Exposure to respirable coal mine dust(RCMD)can cause chronic and debilitating lung diseases.Real-time monitoring capabilities are sought which can enable a better understanding of dust components and sources.In many u...Exposure to respirable coal mine dust(RCMD)can cause chronic and debilitating lung diseases.Real-time monitoring capabilities are sought which can enable a better understanding of dust components and sources.In many underground mines,RCMD includes three primary components which can be loosely associated with three major dust sources:coal dust from the coal seam itself,silicates from the surrounding rock strata,and carbonates from the inert‘rock dust’products that are applied to mitigate explosion hazards.A monitor which can reliably partition RCMD between these three components could thus allow source apportionment.And tracking silicates,specifically,could be valuable since the most serious health risks are typically associated with this component-particularly if abundant in crystalline silica.Envisioning a monitoring concept based on field microscopy,and following up on prior research using polarized light,the aim of the current study was to build and test a model to classify respirable-sized particles as either coal,silicates,or carbonates.For model development,composite dust samples were generated in the laboratory by successively depositing dust from high-purity materials onto a sticky transparent substrate,and imaging after each deposition event such that the identity of each particle was known a priori.Model testing followed a similar approach,except that real geologic materials were used as the source for each dust component.Results showed that the model had an overall accuracy of 86.5%,indicating that a field-microscopy based moni-tor could support RCMD source apportionment and silicates tracking in some coal mines.展开更多
A monitoring program was developed to assess the cover of saltgrass managed for dust control on the saline dry Owens Lake. Although the original intent was to manage the vegetation as total cover that included green a...A monitoring program was developed to assess the cover of saltgrass managed for dust control on the saline dry Owens Lake. Although the original intent was to manage the vegetation as total cover that included green and senesced leaf and stem material, aged leaves that make up a large proportion of total cover were not differentiable spectrally from the background salt and lakebed. Hence, greenness-based indices were explored for detection of plant recruitment. Since all plant cover begins as green and growing, greenness indices provide a measure of all future cover whether living or senesced. The criteria for judging compliance were changed so that spatially variable vegetation cover measured as a milestone will need to be met in the future. A derivative of NDVI, NDVIx, calculated using scene statistics, proved highly accurate, to about 0.001 of this index and with an average signal to noise ratio of 64. This high level of accuracy allowed detection of small changes in vegetation growth and vigor. Performance according to the benchmark-as-par standard was determined through combined use of cumulative distribution functions and derivative maps.展开更多
Dust-storm is a kind of severe weather, which has comprehensive and significant impacts on socioeconomic development and people’s livelihood. Enhancing the abilities of dust-storm monitoring, predicting and service w...Dust-storm is a kind of severe weather, which has comprehensive and significant impacts on socioeconomic development and people’s livelihood. Enhancing the abilities of dust-storm monitoring, predicting and service will be of great benefit and the important significance to China and its people. At present, the comprehensive operation on dust-storm monitoring, predicting and service is still in a preliminary phase, the abilities of operation can’t meet the needs of implementing the real-time and quantitative monitoring and providing the efficient service. The implementation of the project of dust-storm monitoring, predicting and service system will greatly improve the service ability and level for the sustainable development and make a greater contribution to build the better-off society. The first phase project mainly involves monitoring subsystem, predicting, warning and service subsystem; communications and transmission subsystem, etc. In the first phase construction a series of major measures should be taken to address project overall benefits, such as making better use of current monitoring resource, taking into account the standards of data format and project integrative and extensive abilities and so on.展开更多
Extensive dust control on the dry Owens Lake mainly uses constructed basins that are flooded with shallow depths of fresh water. This dust control is mandated by law as a minimum percent of the area of each individual...Extensive dust control on the dry Owens Lake mainly uses constructed basins that are flooded with shallow depths of fresh water. This dust control is mandated by law as a minimum percent of the area of each individual wetting basin. Wetted surfaces are evaluated for area and degree of wetness using the shortwave infrared (SWIR) band of Landsat TM, or similar earth observation satellite sensor. The SWIR region appropriate for these measurements lies within the electromagnetic spectrum between about 1.5 and 1.8 μm wavelengths. A threshold value for Landsat TM5 band 5 reflectance of 0.19 was found to conform with surfaces having a threshold for adequate wetting at a nascent point where rapid drying would occur following loss of capillary connection with groundwater. This threshold is robust and requires no atmospheric correction for the effects of aerosol scatter and attenuation as long as the features on the image appear clear. Monthly monitoring of surface wetting has proven accurate, verifiable and repeatable using these methods. This threshold can be calibrated for any Earth observation satellite that records the appropriate SWIR region. The monitoring program is expected to provide major input for the final phase of the dust control program that will have a focus to conserve water and resources.展开更多
Mine dust is one of the main hazards in underground longwall mines worldwide.In order to solve the mine dust problem,a significant number of studies have been carried out regarding longwall mine dust control,both in C...Mine dust is one of the main hazards in underground longwall mines worldwide.In order to solve the mine dust problem,a significant number of studies have been carried out regarding longwall mine dust control,both in China and Australia.This paper presents a comparative study of dust control practices in Chinese and Australian longwall mines,with particular references to statutory limits,dust monitoring methods and dust management practices,followed by a brief discussion on the research status of longwall mine dust control in both countries.The study shows that water infusion,face ventilation controls,water sprays,and deep and wet cutting in longwall shearer operations are commonly practiced in almost all underground longwall mines and that both Chinese and Australian longwall mine dust control practices have their own advantages and disadvantages.It is concluded that there is a need for further development and innovative design of more effective dust mitigation products or systems despite the development of various dust control technologies.Based on the examinations and discussions,the authors have made some recommendations for further research and development in dust control in longwall mines.It is hoped that this comparative study will provide beneficial guidance for scholars and engineers who are engaging in longwall mine dust control research and practice.展开更多
Advancing the application of safety and health(S&H)technologies is likely to remain a value in the mining industry.However,any information that technologies generate must be translated from the organization to the...Advancing the application of safety and health(S&H)technologies is likely to remain a value in the mining industry.However,any information that technologies generate must be translated from the organization to the workforce in a targeted way to result in sustainable change.Using a case study approach with continuous personal dust monitors(CPDMs),this paper argues for an organizational focus on technology integration.Although CPDMs provide mineworkers with near real-time feedback about their respirable coal dust exposure,they do not ensure that workers or the organization will continuously use the information to learn about and reduce exposure sources.This study used self-determination theory(SDT)to help three mines manage and communicate about information learned from the CPDM technology.Specifically,35 mineworkers participated in two mixed-method data collection efforts to discuss why they do or do not use CPDMs to engage in dust-reducing practices.Subsequently,the data was analyzed to better understand how organizations can improve the integration of technology through their management systems.Results indicate that using the CPDM to reduce sources of dust exposure is consistent with mineworkers’self-values to protect their health and not necessarily because of compliance to a manager or mine.展开更多
基金supported by the Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health,grant number AFC316FO-84.
文摘Exposure to respirable coal mine dust(RCMD)can cause chronic and debilitating lung diseases.Real-time monitoring capabilities are sought which can enable a better understanding of dust components and sources.In many underground mines,RCMD includes three primary components which can be loosely associated with three major dust sources:coal dust from the coal seam itself,silicates from the surrounding rock strata,and carbonates from the inert‘rock dust’products that are applied to mitigate explosion hazards.A monitor which can reliably partition RCMD between these three components could thus allow source apportionment.And tracking silicates,specifically,could be valuable since the most serious health risks are typically associated with this component-particularly if abundant in crystalline silica.Envisioning a monitoring concept based on field microscopy,and following up on prior research using polarized light,the aim of the current study was to build and test a model to classify respirable-sized particles as either coal,silicates,or carbonates.For model development,composite dust samples were generated in the laboratory by successively depositing dust from high-purity materials onto a sticky transparent substrate,and imaging after each deposition event such that the identity of each particle was known a priori.Model testing followed a similar approach,except that real geologic materials were used as the source for each dust component.Results showed that the model had an overall accuracy of 86.5%,indicating that a field-microscopy based moni-tor could support RCMD source apportionment and silicates tracking in some coal mines.
文摘A monitoring program was developed to assess the cover of saltgrass managed for dust control on the saline dry Owens Lake. Although the original intent was to manage the vegetation as total cover that included green and senesced leaf and stem material, aged leaves that make up a large proportion of total cover were not differentiable spectrally from the background salt and lakebed. Hence, greenness-based indices were explored for detection of plant recruitment. Since all plant cover begins as green and growing, greenness indices provide a measure of all future cover whether living or senesced. The criteria for judging compliance were changed so that spatially variable vegetation cover measured as a milestone will need to be met in the future. A derivative of NDVI, NDVIx, calculated using scene statistics, proved highly accurate, to about 0.001 of this index and with an average signal to noise ratio of 64. This high level of accuracy allowed detection of small changes in vegetation growth and vigor. Performance according to the benchmark-as-par standard was determined through combined use of cumulative distribution functions and derivative maps.
文摘Dust-storm is a kind of severe weather, which has comprehensive and significant impacts on socioeconomic development and people’s livelihood. Enhancing the abilities of dust-storm monitoring, predicting and service will be of great benefit and the important significance to China and its people. At present, the comprehensive operation on dust-storm monitoring, predicting and service is still in a preliminary phase, the abilities of operation can’t meet the needs of implementing the real-time and quantitative monitoring and providing the efficient service. The implementation of the project of dust-storm monitoring, predicting and service system will greatly improve the service ability and level for the sustainable development and make a greater contribution to build the better-off society. The first phase project mainly involves monitoring subsystem, predicting, warning and service subsystem; communications and transmission subsystem, etc. In the first phase construction a series of major measures should be taken to address project overall benefits, such as making better use of current monitoring resource, taking into account the standards of data format and project integrative and extensive abilities and so on.
文摘Extensive dust control on the dry Owens Lake mainly uses constructed basins that are flooded with shallow depths of fresh water. This dust control is mandated by law as a minimum percent of the area of each individual wetting basin. Wetted surfaces are evaluated for area and degree of wetness using the shortwave infrared (SWIR) band of Landsat TM, or similar earth observation satellite sensor. The SWIR region appropriate for these measurements lies within the electromagnetic spectrum between about 1.5 and 1.8 μm wavelengths. A threshold value for Landsat TM5 band 5 reflectance of 0.19 was found to conform with surfaces having a threshold for adequate wetting at a nascent point where rapid drying would occur following loss of capillary connection with groundwater. This threshold is robust and requires no atmospheric correction for the effects of aerosol scatter and attenuation as long as the features on the image appear clear. Monthly monitoring of surface wetting has proven accurate, verifiable and repeatable using these methods. This threshold can be calibrated for any Earth observation satellite that records the appropriate SWIR region. The monitoring program is expected to provide major input for the final phase of the dust control program that will have a focus to conserve water and resources.
基金supported by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of China(No.NCET-10-0770)the financial support provided by the China Scholarship Council(Nos.201306425002&201406425048)the University of Wollongong to pursue study at the University of Wollongong as undergraduate visiting students
文摘Mine dust is one of the main hazards in underground longwall mines worldwide.In order to solve the mine dust problem,a significant number of studies have been carried out regarding longwall mine dust control,both in China and Australia.This paper presents a comparative study of dust control practices in Chinese and Australian longwall mines,with particular references to statutory limits,dust monitoring methods and dust management practices,followed by a brief discussion on the research status of longwall mine dust control in both countries.The study shows that water infusion,face ventilation controls,water sprays,and deep and wet cutting in longwall shearer operations are commonly practiced in almost all underground longwall mines and that both Chinese and Australian longwall mine dust control practices have their own advantages and disadvantages.It is concluded that there is a need for further development and innovative design of more effective dust mitigation products or systems despite the development of various dust control technologies.Based on the examinations and discussions,the authors have made some recommendations for further research and development in dust control in longwall mines.It is hoped that this comparative study will provide beneficial guidance for scholars and engineers who are engaging in longwall mine dust control research and practice.
文摘Advancing the application of safety and health(S&H)technologies is likely to remain a value in the mining industry.However,any information that technologies generate must be translated from the organization to the workforce in a targeted way to result in sustainable change.Using a case study approach with continuous personal dust monitors(CPDMs),this paper argues for an organizational focus on technology integration.Although CPDMs provide mineworkers with near real-time feedback about their respirable coal dust exposure,they do not ensure that workers or the organization will continuously use the information to learn about and reduce exposure sources.This study used self-determination theory(SDT)to help three mines manage and communicate about information learned from the CPDM technology.Specifically,35 mineworkers participated in two mixed-method data collection efforts to discuss why they do or do not use CPDMs to engage in dust-reducing practices.Subsequently,the data was analyzed to better understand how organizations can improve the integration of technology through their management systems.Results indicate that using the CPDM to reduce sources of dust exposure is consistent with mineworkers’self-values to protect their health and not necessarily because of compliance to a manager or mine.
