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Mining Publication: Respirable Quartz Hazard Associated with Coal Mine Roof Bolter Dust
Keywords: Bolters Coal dust Coal mining Quartz Respirable dust 
 Sampling
This page is archived for historical purposes and is no longer being maintained or updated.
Original creation date: June 2010
Authors: GJ Joy, TW Beck, JM Listak
Conference Paper - June 2010
Download PDF Document (0.09 MB)
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20036992
Proceedings of the 13th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, June 13-16, 2010. Hardcastle, McKinnon, eds., Sudbury, Ontario, Canada: MIRARCO - Mining Innovation, 2010; :59-64
This study examined the potential for coal mine roof bolter dust to be a source of a worker's exposure to respirable quartz. For the models of roof bolter studied, the dust from bolt hole drilling is collected by a dry vacuum exhaust system. The collected dust-laden air passes through a cyclone size-separator (pre-cleaner) and into a collector box containing two additional cyclones and a filter cartridge. The filtered air is then discharged through a muffler into the ambient mine air. The pre-cleaner is designed to remove oversize dust, with the pre-cleaner undersize dust passing to a collector box. The pre-cleaner periodically dumps collected dust onto the mine floor. To assess the hazard presented by the roof bolter dust, bulk samples of the pre-cleaner dust and collector box dust were obtained from roof bolters operating in Mine Safety and Health Administration Coal Districts 4, 5, 6, and 7. Forty-six samples of each dust type were collected from twenty-six mines. Dust size distributions were determined for each sample. The quartz content was also determined for forty samples. The fraction of pre-cleaner dust smaller than 10 micrometers ranged from 5.3% to 35.4%. Quartz content, by weight, of the pre-cleaner dust ranged from 9.8% to 53%. The collector box dust was significantly smaller in size with the fraction of dust below 10 micrometers ranging from 13% to 86.7%, its quartz content ranged from 1.0% to 79%. Airborne dust samples along with detailed observations of the bolter operation were collected at two of these mines to further evaluate potential for worker exposure. This study quantifies the high content of respirable quartz in the roof bolter pre-cleaner cyclone dump dust and the collector box dust.
Image of publication Respirable Quartz Hazard Associated with Coal Mine Roof Bolter DustConference Paper - June 2010
Download PDF Document (0.09 MB)
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20036992
Proceedings of the 13th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, June 13-16, 2010. Hardcastle, McKinnon, eds., Sudbury, Ontario, Canada: MIRARCO - Mining Innovation, 2010; :59-64
See Also
Coal Dust Explosibility Meter Evaluation and Recommendations for Application
Determining the Spatial Variability of Personal Sampler Inlet Locations
Equivalency of a Personal Dust Monitor to the Current United States Coal Mine Respirable Dust Sampler
Evaluation of the Approach to Respirable Quartz Exposure Control in U.S. Coal Mines
Field Comparison of a Roof Bolter Dry Dust Collection System with an Original Designed Wet Collection System for Dust Control
Laboratory Evaluation of a Canopy Air Curtain for Controlling Occupational Exposures of Roof Bolters
Performance of a New Personal Respirable Dust Monitor for Mine Use
Rock Dusting Considerations in Underground Coal Mines
Roof Screening: Best Practices and Roof Bolting Machines
Test Report on the Machine-Mounted Continuous Respirable Dust Monitor
Page last reviewed: September 21, 2012
Page last updated: September 21, 2012
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program
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