Respirable dust and crystalline silica exposure among different mining sectors in India.

Silicosis is one of the major occupational lung diseases among miners worldwide. The objective of this study was to characterize respirable dust and crystalline silica from limestone, iron, and bauxite mines in India. In total, 86 personal dust samples were collected from limestone (n = 30), iron (n = 30), and bauxite (n = 26) mines using dust sampler. The concentration of crystalline silica was analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy. Geometric mean respirable dust concentrations observed were 0.92, 1.08, and 1.07 mg/m3 for limestone, iron, and bauxite mines respectively, similarly for crystalline silica concentration observations were 0.015, 0.012 and 0.008 mg/m3 respectively. Among the three studied ores, mean crystalline silica concentration was statistically significant (p < 0.05) using an analysis of variance test. Although the detected levels of exposure are within the Indian exposure limits, attention should be paid to lower crystalline silica levels to minimize the risk of silicosis.

Whole-body Vibration Exposure Experienced by Dumper Operators in Opencast Mining According to ISO 2631-1:1997 and ISO 2631-5:2004: A Case Study.

The study characterizes whole-body vibration exposure (WBV) experienced by dumper operators in opencast mining in India. OBJECTIVE: Comparison of WBV risk of dumper operators as per ISO 2631-1 and ISO 2631-5 standard which are based on dominant axis RMS acceleration and estimated static compression dose (Sed), respectively. METHOD: Field study was conducted for 26 dumper operators. Whole Body Vibration signals were recorded using the tri-axial seat pad accelerometer and WBV data logger. RESULTS: The results showed RMS in range 0.47-1.62 m/s2, total vibration dose value (VDVT) 6.91-21.03 m/s1.75, and Sed values 0.13-1.09 MPa for all 26 dumper operators. It was observed that 23% of dumper operators exposed to high health risk, 73% dumper operators exposed to moderate health risk, and minimal health risk was observed for only dumper operators as per ISO 2631-1:1997. While evaluation based on ISO 2631-5:2004 revealed, only one dumper with high health risk, 27% showed moderate health risk, however, 69% of dumper operators were exposed to minimal health risk. CONCLUSION: The predicted health risk according to the ISO 2631-1 is higher as compared to ISO 2631-5. ISO 2631-1 methodology has the upper hand during the prediction of WBV health risk as compared to ISO 2631-5. The result showed that ISO 2631-1 methodology was more appropriate than ISO 2631-5 for WBV health risk analysis of dumper operators in Indian mines.