Declaration

I hereby confirm on my honor that I have personally prepared the present academic project. No
resources other than those declared have been used and all formulations and concepts, whether
adopted literally or adapted from printed, unprinted or internet sources, have been adequately
identified and cited according to the rules of academic work.
Acknowledgement

First, I want to thank almighty god for the life and blessings he has provide in my life. To my
family, children and wife who have supported me unconditionally during this journey. To my
colleagues who have devote part of their time to explaining to me and to answer some doubts.
Abstract
The focus of this research is to highlight environmental effects caused by dust in mining
operation. Mining is the process of minerals and rock formations; it is one of the basic sectors of
world economy, so the research need to point out that this practice generates damages to the
environment.
People living near Mina Moatize mine sites often ask about the effects of dust emissions in the
air as a result of mining activities. This work has been prepared to explain the type of dust that is
generated from mines sites, potentials risks from mine dust to health and environmental.
The vast majority of dust from mining activities consists of coarse particles, generated from
natural activities such mechanical disturbance of rock and soil materials by dragline or shovel,
bulldozing, blasting, and vehicles on dirt roads. Particles are also generated when wind blows
over bare ground and different types of stockpiles and this particles can cause impacts to
environmental and health.
With regard to the elaboration of this work for the data collection were used interview and
observation, researching the information with the professional.
For dust attenuation, we have to plant the vegetal curtain, damping access ways to avoid getting
up dust in the vehicle circulation. Some dust mitigation measures, including the use of enclosed
loading and storage structures, training staff in various technique’s to minimize dust emissions,
evolution of product moisture and practical management practices like covering and wetting
down exposed stockpiles play a key role in preventing the spread of coal dust.
The Results obtained in present research will not be generalized are restricted only to Mina
Moatize LTD
.
Keywords: Environmental Air pollution, and Dust
INTRODUCTION

Mozambique is a country rich in mineral resources such as coal, gas and heavy sands. The
mining industry in Mozambique has grown rapidly in recent years due to recent discoveries of
coal and natural gas deposits. These findings attracted a lot of foreign investment, especially in
the energy (gas and coal) sector. However, these processes of mineral extraction and waste
processing involve many methods that negatively affect and threaten the lives of the population
living in the area where these minerals are located and are processed, generating many problems
of which we point out the generation of minerals.

The Company Mina Moatize LTD. It is located in the district of Moatize in the quarter of
Machichique along the national highway number 7, dedicated to the extraction of mineral coal
and its benefit. The present research arises from the need to understand the protection, combat,
control and prevention of dust generated by this company, evaluating the effects caused by this
in coal mining

According to Almeida (1999), what we call particulate matter, or dust, are substances, solid or
liquid, emitted either by natural sources or anthropogenic or formed in the atmosphere and, when
dispersed in the air, form the so-called aerosols (colloidal solution in that the dispersing phase is
gaseous and the dispersed phase is solid or liquid). When emitted directly from these sources,
primary particles are formed and, when they result from the interaction of preexisting
compounds in the atmosphere, secondary particles. These particles vary considerably in size,
morphology, chemical composition and physical properties.

The importance of this research is to try to understand how the effects of air pollutions caused by
dust in that mining is manifest in human health of the community and works of this company.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The process of extracting mineral resources has evolved a lot in recent years, without exception
for our country, specifically in the central and northern areas of the country. The study in
question is the province of TETE, moatize district, whose same presents large mining companies
which bring positive impacts as well as negative impacts on the environment as well as the
population. The communities close to these mining companies are subject to several risks, with
this, the following question is raised:

What are the effects caused to the population due to the generation of mining dust?
JUSTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH
The researcher chose topic because the people around of the mine, complain about many disease
that they don’t know how come, that probably is caused by inhalation of dust, and the researcher
decided to study this topic to explain how that this diseases come, in order to help to find good
ways to ensure the wellbeing of the pollution by providing a good solution and methods that can
be used to avoid any negative effects of the quality of air.
Main Objective

The main objective of this research is Assessment the effects caused by air pollution (dust) in
mining operation at industry Mina Moatize.

Specific objectives
To describe the causes of air pollution (dust) in mining operation
To identify how deeply the environment and the population are being affected by air
pollution impacts in quarter of Machichique, kapanga and chitata.
Try to show the company the relevance of dust management
Research Questions

What has the company been doing to minimize the high propagation of dust in its
activities?
At what time of the day has the population suffered from the emission of mining dust?
What measures has the local government taken in relation to the negative impact of
mining dust on communities?
What consequences has this dust brought?
Which age group is most affected by dust?

Research Hypothesis

The company should commit to using low-intensity explosives and implementing dust
sprinkler systems;
In fact, there is no specific moment when communities suffer, practically every moment,
but the company could choose to give advance notice, such as: on blasting days, inform
the time so that populations can be prepared.
For those people who are very close to the company, the government together with the
company should raise awareness so that they withdraw to a safer area, complying with all
resettlement processes.
Elderly people are the most affected by dust, with this, the company must provide
periodic medical assistance to these people, progressively monitor their health status.
METHODOLOGY

The methods that will be used in this project in order to collect the data are through questions
and observations, the observation will be done in the study area during the established time, and
the questions will be made to the population that are living around Company in Moatize and the
employers, in order to get the information of the real situation so as to help on finding the best
solution and techniques that can be applied to ensure the wellbeing to the population and
environment as well. The main target will be the community, as it has been the one who suffers
most from the dust for a long time, so we will try to understand closely how their life has been
during these years, as the company has grown with the passage of time.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

The elaboration of this theoretical framework in the first chapter will look into the basic concepts
of dust in mining activity such as: blasting, drilling, exploitation, crushing, grinding, loading and
transportation. The causes, origins. The next chapter will be concentrate on the effects of air
pollution caused by gases emition (dust). In short, the theory will be based on what are the
effects that the moatize population suffers when gases (dust) are emitted during mining activity,
measures to be implemented to reduce health risks for the population in general, some
approaches related to diseases caused by dust, as is the case of lung diseases, measures of control
and mitigation of dust.
According to the "Glossary of Atmospheric Chemistry Terms" (IUPAC, 1990), "Dust: Small,
dry, solid particles projected into the air by natural forces, such as wind, volcanic eruption, and
by mechanical or man-made processes such as crushing, grinding, milling, drilling, demolition,
shoveling, conveying, screening, bagging, and sweeping”

According to MINERALS (2018) “Emissions of dust generates a critical environmental impact

of the mining industry during all operations related to surface mining, mineral processing, and
waste dumping. Therefore, it is clear that for mine dust emission management includes an
understanding and knowledge of the types of emission sources, use of efficient mitigation
measures, so as not to compromise society as well as nature”.
Causes and origins of Air Pollution (Dust) at Moatize Mine
According to (Sharma 2009), “mining operations such as drilling, detonation, crushing, loading
and transportation are the main sources of emissions and air pollution (dust). Coal left in the
ground can catch fire, and fires are difficult to control, with some burning for decades or even
centuries, creating a major source of air pollution. The use of explosives, such as when
dismantling the material, releases carbon monoxide (CO). Dusty particles and charcoal stirred
during the mining process, as well as the soot released during the transport of coal, contribute to
emissions and respiratory problems”.
It became clear that the main sources of dust in mining operations are drilling, blasting, crushing,
loading and transport, as the community assumes that during the time these activities occur and
has become more frequent as the mine progresses. The researcher could see that during the time
of these activities, a large amount of dust was generated, in addition, most of this dust comes
from detonation, it should be noted that the soil of the village of Moatize, due to its composition,
already contains a lot of dust.
In this sense, the dust generated in the process of dismantling the exploration fronts, along the
transport of the extracted material, during the treatment and shattering of the ore and in the
transport and deposition of the waste in the heap, as well as fumes, vapors and gasses that are 6
generated throughout the ore extraction process, are essentially produced by the operation of
vehicles and heavy equipment generate high amounts of dust that interfere with the quality of the
breathable air, which can create damages to the public health and those who daily live with these
dust that are in especially the miners and the entire population living in areas close to
exploitation,(Itge, 1989).
Indeed, the researcher agrees with the author that dust, smoke, fumes and gases from mining
operations change the quality of the air. However, all operations at the Moatize mine carry risks,
since they harm miners and people living close to the same company. However, it can be seen
that due to changes in the quality of the environment in which they are located, they are prone to
diseases of major pathologies, which may be small and large, which may even lead to death and
are therefore caused by enemies invisible when inhaled or consumed they cause changes in the
body growing progressively and therefore difficult to detect in the initial phase due to their origin
To conclude the dust-related part, the researcher has to say that most of the dust being handled at
this mine comes from loading, transport and detonation. These are the main causes of great dust
in the mine affecting communities.
Detonation
Gilda Ferreira (2006) stated that” In detonation, dust is generated in rock dismantling operations
during drilling of the rock by the action of cutting tools such as drills, butts, pistons, combined
with cleaning the hole with the use of compressed air, and during detonation with the ejection of
material constituting the cap and fragments generated.
Explosives are installed at a certain depth when along the stretch to be prepared for mining. The
shock waves caused by explosion, together with the expansion of the gases, cause the release of
particles on the air. The main variables for quantifying emissions from fire blasting are:
 Explosive consumption;
 Explosive type;
 Number of detonations per day;
  Surface area of the detonated region
 Hole depth
Among the mentioned sources of emission, those that produce a grater total amount of dust are
the production and transport activities. This is because they are continuous activities which are
carried out during the entire life of the mine. On the other hand, although the generation of total
dust is lower than in others activities because it is a specific one with a short period of activity,
the blasting phase represents a very important emission source, which produces very high
amounts of dust in very short times.
Mineral processing
In any minerals processing facility, dust is generated when ore is shattered or broken as in
dumping, loading, transferring, or handling. Potential dust sources in minerals processing
operations include:
 processing equipment such as crushers, screens, grinding mills and dryers
 Bulk material handling equipment such as belt conveyors, screw conveyors, bucket
elevators, feeders, and hoppers.
Processing equipment processes the ore into a final product. Bulk material handling equipment
transfers ore between processing equipment and the mine to the processing facility.
Crushing, griding and scrapping
Mineral crushing, grinding and screening operations can be the main sources of dust in the air
due to the nature of the process of size reduction and segregation. The amounts emitted will
depend on the type of material and requirement of the final product.
The crushing and impact during grinding involves dust generation. Screening involves that the
product is vibrating on the mashes decks and falling to another deck or to a belt conveyor. The
control of dust generate by these operations can be achieved with an adequate analysis of the
sources and the identification of the appropriate control technologies.
Wet control methods
In general, the use of wet control method is made through humid sprays systems. Control
methods in grinding operations are more efficient when the material is moistened before
grinding.
When the wet material is subject to further fragmentation such as in crushing operations,
effective preventions requires the application of further amount of water on the wet greater
surface area of material produced by the decrease of fragment size.
Effects of Air Pollution (Dust) at Moatize Mine
People living near mines often ask about the effects of dust emissions in the air as a result of
mining activities. This research was aims straightly to explain about the dust that is generated in
the mines and the potential hazards of mine dust for health.
Danielson (1973) put air pollution as being directly related to the generation of harmful effects
on the environment, including natural landscapes, vegetation, animals, soil, water, natural and
artificial structures, as well as on human health
The researcher agrees with the authors because the effects of this pollution are characterized both
by alteration of conditions considered normal and by the increase of preexisting problems. These
effects can be both global and can occur at local and regional levels as it is notable in the area
where the Moatize mine is located.
By the macroscopic view, note that the air in that area tends to be dark or cloudy, compromises
the development of vegetation, it is known that the dust emitted during mining activities contains
solid and fine particles that contaminate the water that is normally used for consumption
The population surrounding the Moatize mine is exposed to the effects of air pollution caused by
the emission of dust, compromising health, the ecosystem and everyday life, compromising not
only the current generation, but future generations.
UNDP Africa (2020) “Dust is now constantly present, polluting the air, the water and even the
food of local residents. This causes severe health problems and social conflicts over land and
water resources are on the rise in the area.”

The World Health Organization (2000) stated that” Places with concentration of pollutants
atmospheric emissions depend on the intensity of the source and the efficiency of its dispersion,
daily variations are very affected by weather conditions, such as humidity, temperature, wind
speed, etc.( as cited in occupational and Environmental Exposure to Dust Industrial Rocks and
Minerals, 2000. P.962)
Effects on human health
According to (Walker, S. 1997) Air pollutants through dust can affect human health in several
ways. The effects range from discomfort to death. Some of these effects include irritation of the
eyes and respiratory tract; reduction of lung capacity; increased susceptibility to viral infections
and cardiovascular diseases; reduction of physical performance; headaches; motor and enzymatic
alterations; aggravation of chronic diseases of the respiratory tract such as asthma, bronchitis,
emphysema and pneumoconiosis; damage to the central nervous system; genetic alterations;
birth defects and cancer.

The researcher agrees with the author that says the effects of air pollution by dust is very serious
for human health because the community that resides near this mine has complained many times
of these diseases mentioned by the author due to the inhalation of dust. it is believed that the
health problems that dust has caused so much to the Moatize population, depending on the age
group, the manifestation of the disease varies from person to person, that is, from their immune
system.
The adverse health effects of particulate matter vary according to the size ranges. “Very large”
particles (approximately 15 µm or larger) when inhaled, do not go beyond the upper respiratory
tract, being removed still in the nose and throat, therefore not reaching the lungs. “Smaller”
particles (approximately 10 µm or smaller), when inhaled, can reach the lower respiratory
system, thus reaching the pulmonary alveoli.
Coal dust contains organic maccerals and inorganic minerals (e.g., quartz silica, phyllosilicates,
and sulfides) that could lead to respiratory cell damage. Respirable coal dust particles can
overcome the filtration system of the oral and nasal airways due to their small size, and can
transport to the lower region of the airways.

Concretely in Moatize, the fine dust from the mine extraction area ends up in the houses of the
villagers, covering food or kitchen utensils and ending up being ingested. It also settles on fresh
water and reservoirs during blasting and transportation by road or train.

In addition to causing environmental discomfort, dust is also harmful to human health, causing
various diseases in the respiratory system, the most serious of which are pneumoconiosis. The
most affected people are those who work directly with the dust emitting foci, but to varying
degrees it also affects the residents of the areas surrounding the mines. (Rodrigues, 1993;
Ribeiro, 1995).
The greater the lack of concern or on the other hand, if the mining company does not control the
quantities of dust emission, it makes the emission massive, creating serious problems for
operators and the surrounding people, as they have come into direct contact with the pollutant.
The average life expectancy of the population living in coalfields areas is around one year
shorter than the national average. (Foden et al, 2014)
The population surrounding the Moatize mine, which has lived locally since the mine was
established, has one year less to live due to its direct exposure to the emission of dust, because
the effects caused by dust compromise people's lives in the long run.
Skin conditions
Occupational dermatitis is a major cause of disability in miners. The work conditions, the mine’s
geographical location, depth, temperature, humidity and ventilation, and the physical and

chemical properties of the extracted mineral can all have a role in its etiology. (Williamson,
1981).
The words ‘eczema’ and ‘dermatitis’ are used synonymously to describe a polymorphic pattern
of coetaneous inflammation characterized by:
 Erythematic and vesiculation in the acute phase;
 Dryness, lichenification and fissuring in the chronic phase;
Contact dermatitis is classified according to the type of reaction:
 Allergic contact dermatitis: involves sensitization of the immune system to one or more
specific allergen;

 Subjective irritancy: idiosyncratic stinging and smarting occurring within minutes of

contact, usually on the face, in the absence of visible changes; cosmetic or sunscreen
constituents are common precipitants;
Source: Adapted from Johnston et al (2017)
Lung diseases
The inhalation of fine particles of coal dust and silica exposed miners to the risk of developing
malignant or non-malignant lung diseases, which would continue to progress even after exposure
had stopped (Petsonk et al, 2013).
The inhalation of certain particles from the dust is difficult to notice due to its infinite particle
size, which is sometimes inhaled through food, water, breathing.
Breathing in dust particles containing toxins would cause an inflammatory reaction in the
airways and lung parenchyma, leading over time to conditions such as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease and interstitial lung diseases.
It was not only miners, but also their spouses and children, who were exposed to high levels of
environmental air pollution. Wives of men working with asbestos would inhale asbestos fibres
when washing their husbands’ clothes and, years later, present with respiratory symptoms
(Goswami et al, 2013).
It is common that society, as well as workers in mining companies, do not disseminate
information about the risks of inhaling particulates from mining dust. During their activities,
workers wear specific clothes to work and after some time the dust is stuck to the clothes. they
serve to transport the particles to their homes, because whoever washes their clothes ends up
having a direct inhalation of the particles.
Impact of PM on heath
Control dust in spite of being nevessary is almost uncontrollable in most of the processes causing
a number of problems for people, the work area and the environment where it is located (NIOSH,
2003).
The particles can produce greater harmful effects depending on their composition, as the main
diseases are related to asbestos and silica, in other cases the dust contains heavy metals
susceptible to produce specific diseases such as lead.
. Effects on vegetation
Damage can occur acutely as well as chronically and is caused by a reduction in light
penetration, with a consequent reduction in photosynthetic capacity, usually by depositing
particles on the leaves through the penetration of pollutants through the roots after depositing the
particles or dissolving gases in the soil, through the penetration of pollutants through the stomata,
which are small pores on the surface of the plants. (ASSUNCAO, 1998)
The effects caused by the emission of dust on vegetation, include from the necrosis of the tissue
of the leaves, stem and fruits, the reduction and / or suppression of the growth rate, the increase
of susceptibility to diseases, pests and adverse weather until the total interruption of the plant's
reproductive process.
Taking into account that the village of Moatize, is an arid area with high temperatures, which
hinders the good development of some species of plants, and with the emission of gases from the
mining activity makes the reproduction capacity of the plants less satisfactory
Effects on Fauna

As for animal life, the effects of atmospheric pollutants such as dust, include the weakening of
the respiratory system, damage to eyes, teeth and bones, increased susceptibility to disease,
decreased food sources and reduced reproductive capacity.
Effects of air pollution
According to RAVEN et al. (1995) and BOTKIN & KELLER (1995), “pollution atmospheric
pollution is directly responsible for the harmful effects on the environment, natural landscapes,
vegetation, animals, soil, water, natural and artificial structures, also on human health”
Os efeitos da poluição atmosférica se caracterizam tanto pela alteração de condições
consideradas normais como pelo aumento de problemas preexistentes. Esses efeitos podem ser
tanto globais como podem ocorrer em níveis locais e regional.
RESENDE (2007) stated that,” what characterizes the atmospheric pollution and the alteration of
the acidity of the rainwater, the increase of the planet's temperature (greenhouse effect) and the
modification of the intensity of the solar radiation caused by the depletion of the ozone layer.
Particle size
WILLEKE e BARON (1993) stated that, the particle size parameter is one of the most important
in the study of air pollution, as it influences several phenomena associated with suspended
particles, such as transport, atmospheric deposition and migration through the environment, in
addition to harmful effects, and, consequently, is the factor determinant for their behavior.
Particles behave distinctly in different size ranges and are governed by different physical laws.
1.7. Emission sources of particulate matter in the mining sector
The main areas of mining particulate matter, according to ECOSOFT (2012) include:
Exposed areas - are sources subject to the action of the wind that suffer superficial erosion
emitting dust, even if they do not present material movement or traffic of machines and vehicles.
These occur more frequently in mining activities due to the need to remove vegetation for
mining the ore. In general, mine shafts have large extensions of areas subject to wind drag.
The main emission mechanism in an exposed area is the wind free and fine particles on the
exposed surfaces. The emission of particulate material in an exposed erosive area has as
important variables for its characterization:
 The size of the area susceptible to wind drag
 The fines content of the surface material;
 Precipitation;
 Wind speed
Material piles - the formation of material piles, which normally occurs at open sky, is inherent
in operations for handling large quantities of materials fragmented. Dust emissions from batteries
occur in the different phases of the material storage: (1) loading the pile, (2) wind erosion in the
material stored and (3) removing material from the pile. The movement of trucks and loading
and unloading equipment on or around the pile also causes dust emission.
The amount of dust emitted by a pile of fragmented materials varies according to depending on
the amount of material moved in it. They are important information for characterization of
emissions in a stack:
 The surface area of the pile;
 The fines content of the surface material;
 The wind speed incident on the pile;
 Precipitation;
In general, when a pile is forming or when it is being recovered, its dust emission potential
reaches its maximum level, since fine materials on the pile surface are easily dragged and
released into the atmosphere by the incident wind currents.

Therefore, the emission rates of Particulate Material in piles of materials can vary as dynamically
as the local weather conditions.
Plowing fronts - material emissions from plowing fronts generally occur due to the movement
of the mined material. On a mining front, ores and waste are constantly removed from the
workbench by excavators that feed trucks. This intense movement of fragmented material
provides the breakdown of the fine fraction that may exist in the ore and sterile, being launched
into the atmosphere.
Accesses - when a vehicle travels on a road, in addition to the flue gases exhaust, friction and
pressure exerted by the wheels on the track surface cause the surface material to be sprayed. The
particles adhere and detach themselves from vehicle wheels. The turbulence in the air caused by
the displacement of vehicle drags particles from the access surfaces. So in an access, there is a
portion of dust emitted by the exhaust and another emitted by particle suspension existing from
its surface.
The amount of dust emitted on a road varies linearly with the volume and speed of traffic
incident on it. In addition to vehicle traffic emissions, the road is also subject to wind drag, just
as it does in an exposed area. They are important variables for the quantification of dust and gas
emissions at mine accesses.
 Vehicle flow;
 Media Average mass of vehicles traveling on the road;
 Surface humidity of the track;
 Type of fuel used in the vehicle fleet;
Crushing and screening plants for materials - material handling in crushers and screens makes
fine dust particles contained in the ore disintegrate with consequent dust generation. The
constructive characteristics of this equipment, generally enclosed, reduce the emission of dust for
the environment. They are important variables for the characterization of material emissions
particulate in the crushing process:
 Amount of material moved
 Humidity of the material to be processed;
 Crushers and screens loading system;
 Drop height of the material in the transfer to the crushers and screens.
Deutsche Welle (2020) declares that "both those who are close, and those who are here in the
city [of Tete], with the passage of time will suffer from these diseases". But there is no
mechanism in the health system capable of assessing the relationship between respiratory
diseases accounted for in the region and exposure to mining dust.
In addition to health, agriculture and fisheries are also affected through flow pollution and
reduced water quality.
According to the study carried out by the NGO Sekelekane (2020), "the coexistence of problems
such as the lack of sanitation, poor housing conditions and lack of employment, placed the
affected regions in a position of serious vulnerability to multiple risks". The coal dust "is the
most important element originated from the industrial coal mining activity in Tete, which affects
typically marginalized social groups, accentuating the socio-environmental injustice over them"
Monitoring and control of Dust

It is clear that the application of a corrective measure to mitigate or mitigate the environmental
impact due to the concentration of dust necessitates a follow-up during the operation, which
ensures its proper application and thus achieve the desired effectiveness, so that the keep it in
good condition, (Gomes,F.,e Silva, P.,2010).

Yes the research agrees with the author because Since at Moatize Mine there is a plant curtain
that serves as a protection for communities, but it is not enough to use the control measures in
order to minimize the permanence of the dust in the mine and to reduce the level of particles of
the imitated dust or inhaled by the population as well as the workers there.

Marine, M., etal, (1988), states that the control measures can be Collective Measures and
Individual Measures.

Collective Measures:

 Humidification of the work environment or constant washing of the floor to avoid lifting
dust;

In my perception, it is a sprinkling of water, both in the mining fronts, in the loading and
transport of the material, as this greatly avoids the spread of dust to the surroundings of the area
where people live.

 Local or general ventilation;

 Total or partial enclosure of the dust-producing process;

 on the days when detonations will take place at the mine, communities should be
informed so that they are prepared for the situation
Individual Measures:
 Respiratory protectors (respirators) for workers and the community must keep doors and
windows closed during the occurrence of activity such as detonation.
  Purifying apparatus (mask to filter);
 Protective masks.
The researcher agrees with measures imposed by the authors, as they satisfy what they can as
preventive measures against dust caused in mining.
Mine Dust Prevention Measures
According (Magil, P. etal., 1956) the preventive measures are:
 Use of vegetable curtain

Vegetable curtain I understand as being a set of trees and shrubs present on the periphery of a
mining company. The purpose of this vegetable curtain is to prevent particulate materials from
reaching to the neighborhood, or delay as long as possible that the particulate matter reaches the
neighborhood.
The ideal is to use trees with rapid growth, for example, eucalyptus or pine, which will allow
the barrier acquires considerable height in shorter period of time. In addition to the trees larger
plants, it is recommended to plant shrubs and smaller trees, which make it possible to contain
dust in quotas lower
 On the mining fronts: humidification of operations that may generate dust; At transfer
points and loading points:
 Humidification;
 Neutralization with inert material or Periodic washing, at intervals to be determined for
each location, of the walls, ceiling and floor and.
Places where there are source of ignition:
 Source insulation;
 Humidification or Neutralization with inert material.
The researcher agrees with the authors when they say we must make humidification and
neutralization of small particulars to prevention dust in mining, in addition we must have to plant
the vegetal curtain, damping access ways to avoid getting up dust in the vehicle circulation.
To advice that, all necessary measures must be taken to avoid the accumulation of coal dust
along moving parts of belt conveyor systems where frictional heating and other accumulating
points may occur.
According to Walker (1997), the most obvious solution for dust control in mining is that
fragmentation is the key to particulate production; the greater the handling of a material, the
greater the availability of that material to fragment into fractions small enough to form dust.
Thus, the author presented some techniques aimed at controlling particulate matter pollution in
mining:
 Use of water sprays with the crusher - is intended to minimize the generation of
particulate due to the abrasion suffered by the rock in the comminution process. Have
limited effectiveness.
 Use of water sprays, Dust Buster - based on the production of foams which are injected
into the areas of friction of crushers, vibrating screens and ore transfer points.
It has the advantage of increasing the collection surface area and the reduced amount of
water used, 80 to 90% less compared to techniques traditional.
Dust dispersion modeling is a mathematical estimation of impact of suspended particles emission
from various sources in the analyzed area of a mine. There are numerous parameters related to
emission and transport of suspended particles in the atmosphere, including meteorological
conditions, configuration of the terrain, pollution emission properties. (MINERALS, 2018, P,
Dust impacts: Facing the reality
The overall aim of the environmental management planning accepted by the mining industry is
to obligate surface mines and works to minimize adverse environmental impacts during the
entire mining cycle and to close the operation in a permanently satisfactory way. I suggest that
an effective and acceptable way to achieve this aim is for mines to include a dust control plan.
The elements of such a control plan have been sketched above:
 A quantitative emission inventory;
 A qualitative assessment, including maps of the locality detailing potentially sensitive
impact sites;
 Dispersion modeling (based on the emission inventory) to quantitatively estimate dust
concentrations and depositions at receptors;
 Impact assessment, taking account the nature of the dust, dispersion predictions, and
characteristics of the receiving environment;
 A dust control strategy, drawn up with reference to the emission inventory, dispersion
modeling and impact assessment;
 Pollution monitoring for dust deposition, total suspended particulates, or other specific
pollutants, within and beyond the mine boundary, as appropriate;
  A management system for recording above information in a form useful for management
decision support and environmental auditing
Elements of dust control plans
Research into fugitive dust has not been a glamorous or well funded field anywhere in the world.
However, a consistent long term programme has taken place at a few institutes, including the
Midwestern Research Institute, Kansas City, Missouri, and Batelle Northwestern Research
Institute (mainly in relation to uranium mine tailings). The recent studies mentioned above have
led to a renewed interest in the fie'ld. This has led to revisions and expansion of the technical
manuals of fugitive dust emission factors, dispersion models and control measures by the US
Environmental Protection Agency. The following comments are based on EPA guideline
documents and practices. (2,3).
Dust impact assessment
JMO Von Sittert (1993) said that… Impacts at receptor sites depend on multiple parameters
which have to assess on a site specific basis. Simplistic compliance with a regulatory standard,
while necessary, is seldom sufficient in terms of environmental planning. The nature of the
material and concentrate ions arriving at receptor sites has to be evaluated against possible
sensitivities of receptor systems, for example:
 acute toxicity to humans, animals or plants;
 chronic toxicity to humans, animals or plants;
 aesthetic nuisance value;
 soiling;
 damage to machinery;
 quality impairment by deposition of fruit and leaf crops;
 soil modification;
 accumulation of dust on pasture;
 smothering of plants; visibility impairment in pristine sites;
Implementation of dust control plans
Once a suitable dust control plan has been devised and accepted by management in agreement
with the authorities, implementation needs to be monitored continuously to ensure compliance.
The major part of this monitoring is accurate record keeping, as takes place in the management
of all other aspects of a well run mining or industrial operation. Log sheets of actions and checks
performed, materials consumption, maintenance and replacement of equipment may be part of
such a programme. Incorporation of environmental record keeping into the routine management
system of the mine is key to long term viability and success of EMP implementation . US
Environmental Protection Agency (1985)
In addition, a network of physical monitoring points, measuring concentrations of relevant
pollutants may be established at key sites to demonstrate camp1iance with cross-boundary
ambient air pollution standards. Depending on the sensitivity of the receiving environment,
ambient monitoring may be performed by independent consultants to ensure the credibility of the
data. Environmental monitoring results have traditionally been regarded as the prime means of
demonstrating compliance, for regulatory and environmental auditing purposes.
. As for population density, it appears that the extent of an environmental impact is directly
related to the number of people affected by it. Thus, in rural or sparsely populated areas, mining
is more readily than in a more densely populated area. Consequently, the greater population
density and the easier access to the area can strongly influence the intensity of the environmental
impact.