A Data-Driven Approach to Control Fugitive Dust in Mine Operations
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A Data-Driven Approach to Control Fugitive Dust in Mine Operations Muhammet Mustafa Kahraman 1
&
Mustafa Erkayaoglu 2
Received: 22 April 2020 / Accepted: 21 September 2020 # Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. 2020
Abstract Particulate matter (PM) is one of the main actors related to air pollution caused by surface mining. Fugitive dust, considered as particulate matter that cannot be collected by conventional measures, is classified by the particle size. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) categorizes PM as coarse and fine particles based on the particle size being less than 10 μm (PM10) and less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Basic operations of surface mining such as drilling and blasting, loading, haulage, and processing are processes that can potentially generate fugitive dust. Regulations and legislations enforce the mining industry to use environmental monitoring systems, fugitive dust level measured by PM10 level as part of this. Air quality monitors are positioned at different locations around surface coal mines and track air quality levels during production. This study introduces a data-driven methodology to handle air quality issues related to fugitive dust at surface coal mines. Data is sourced from different mine equipment in real-time and they are integrated with air quality monitoring systems to provide information to support decisions for fugitive dust. The method is implemented and demonstrated in a case study at a large surface coal mine. Keywords Data-driven decision-making . Air quality . Fugitive dust . Response plan . Surface coal mines
1 Introduction Mining is an essential industry for sustainable development of humankind by providing the minerals that are utilized for various purposes. Since the minerals are located on the earth’s crust, they should be mined from there. Depending on the depth of mineral location, orebody, and the geology of the area, the pit can be on the surface or in the underground. The extraction process consists of numerous steps in which nature is affected. However, the global trend of cleaner production has changed the mining industry and extraction of mineral resources has become more environmentally friendly in recent years. Surface mining is frequently classified into open pit and strip mining based on the type of the deposit. Strip mining is a mining method that is commonly implemented to flat and tabular deposits such as coal and is generally considered as being safer and economically efficient compared with underground mining. Basic stages of surface
* Muhammet Mustafa Kahraman [email protected]; [email protected] 1
Department of Mining Engineering, Gumushane University, Gumushane, Turkey
2
Department of Mining Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
mining operations can be generalized to include topsoil removal and storage, drilling, blasting, dozing, loading, haulage, stocking, crushing, and mineral processing generating various amounts of dust. Mining is considered as an equipment-intensive industry and eve
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