Influence of vehicle and pavement characteristics on dust resuspension from soil pavement of open-pit mine

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jun 20:878:163252. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163252. Epub 2023 Mar 31.

Abstract

It is essential to explore the distribution characteristics of dust concentration distribution near the surface of soil pavement in open-pit mines to develop effective dust control measures. Therefore, in this study, the dust resuspension process of soil pavement was analyzed by building the dust resuspension experimental system of open-pit mine, and the change rules of dust concentration under different factors were investigated. The results showed that under the action of wheel rolling, the dust moved around the wheel along the vertical direction, and the diffusion trajectory in the horizontal direction was approximately parabolic. After re-suspension of the open-pit mine soil pavement, the area of high dust concentration behind the wheel is roughly triangular. The relationship between the average dust concentration (Total dust, Respirable dust and PM2.5) and the vehicle speed and weight were fit to a power function, while the relationship with silt content and water content were quadratic. Vehicle speed and water content had significant effect on the total dust, respirable dust (RESP) and PM2.5 average concentration, while vehicle weight and silt content had little effect on the respirable dust and PM2.5 average concentration. When the water content of mine soil pavement reached 3 %, the average dust concentration could be reduced to <10 mg/m3, and the vehicle speed should be reduced as much as possible under the mine production permitting conditions.

Keywords: Dust resuspension; Influence factor; Open-pit mine; Soil pavement; Vehicle and pavement characteristics.