Abstract
Airborne particulate matter has been collected from within,and proximal to, an opencast coal mine in south Wales. Thiswork forms the first part of a three year project to collectand characterise, then determine the possible toxicology ofairborne particles in the south Wales region. High-resolutionField Emission SEM has shown that the coal mine dusts consistlargely of an assemblage of mineral grains and vehicle exhaustparticles. SEM-EDX has shown that the mineralogical make-up ofthe PM10 is complex, heterogeneous, and constantly changing.These findings are supported by analytical TEM-EPXMA.However, patterns can be determined relating the mineralogicalcomposition of the airborne particles to collection locationsand mining activities within the opencast. At our studyopencast, Park Slip West, quartz, which has known healtheffects, never exceeded 30% of the total collection mass, andaverage levels were much less. Vehicle exhaust emissions wasthe largest source in terms of particle numbers. The mass ofairborne particulate matter within the pit averagedapproximately twice that of outside the pit: importantlyhowever, this higher mass was due to relatively large, andnon-respirable, mineral grains. This study demonstrates that the physicochemical andmineralogical characterisation of airborne particles frommining and quarrying is essential to quantify the respirablefraction, and to identify potentially hazardous componentswithin the PM10.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amandus, H., Hanke, W., Kullman, G. and Reger, R.: 1984, ‘A re-evaluation of radiological evidence from a study of U.S.strip coal miners', Arch. Environ. Health 39(5), 346–351.
Appel, B. R., Tokiwa, Y. and Kothny, E. L.: 1983, ‘Sampling ofcarbonaceous particles in the atmosphere', Atmos. Environ. 17(9), 1787–1796.
Banks, D., Bauer, M., Castellan, R. and Lapp, L.N.: 1983, ‘Silicosis in surface coalmine drillers', Thorax 38, 275–278.
BéruBé, K. A., Jones, T. P., Williamson, B. J. and Richards, R. J.: 1999, ‘The Physicochemical Characterisation of Urban Airborne Particulate Matter'. In: R. L. Maynard and C. V. Howard (eds), Particulate Matter: Properties and Effects upon Health, BIOS Scientific Publishers Ltd.
Brabin, B., Smith, M., Milligan, P., Benjamin, C., Dunne, E. and Pearson, M.: 1994, ‘Respiratory morbidity in Merseyside schoolchildren exposed to coal dust and air pollution', Arch. Disease Childhood 70, 305–312.
Burgess, P. M. and Gayer, R. A.: 2000, ‘Late Carboniferous tectonic subsidence inSouth Wales: implications for Variscan basin evolution and tectonic history in SW Britain', J. Geolog. Soc., London 157, 93–104.
Burnstock, A. and Jones, C.: ‘Scanning ElectronMicroscopy Techniques for Imaging Materials from Paintings'. In: D. Creagh (ed.),Radiation in Art and Archaeometry, Elsevier (in press).
Celtic Energy: Working in Harmony with our Environment, Celtic EnergyCompany Literature, Unity Print, 14c Cardiff street, Aberdare, CF44 7DP, Wales, U.K. (undated)
Collis, E. and Gilchrist, J.: 1928, ‘Effectsof dust upon coal trimmers', J. Ind. Hyg. 4, 101–109.
David, A., Huruch, J., Effenbergerová, E., Holusa, R., Simecek, J. and Roth, Z.: 1981, ‘Laboratory testing of biological activity of ore mine dust: Fibrogenicity, cytotoxicity, and hemolytic activity', Environ. Res. 24, 140–151.
Dud'a, R. and Rejl, L.: 1986, Minerals of the World, Arch Cape Press, New York.
El Ghawabi, S. H., ElSamra, G. H. and Mehasseb, H.: 1970, ‘Talc pneumoconiosis', J. Egypt. Med. Assoc. 53(5), 330–339.
El Ghawabi, S. H., Zewer, R. E., Ibrahim, S. M. and Selim, S. R.: 1985, ‘Basalt pneumoconiosis', J. Occup. Med. 35, 131–133.
Fubini, B., Zanetti, G., Altilia, S., Tiozzo, R., Lison, D. and Saffiotti, U: 1999, ‘Relationship between surface properties and cellular responses to crystalline silica: Studies with heat-treated cristobalite', Chem. Res. Toxicol. 12(8), 737–745.
Gayer, R. A. and Jones, J.: 1989,'The Variscan Foreland in South Wales', Proc. Ussher Soc. 8, 44–49.
Ghose, M. K. and Majee, S. R.: 1998, ‘Assessment ofdust generation due to opencast coal mining – an Indian case study', Environ. Monit. Assess. 61, 255–263.
Gough, J.: 1940,'Pneumoconiosis in coal trimmers', J. Pathol. 51, 277–285.
Henderson, W. J., Blundell, G., Richards, R. J., Hext, P. M., Volcani, B. E. and Griffiths, K.: 1975, ‘Ingestion of talc particles by cultured lung fibroblasts', Environ. Res. 9, 173–178.
Housely, D. G., Maynard, R., BéruBé, K. A., Jones, T. P., Pooley, F. D. and Richards, R. J.: 1998, ‘Epithelial response to instilledMontserrat and Antigua respirable dusts and their major mineral components', Resp. Med. 92(11), A22.
Jones, T. P., BéruBé, K. A., Reynolds, L. R. and Richards, R. J.: 2000a, ‘Physicochemical Characterisation of Some SouthWales Airborne Particles: Park SlipWest Coal Open-Cast', in Proceedings of Natural Environment Research Council Urban Regeneration and Environment (URGENT) Programme Annual Meeting, Swindon.
Jones, T. P., BéruBé, K. A., Reynolds, L. R. and Richards, R. J.: 2000b, ‘Microscopy of airborne particulates fromopen-cast coal pits', Proc. Microsc. Microanal. 6(2), 414–415.
Jones, T. P., Williamson, B. J., BéruBé, K. A. and Richards, R. J.:2000c, Microscopy and Chemistry of used TEOM Filters; Swansea 1998–1999, IEH Joint Research Programmes on outdoor and indoor air pollution (review of progress, 1999), Leicester, U.K., MRC Institute for Environment and Health.
Katrinak, K. A., Rez, P. and Buseck, P. R.:1992, ‘Structural variations in individual particles from an urban aerosol', Environ. Sci. Technol. 26, 1967–1976.
Kornbrust, D.and Hatch, G. E.: 1984, ‘Effect of silica and volcanic ash on the contents of lung alveolar and tissue phospolipids', Environ. Res. 35, 140–153.
Lapenas, D., Gale, P., Kennedy, T., Rawlings Jr. W. and Dietrich, P.: 1984, ‘Kaolin Pnumoconiosis: Radiologic,pathologic, and mineralogic findings', Amer. Rev. Resp. Diseases 130, 282–288.
Love, R. G., Miller, B. G., Groat, S. K., Hagen, S., Cowie, H. A., Johnston, P. P., Hutchinson, P. A. and Soutar, C. A.: 1997, ‘Respiratory health effects of opencast coalmining: A cross sectional study of current workers', Occup. Environ. Med. 54, 416–423.
Merefield, J., Stone, I., Jarman, P., Rees, G., Roberts, J., Jones, J. and Dean, A.: 1995, ‘Environmental Dust Analysis in Opencast Mining Areas'. In: M. K. G. Whately and D. A. Spears (eds), European Coal Geology, Special Publication of the Geological Society of London 82, pp. 181–188.
Munro, J. F. and Crompton, G. K.:1999, ‘Health effects of respirable dust from opencast coal mining', Proc. Royal Coll. Phys., Edinburgh 29, 11–15.
Murphy, S.A., BéruBé, K.A., Pooley, F. D. and Richards, R. J.: 1998, The response of the lung epithelium to well characterised fine particles', Life Sci. 62(19), 1789–1799.
Oldham, P. D.: 1983, ‘Pneumoconiosis in Cornish china clay workers', Brit. J. Indust. Med. 40,131–137.
Pless-Mulloli, T., Howel, D., King, A., Stone, I., Merefield, J., Besell, J. and Darnell, R.: 2000, ‘Living near opencastcoal mining sites and children's respiratory health', Occup. Environ. Med. 57, 145–151.
Q.U.A.R.G.: 1996, Airborne ParticulateMatter in the United Kingdom, 3rd Report of the Quality of Urban Air Review Group, Department of the Environment.
Richards, R. J. and Wusteman, F. S.: 1974, ‘The effects of silica dust and alveolar macrophages on lung fibroblasts grown in vitro', Life Sciences 14, 355–364.
Rudd, R.: 1998, ‘Coal miners’ respiratory disease litigation', Thorax 53, 337–340.
Shanker. R., Sahu, A. P., Dogra, R. K. S. and Zaidi, S. H.: 1975, ‘Effects of intertracheal injection of mica dust on the lymph nodes of guinea pigs', Toxicology 5, 193–199.
Spenser, H.: 1968, Pathology of the Lung, Oxford, Pergamon.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jones, T., Blackmore, P., Leach, M. et al. Characterisation of Airborne Particles Collected Within and Proximal to an Opencast Coalmine: South Wales, U.K.. Environ Monit Assess 75, 293–312 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014808419171
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014808419171