tool degradation, further contributing to dust generation. These results suggest the necessity for proactive equipment maintenance, enhanced dust control measures, and continuous monitoring of cutting tool wear to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and to protect workers’ health and safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Size Distribution, Chemical Composition and Morphology of Mine Dust)
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20 pages, 2779 KiB  
Article
Coal Mine Dust Size Distributions, Chemical Compositions, and Source Apportionment
by Xiaoliang Wang, Behrooz Abbasi, Mohammadreza Elahifard, Bankole Osho, Lung-Wen Antony Chen, Judith C. Chow and John G. Watson
Minerals 2024, 14(11), 1122; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14111122 - 6 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1436
Abstract
Current regulations mandate the monitoring of respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) mass and crystalline silica in underground coal mines to safeguard miner health. However, other RCMD characteristics, such as particle size and chemical composition, may also influence health outcomes. This study collected RCMD [...] Read more.
Current regulations mandate the monitoring of respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) mass and crystalline silica in underground coal mines to safeguard miner health. However, other RCMD characteristics, such as particle size and chemical composition, may also influence health outcomes. This study collected RCMD samples from two underground coal mines and performed detailed chemical speciation. Source apportionment was used to estimate RCMD and silica contributions from various sources, including intake air, fire suppression limestone dust, coal dust, diesel engine exhaust, and rock strata. The mine dust mass-based size distributions were comparable to those recorded over a decade ago, with a peak around 10 μm and the majority of the mass in the supermicron size range. The current mine conditions and mining practices do not appear to have significantly increased the generation of smaller particles. Limestone rock dust was prevalent in many locations and, along with coal dust, was the main contributor to RCMD at high-concentration locations. Silica accounted for over 10% of RCMD mass at several active mining locations, primarily from limestone and rock strata dust. Reducing the concentration of limestone dust and its silica content could reduce RCMD and silica levels. Further cleaning of the intake air could also improve the overall mine air quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Size Distribution, Chemical Composition and Morphology of Mine Dust)
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16 pages, 5131 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Effect of Particle Loading Density on Respirable Dust Classification by SEM-EDX
by Daniel Sweeney, Cigdem Keles and Emily Sarver
Minerals 2024, 14(7), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14070728 - 20 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1321
Abstract
Exposure to respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) still poses health risks to miners. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) is a powerful tool for RCMD characterization because it provides particle-level data, including elemental ratios (via the EDX signals) that can enable [...] Read more.
Exposure to respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) still poses health risks to miners. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) is a powerful tool for RCMD characterization because it provides particle-level data, including elemental ratios (via the EDX signals) that can enable classification by inferred mineralogy. However, if the particle loading density (PLD) is high on the analyzed substrate (filter sample), interference between neighboring particles could cause misclassification. To investigate this possibility, a two-part study was conducted. First, the effect of PLD on RCMD classification was isolated by comparing dust particles recovered from the same parent filters under both low- and high-PLD conditions, and a set of modified classification criteria were established to correct for high PLD. Second, the modified criteria were applied to RCMD particles on pairs of filters, with each pair having one filter that was analyzed directly (frequently high PLD) and another filter from which particles were recovered and redeposited prior to analysis (frequently lower PLD). It was expected that application of the modified criteria would improve the agreement between mineralogy distributions for paired filters; however, relatively little change was observed for most pairs. These results suggest that factors other than PLD, including particle agglomeration, can have a substantial effect on the particle EDX data collected during direct-on-filter analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Size Distribution, Chemical Composition and Morphology of Mine Dust)
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