MINE GASES AND DUST

INTRODUCTION
Part of total air conditioning that deals with the quality
of air that is being supplied to mine workings.
When dealing with mine ventilation, it is one of more
important problems.
All the underground mine workings contain the
potential for release of air contaminants such as strata
gas, dust, blasting gases, and diesel exhaust.
Before the problem of maintaining the quality of the air
can be solved, it is important to be familiar with the
properties of the impurities that may be encountered.
 Why is it important to know the
class of ore that we are mining
in mine ventilation?
 CONTAMINANTS
Any undesirable substance not normally present in
air or present in an excessive amount.
Contaminants or impurities may be either
nonparticulate (gases or vapors) or particulate
(liquids and solids).
Liquid contaminants include mists and fogs, and
solid contaminants include dust, fumes, smoke and
organisms (bacteria, pollen etc)
Most common types underground: gases and dusts.
 Cont.
Threshold Limit Value (TLV) as re- commended by
ACGIH: airborne conc. of substance & conditions to
which nearly all workers may be repeatedly
exposed to without adverse health effects.

TLVs are based on available info. from industrial

experience, may vary from substance to substance.
 Threshold Limit Value-Time Weighted Average (TLV-
TWA);

It is the time-weighted average concentration for a

normal 8-h workday or 40-h work week to which
nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed, day
after day, without adverse effect.

In industry, it is the TLV-TWA that is commonly

referred to as “the TLV”
Threshold Limit Value-Short Term
Exposure Limit (TLV-STEL)
This is the maximum concentration for exposures
up to 15 min without suffering from (a) irritation, (b)
chronic or irreversible tissue change, or (c)
narcosis of sufficient degree to increase accident
proneness, impair self-rescue or materially reduce
work efficiency.

This is provided that (a) no more than four

exposures per day are permitted, with at least 60
min between exposures, and (b) the daily TLV-TWA
is not exceeded.
 Threshold Limit Value – Ceiling
(TLV-C)
This is the concentration that should not be
exceeded even instantaneously.
Substances that are fast-acting are best controlled
by ceiling limit.
 DUST GENERATION
How Is Dust Generated?
Dust is generated by a wide range of
manufacturing, domestic, and industrial activities. 
Construction, agriculture, and mining are among
the industries that contribute most to atmospheric
dust levels.
 DUST
In industry dust is caused by powerful & concentrated
forces such as blasting, drilling, scraping, crushing &
milling.
The result is much finer dusts that consequently do
manage to reach the finer passages of the lungs & to
remain there.
Any such accumulation of dust in the lungs causes an
unhealthy condition known as pneumoconiosis.
Anthracosis is caused by breathing coal dust,
asbestosis by asbestos dust, & silicosis by silica dust.
 PNEUMOCONIOSIS
It is a result of excessive or long-term exposure to
harmful dust.
It is a respirable disease.
Pneumoconiosis is a general name for a number of
dust-related lung diseases.  Some types of
pneumoconiosis are:
Silicosis
Black lung
Asbestosis
 SILICOSIS
Silicosis - Silicosis is a form of pneumoconiosis caused by the
dust of quartz and other silicates.
Silica is the second most common mineral on earth. It is found in
concrete, masonry, sandstone, rock, paint, and other abrasives.
The condition of the lungs is marked by nodular fibrosis
(scarring of the lung tissue), resulting in shortness of breath.
Silicosis is an irreversible disease; advanced stages are
progressive even if the individual is removed from the exposure.
 
NB: Heavy exposures, and acute silicosis may develop within 6
months to 2 years following massive silica exposure.
 SILICOSIS
Silicosis is a “disease due to breathing air
containing silica, characterized anatomically by
generalised fibrotic changes and the development
of military nodulation in both lungs, and clinically
by shortness of breath, decreased chest expansion,
lessened capacity for work, absence of fever &
increased susceptibility to tuberculosis.
 SYMPTOMS OF SILICOSIS
The symptoms of silicosis include:
Shortness of breath after physical exertion
Dry or severe cough, often persistent and
accompanied by hoarseness of the throat
Fatigue or tiredness
Changes in breathing pattern (rapid breathing or
shallow breathing)
Loss of appetite
Chest pain
Fever
Gradual dark shallow rifts in nails eventually
 DUST
In the fight against silicosis the primary aim is to
prevent dust becoming airborne.
As a second line of attack, that dust which cannot
be kept out of the air is either exhausted directly at
its source, or filtered, or it is diluted as effectively
as possible by means of ventilating air.
 Cont.
The size of a dust particle is usually measured in
microns = 1/1000 mm.
The smallest dust particle that can be seen by the
naked eye under ideal conditions is about 25 microns.
Mine dusts are very fine and, except under extremely
bad conditions which normally last only for very short
periods, are completely invisible.
It has been found that that 80% of dust particles in mine
air are less than 1 micron, nearly 20% are between 1 – 4
micron, and only 4% are larger than 4 micron.
 Black Lung
Black Lung - is a form of pneumoconiosis in which
respirable coal dust particles accumulate in the
lungs and darken the tissue.

This disease is progressive. Although this disease

is commonly known as black lung, its official name
is coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP).
 ASBESTOSIS
Asbestosis - Asbestosis is a form of
pneumoconiosis caused by asbestos fibers. This
disease is also irreversible.
 TYPES OF DUST
Fibrogenic dust, such as free crystalline silica (FCS) or
asbestos, is biologically toxic and, if retained in the lungs,
can form scar tissue and impair the lungs' ability to function
properly.
Nuisance dust, or inert dust, can be defined as dust that
contains less than 1% quartz.
Excessive concentrations of nuisance dust in the workplace
may reduce visibility (e.g., iron oxide), may cause
unpleasant deposits in eyes, cars, and nasal passages (e.g.,
portland cement dust), and may cause injury to the skin or
mucous membranes by chemical or mechanical action.
 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
CLASSIFICATION
Dust is classified by size into three primary categories:
Respirable dust
Inhalable dust
Total dust

Respirable Dust

Respirable dust refers to those dust particles that are

small enough to penetrate the nose and upper
respiratory system and deep into the lungs.
 Cont.
Inhalable Dust

EPA of USA - Inhalable dust is that that size/ fraction of

dust which enters the body, but is trapped in the nose,
throat, and upper respiratory tract.  The median
aerodynamic diameter of this dust is about 10 µm.

Total Dust

Total dust includes all airborne particles, regardless of

their size or composition.
 Why Is Dust Control Necessary?
Excessive dust emissions at work places can cause both
health and industrial problems:
Health hazards
 - Occupational respiratory diseases (Silicosis,
asbestosis etc.)
 - Irritation to eyes, ears, nose and throat
 - Irritation to skin
Risk of dust explosions and fire (Coal dust)
Damage to equipment
Impaired visibility
Unpleasant odors
Problems in community relations
 Health Hazard Factors
Not all dusts produce the same degree of health hazard; their
harmfulness depends on the following factors:
Dust composition
 - Chemical
 - Mineralogical
Dust concentration
 - On a weight basis: milligrams of dust per cubic meter of air (mg/m3)
 - On a quantity basis: (ppm)
Particle size and shape
 - The particulate size distribution within the respirable range
 - Fibrous or spherical
Exposure time
 How Is Dust Controlled?
Dust is controlled by the following means:
Prevention – “prevention is better than cure”
Control Systems – using dust collection systems,
wet dust suppression systems, and airborne dust
capture through water sprays.
 Dilution or isolation
 DUST COLLECTION SYSTEMS
Dust collection systems are industrial ventilation
principles to capture airborne dust from the
source.  The captured dust is then transported to a
dust collector, which cleans the dusty air.
 WET DUST SUPPRESSION
SYSTEMS
Wet dust suppression systems use liquids (usually
water) to wet the material so that it has a lower
tendency to generate dust. 
Keeping the material damp immobilizes and very
little material becomes airborne.
 AIRBORNE DUST CAPTURE
THROUGH WATER SPRAYS
This technique suppresses airborne dust by:
Spraying fine droplets of water on the dust cloud. 
The water droplets and dust particles collide and
form agglomerates which then fall.
 DILUTION-ISOLATION
Dilution Ventilation
This technique reduces the dust concentration in the area by
diluting the contaminated air with uncontaminated fresh air. 

Isolation
Isolation is another means to protect workers from exposure
to harmful dust. 
In this technique, the worker is placed in an enclosed cab
and supplied with fresh, clean, filtered air.
 
 MINE GASES
Air enters any mine or other subsurface structure,
it has a volume composition of approximately 78%
nitrogen, 21 % oxygen and 1 % other gases on a
moisture-free basis.
As air progresses into the network of ug openings,
the composition changes.
Some gases may build up in the mine, and can
cause danger to people working underground.
Why is it necessary that the subsurface
environmental engineer should be familiar with the
physical, chemical and physiological properties of
mine gases?
Do you think the TLVs apply to all people?
 SOURCES OF GASES
Produced over geological time and remain trapped
within the pores or fracture networks of the rock.
Chemical reactions
The most common gases are:
 OXYGEN
Oxygen is the commonest of all elements, nearly a
quarter of the atmosphere & about 90% of the mass
of water [H2O] consists of oxygen.
It diffuses thru the walls of the alveoli in the lungs
to form oxyhaemoglobin in the blood stream which
is unstable.
The quantity of oxygen required is a function of
physical activity.
Respiratory quotient,
 Cont.
If the oxygen content of the air declines, for any of
several reasons, is termed oxygen depletion, and the
environment is said to be oxygen-deficient.
Air which has been stagnant for a long period may
have had much of its oxygen removed by the oxidation
of metals & minerals and the decaying of timber, and
some or all of it may have been replaced by CO2.
Such a mixture which is short of oxygen, is neither
poisonous nor explosive, is called black damp in coal
mining.
 Cont.
Miner working at a moderate rate consumes 0.07
cfm of O2 and expel 0.063 cfm of CO2.
O2 depletion – can be deadly; caused by dilution
(by other gases) and oxidation (high- & low-
temperatures) process.
Physiological effects will vary depending on
individual.
 NITROGEN
Nitrogen is the most common gas in the atmosphere
comprising nearly 80% of it.
Nitrogen compounds are essential to plant & animal life.
Nitrogen combines directly with some metals at high
temperatures to form nitrides, such as aluminium nitride
AlN, and iron nitride, Fe4N2.
It is a constituent of nitric acid HNO3, which forms
nitrates such as sodium nitrate NaNO3 & calcium
nitrate Ca(NO3)2, and also nitrous acid, HNO2, which
forms nitrites such as sodium nitrite NaNO2 and
calcium nitrite Ca(NO2)2.
 EXPLOSIVE GASES: METHANE
(CH4)
Methane (CH4) has caused more loss of life in
mines than any other gas for example the Hwange
Mine disaster.
In most coal mines methane is always present or
expected, and consequently underground workers
are always on the lookout for it.
In metalliferous mines the gas usually appears only
at rare intervals & often in unsuspected places,
with the result that people are often caught
unawares.
 METHANE GAS
Methane is sometimes called marsh gas, in collieries it is
called firedamp.
It is produced by the decay of vegetable matter under
water or by the distillation of coal.
Methane gas burns but does not support combustion.
The ignition temp of methane is about 650 deg C, hence it
needs a flame, or hot spark to ignite it.
There are very strict rules about what can be taken
underground and about care of working machines.
SG = 0.55 & will usually be found towards the back/roof of
the excavation.
 Cont.
Methane is colourless, odorless, tasteless,
nontoxic, highly flammable, and lighter than air.
When the barometer falls, methane is forced out of
the strata, so underground safety may be affected
by surface weather conditions.
In well ventilated mines, methane should not build
up, but it is lighter than air, so will rise into higher
points within underground workings.
 Cont.
It is highly flammable & explosive when mixed with air or oxygen
between certain limits..
Mixtures of methane in air 0 – 5% methane are not explosive but will
burn near a hot source.
Mixtures in the range 5 – 14% methane are flammable because,
once ignited, flame will self-propagate throughout the mixture
independently of & away from the source of the ignition.
This is also the explosive range because a pressure increase is
associated with the flame propagation.
The most explosive mixture is 9.8% & the most easily ignited
mixture is 7.5%.
Mixtures > 15% are not explosive, do not support combustion but
will burn if mixed with air.
The question is more relevant than the answer.
The question determines the solution, it clarifies
our intention and determination. An answer can
be subjective, wrong or undetermined hence it
depends entirely on the question. If the question
is wrong then the answer is respectively of no
benefit. In philosophy the question says many
things and questions are not for answer but for
enlightenment.
 Cont.
While the lower explosive limit in air 5% remains
relatively constant the upper limit 14% will
increase with increases in temp., pressure &
oxygen concentration.
Conversely as the oxygen % drops so does the
upper limit fall, equaling the lower limit at 12.4%
oxygen.
Specific methane emission, expressed as the
volume of methane emitted per ton of coal
produced.
 Cont.
The flame safety lamp was developed as a safe
means of lighting in mines that may have methane.
The lamp not only provides light without the risk of an
explosion, but can also be used to test for methane.
A testing flame in these lamps is very small and
shows a triangular blue gas cap if there are high
quantities of methane in the air.
While these lamps are still used today to test for gas,
multi-purpose Solaris detectors are also used.
Controlled by: dilution, sealing and drainage.
 HYDROGEN (H2)
Hydrogen (H2) with a SG of 0.07 is non-poisonous but
does not support life.
It is combustible & will burn in air or oxygen forming
water vapour.
Mixtures with air in the range 4 –74.2 % are flammable.
It is considered to be most dangerous because of the
wide flammable range low ignition temp 580deg C, and
with an ignition energy about half of that required by
methane.
Following a methane or coal dust explosion, hydrogen
is present in similar quantities to CO.
 Cont.
It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, nontoxic,
and the lightest of all gases found underground.
Hydrogen sources are battery charging, the action
of water or steam on hot materials, and action of
acid on metals.
Although methane requires at least 12% oxygen for
ignition, hydrogen can explode when the oxygen
content of the air is as low as 5%.
Battery charging stations should be located in
intake air with a duct at roof level that connects
into a return airway
 CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
Has an SG = 1.53 & forms 0.03% of atmospheric
air. It is an incombustible gas & will not support
combustion.
In some mines it is given off from the strata in
blowers or outbursts, also produced by mine fires,
human respiratory process, blasting, acid action on
carbonates & diesel exhausts.
Blackdamp is a mining term for a build-up of carbon
dioxide.
This gas is not poisonous, but because it replaces
oxygen in the air, it means that people have
nothing to breathe and can suffocate.
 Cont.
Carbon dioxide can form due to oxidation, where coal
that is in contact with the air uses up the oxygen to
produce carbon dioxide.
It is not usually a problem when mine workings are well
ventilated. It is heavier than air, so will lie in lower
areas of a mine or in old, disused roadways.
It is colorless, odorless, noncombustible gas that may
have an acid taste when present in high concentrations.
This gas it’s a miner’s friend hence we live in it gives
warning of more dangerous gases ahead of you thus the
reason for the term miner’s friend.
 Cont.
Flame safety lamps can detect air that has less oxygen.
The flame will go out when oxygen reaches about 16% or
less, but people will become affected when oxygen levels
reach about 17% or less.
Deputies in mines carry flame safety lamps when
investigating poorly ventilated workings, and keep a
close eye on the flame.
They know to move quickly back to a fresh air base if a
lamp held low down goes out.
Care must be taken when holing thru into old workings
which were not ventilated for sometime.
Cont.
 Cont.
Example:
Assuming vigorous activity, an oxygen content of
21%, and a carbon dioxide content of 0.03% in the
intake air, find the quantity of air Q in cfm that must
be supplied per individual if the downstream air
current is to be maintained at acceptable levels (i.e.,
19.5% 0 2 and 0.5% C02).
 CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)
Is the most dangerous toxic gas encountered in mines. Why?
It replaces oxygen to form carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb)
which is relatively stable
The COHb blood level is dependant on the carbon monoxide
concentration, the length of exposure, and the level of
activity of the individual exposed.
Its also referred to as “whitedamp”.
The gas is colourless, tasteless and does not smell, so
cannot be easily detected by people.
It is almost always encountered in emergency situation
where breathing apparatus is utilized.
The mixture of gases, including carbon monoxide, resulting
from a mine explosion, is often referred to as afterdamp.
 Cont.
It will always be present if smoke is visible.
It is produced in mines from diesel engines, mine
fires and explosions, overheated air compressors,
low temperature oxidation & blasting.
It has an SG= 0.97, is both flammable & explosive,
will burn in air, flammable limits are 12.5 – 74%
with the most explosive concentration being 29%.
The explosive risk is minimal compared to the
physiological effects.
TLV-TWA: 50ppm (0.005%)
TLV-STEL: 400ppm (0.04%)
 Cont.
Carbon monoxide affects small animals more
quickly than people.
Caged canaries were used as a simple way of
detecting carbon monoxide.
The birds would fall from their perch before the
miners were affected, and they could move quickly
to an area of fresh air.
Canaries affected in this way could often be
revived.
Modern equipment can detect carbon monoxide
and tell miners exactly how much of the gas is
 Cont.
Because of the risks of carbon monoxide if a fire
starts underground, all miners must wear a self-
rescuer.
The self-rescuer is contained in a small metal case
carried on miners’ belts.
After a fire the case is opened to reveal a mouth-
piece and breathing apparatus.
Within the apparatus are chemicals which turn the
poisonous carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.
The self-rescuer lasts for about an hour-and-a-half.
Cont.
 NITROUS FUMES OR OXIDES OF
NITROGEN
Include nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and
nitrogen peroxide (N2O4)
Nitric oxide in air converts to NO2 so in mining the
properties of oxides of nitrogen maybe related to NO2.
Note: nitrous oxide (N2O) does not occur underground.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is reddish brown in colour, has
a pungent smell & an acid taste, is soluble in water
forming nitric and nitrous acids.
It has an SG 1.6 and although incombustible and non-
flammable it will support combustion.
 OXIDES OF NITROGEN
It is extremely poisonous and the effects are treacherous
because in the early stages of exposure, the person will feel ill
& cough violently, then may appear to recover, however
several hours later the symptoms of bronchitis and pneumonia
may develop & death may ensue.
Oxides of nitrogen are produced by diesel exhausts or by
explosives of the nitroglycerine type if incompletely
detonated.
NO2 & oxides of nitrogen can be identified with detector
tubes.
TLV-TWA: 5ppm (0.0005%)
TLV-STEL: 5ppm (0.0005%)
 Cont.
The toxic oxides of nitrogen react with moisture to
form nitrous and nitric acid.
Relatively small quantities of these gases may
cause death by combining with the moisture in the
lungs and corroding the respiratory passages.
Death may happen several days later as a result of
pulmonary edema (water in the lungs).
Cont.
 HYDROGEN SULPHIDE (H2S)
Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) is an extremely poisonous gas
which sometimes issues from rock fissures together with
water or other gases.
It has an SG =1.19, an unpleasant odour of rotten eggs &
burns with a bright blue flame producing SO2 & water vapour.
It is referred to as a “stinkdamp” because of its odour, which
resembles that of rotten eggs, is a colorless, toxic, and
explosive gas formed by the decomposition of sulfur
compounds.
Low concentrations may be found in air from gob fires or may
be released from water seeping in from the strata.
 Cont.
Large concentrations occur in natural gas and oil fields
and in some sulfur and gypsum mines.
It is quite soluble in water and may be carried into
active mine workings by groundwater.
Although hydrogen sulphide has a distinctive odour, the
sense of smell cannot be relied upon as a means of
detection, because after one or two inhalations, the
olfactory nerves become paralyzed and the odour can
no longer be detected.
Hydrogen sulphide is produced by acidic action or the
effects of heating on sulphide ores.
 Cont.
It forms a flammable mixture in air in the range 4.5
– 45%.
It is an extremely toxic gas, it irritates the lungs &
respiratory tract but in particular it has a narcotic
effect on the nervous system.
TLV-TWA: 10ppm (0.001%)
TLV-STEL: 15ppm (0.0015%)
and as little 1ppm can be detected by smell,
However nasal sensitivity decreases with exposure
& increased concentration levels.
 SULPHUR DIOXIDE (SO2)
It is a colorless, nonflammable, toxic gas formed whenever sulfur
or sulfur compounds are burnt.
Formed during blasting of certain sulfur ores, internal combustion
engines, or during fires involving sulfur compounds such as
pyrite.
SG is 2.26 and in very low concentrations is irritating to the eyes,
nose, and throat.
It can be detected at very low concentrations both by its acidic
taste and the intense burning sensation it causes to the eyes and
respiratory tracts.
TLV-TWA: 5ppm (0.0005%)
TLV-STEL: 5ppm (0.0005%)
 RADON
It is a gaseous, chemically inert, radioactive product of the
disintegration of radium.
It is found primarily in uranium mines, although present in
trace amounts in other types of mine including coal mines.
It diffuses from the rock strata into the mine environment,
where the decay process continues.
Once radon is released into the mine environment, the
decay process continues with the formation of radium A,
which decays to radium B, which produces radium C and so
forth.
The products formed by the decay of radon are referred to
as radon daughters.
 Cont.
The daughter products, however because they are
particles of matter, attach themselves to the dust
that is present in the environment and when inhaled,
tend to be deposited and concentrated in the
respiratory system.
Exposure to excessive concentrations of radon and
radon daughters has been linked with a high
incidence of lung cancer.
 ALDEHYDES
Are a series of organic compounds, the lowest
member of the family is formaldehyde.
Several aldehydes, with formaldehyde
predominating, are present in exhaust gases from
diesel engines.
They have a pungent smell, are irritating to the
eyes, the mucous membranes and the skin.
 AMMONIA (NH3)
Has a very pungent smell, smelt after blasting with
ammonia explosives, can appear in dangerous
quantities when leaked from cooling plants which
use it as a refrigerant.
In such cases it causes intense irritation of the
eyes, nose & throat & produces coughing.
In high concentrations it may arrest respiration.
SG -0.6, colourless and pungent smell
 FREON

Is a trade name given to various methane

halides(chlorine, bromine, fluorine & iodine are
called halogens) which are used in underground
refrigeration plants because they are safer than
ammonia & have other advantages.
However in very high concentrations can cause
suffocation, in the presence of an open flame they
decompose to produce the poisonous gas phosgene
(COCl2)
 GAS MIXTURES
It is more usual that several gaseous pollutants
appear together as gas mixtures.
Diesel emissions
Fires
Explosives
Welding
 CONTROL OF GASES
Prevention or avoidance
Removal or elimination
Absorption or suppression
Isolation or containment
Dilution or reduction
 PREVENTION
Proper procedure in blasting
Adjustment and maintenance of internal-
combustion (IC) engines
Avoidance of open flames
 REMOVAL
Drainage in advance of mining
Local-exhaust ventilation
Water infusion in advance of mining
 SUPPRESSION
Chemical reaction in IC engine conditioner
Solution by air-water spray in blasting
 ISOLATION
• Sealing off abandoned workings of fire areas
• Restricted blasting or off-shift blasting
 DILUTION
Local dilution by auxiliary ventilation
Dilution by main ventilation airstream
Local dilution by water sprays

Dilution is the only control technique that is

universally applicable. Other control measures are
suited to particular conditions, such as the source
and occurrence of gas. A combination of techniques
is often most cost-effective.
 GAS DETECTION AND MONITORING
The types of instrumentation available to the
mining industry for measuring gas concentrations
fall into four basic classes:
1. Handheld detectors
2. Machine-mounted monitors
3. Area monitors
4. Personal dosimeters
Detection Methods
1. Catalytic-oxidation detectors – are used to measure the
concentration of combustible gases, most notably methane and
carbon monoxide, by measuring either the heat generated during
the oxidation process or the change in resistance in an electrical
circuit (Wheatstone bridge). In the Wheatstone bridge principle,
one leg of the bridge is used to burn the gas, thus heating that leg
and causing an imbalance in the bridge resistance, which is
proportional to the concentration of the combustible gases present.
Detection Methods
2) Electrochemical sensors – have found application in determining the
concentration of oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, and
oxides of nitrogen. In these sensors, the gas being measured reacts
with a special electrode in an electrolyte. This reaction generates an
electrical current that is proportional to the concentration of the gas
present.
Detection Methods
3) Optical detectors – there are basically two types
1. The nondispersive infrared detector – is based on the principle that
different that different gases absorb light at specific and distinct
wavelengths. By passing light through a gas mixture and measuring the
amount of absorption, the concentration of the gas is determined.
2. The interferometer – is based on the difference in the index of refraction
between two gases. Basically, a beam of light is split, with one part
passing through a chamber filled with air and the other passing through
a chamber filled with an unknown gas mixture. The difference in the
velocity of the two beams is proportional to the concentration of the gas
of interest (usually methane)
Detection Methods
4) Electrical conductivity – it uses special types of elements
(semiconductors) that change resistance in the presence of certain
gases.

5) Stain tubes – it uses the reactive properties of gases and chemicals

to cause color changes in the chemical. These colour changes are
proportional to the gas concentration, measured as either the length or
the intensity of stain.
Gas monitoring
• Monitoring implies continuous or cyclic measurement of a gasesous
contaminant
• Gas detection implies intermittent checks for contaminants.
• Two types of monitoring systems are used underground:
1. Machine-mounted monitors
2. Area monitors