Aerosol concentration and particle size distributions in underground excavations of a hard coal mine.
Deposition of aerosols in the respiratory system depends inter alia on their size and the respiratory tract deposition is appreciable for nanometer-sized particles. This article presents the results of measurements of size distributions of aerosols in the range of several nanometers up to about 20 μm in the underground mine excavations of an active hard coal mine. The study included practically all particles of a respirable fraction. The results showed that a high concentration of fine and ultrafine aerosols occurs in key underground workplaces especially during mining machine operations, although their contribution to total mass concentration is usually negligible.
a Central Mining Institute , Poland.
Krystian
K
Skubacz
b Hard Coal Mine 'Bielszowice' , Poland.
Łukasz
Ł
Wojtecki
a Central Mining Institute , Poland.
Paweł
P
Urban
D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D003032:Coal Mining; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
D000336:Aerosols; D052638:Particulate Matter
coarse particles; fine particles; hard coal mine; particle size distribution; statistical parameters; ultrafine particles