Modeling the Dispersion of Dust Generated From Open Pit Mining Activities

Abstract

Mining industry is a major source of fugitive dust mostly due to activities which involve handling of large volume of fragmented earth by the HEMMs. The repairable fraction of this dust (size less than 10 microns) is a health hazard, as they have the potential of causing chronic health disorders. Due to this high concentration of repairable dust generated from mining activities, the population directly involved in mining as well as the living in close proximity suffers from a wide variety of respiratory disorders. If the dust concentration at different location in and around the mining area can be measured then the places with the potential of high concentration build-up can be identified and appropriate protective measures can be taken. This project is a step in that direction. In this project, the concentrations PM10 particles generated from a hypothetical opencast mine having seven dust generation sources has been modeled within an area having a radius of 10 kilometers. The 24-h average concentrations of the PM10 particles within the area has been modeled using the AERMOD modeling package and the corresponding concentration plots of the area is plotted. Further analysis of the plots has been done to find the point having maximum concentration of dust