Monitoring and Sampling Approaches to Assess Underground Coal Mine Dust Exposures (2018) / Chapter Skim
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5 Optimizing Monitoring and Sampling Strategies
5 Optimizing Monitoring and Sampling Strategies
Pages 78-103
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From page 78... ...
The statement of task also calls for the committee to address optimal monitoring and sampling strategies to aid mine operators' decision making related to lowering RCMD exposures. The alarming increase in disease prevalence and severity -- following a historical downward trend after enactment of federal regulations -- was a focus of the committee's considerations.
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From page 79... ...
. However, recent and unexpected observations of many new and severe cases of coal mine dust lung disease suggest the importance of other characteristics of RCMD particles, which had not been monitored widely in the past.
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From page 80... ...
Nonetheless, coupling available RCMD information with what is known in general about coal mine dust lung disease allows for some inferences about RCMD metrics of potential interest: Mass fractions of silicate minerals, diesel particulate matter (DPM) , and total or specific metals (IARC, 1997; Schatzel, 2009; Laney et al., 2010, Cauda et al., 2015; Cohen et al., 2016; Barrett et al., 2017)
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From page 81... ...
In both of those examples, frequent sampling could help to identify and reduce RCMD exposures relatively quickly. Furthermore, an ideal monitoring and sampling program should offer the flexibility and support to integrate additional (or replace outdated)
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From page 82... ...
area monitoring can allow for a correlation between RCMD measurements and mine environment or operating conditions. Such correlations are extremely important in developing approaches for forecasting risks of possible RCMD exposures, and for evaluating dust mitigation strategies.
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From page 83... ...
Training in the proper use of the CPDM is important for the miners who will wear the device. Equally important is education concerning Characteristics and risks of coal mine dust lung diseases; Components of coal mine dust; Respective hazards of coal dust, rock dust, and silica; Relevant Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
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From page 84... ...
, the value of data with respect to program objectives is determined largely by its availability and usability. If data are not available to the appropriate stakeholders in a timely manner, or if their method of collection or presentation format are not easily understood, they would have little value in ensuring worker health protection, supporting process control, or predicting conditions that may result in elevated RCMD exposures.
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From page 85... ...
. In an ideal RCMD monitoring and sampling program, design of presentation platforms (such as for instrument displays and reporting)
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From page 86... ...
In that context, a broad range of conditions and constraints need to be considered in developing optimal monitoring and sampling strategies, including Current regulatory requirements; The state of monitoring and sampling capabilities, how they are being used, and the fea sibility of making improvements; The state of dust control approaches, how they are used, and the feasibility of making process improvements that would reduce airborne RCMD concentrations; Miners' ability to avoid or reduce exposures; Effectiveness of current medical surveillance programs for detecting lung diseases and the feasibility of improving them; Ability to identify the relative importance of RCMD exposure characteristics with re spect to causes of deleterious health effects; and Likelihood that operators and miners would undertake activities that go beyond regula tory requirements. At present, the CPDM and a gravimetric personal sampler are used to conduct mass-based personal and area monitoring, as prescribed by regulations.
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From page 87... ...
discusses risk-based decision making for achievement of dust exposures as low as reasonably practicable in light of technical and economic constraints. TABLE 5-1 Monitoring Techniques and Expected Capabilities for RCMD Exposures RCMD Monitoring Expected Capability Mass-based sampling device Demonstrate regulatory compliance; Characterize airborne RCMD mass spatially and temporally Particle size distribution devices Characterize particle mass selectively by size Faster quartz analysis method Reduce time for airborne respirable quartz concentration Diesel particulate matter (DPM)
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From page 88... ...
When compared with operational information, dust sources can be identified and the impact of worker positioning or control technologies can be evaluated. TABLE 5-2 Potential Outcomes from Required Monitoring and Sampling Methods, Assumptions, and Components of Optimal Monitoring and Sampling Strategies Potential Outcomes Assumptions Optimal-Strategy Component Determine compliance with the Required dust exposure data are RCMD MONITORING RCMD standards by sampling representative of underground coal It is not apparent that DOs always designated occupations (DOs)
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From page 89... ...
Implement a QA/QC process for continuous improvement of the sampling and monitoring strategies and give feedback to the workforce: Implementation of a QA/QC process could provide much more confidence in pursuing sampling strategy targets. Importantly, the feedback loop in the process would reinforce the performance of management and the workforce in pursuing control of RCMD exposures, including miners removing themselves from high RCMD concentrations.
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From page 90... ...
Use of the results to aid the operator and miner in making decisions for reduction of dust exposure will be well founded and robust. Process Control An optimal system of dust prevention and control is designed to guarantee sustainably low RCMD exposure concentrations for all miners during their entire time working underground.
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From page 91... ...
The monitor readings would not be used for determining regulatory compliance; instead, they would be used for identifying high RCMD concentrations at specific sites that might warrant additional dust control actions. In order to be useful for assessing process control effectiveness in coal mines, directreading instruments do not need to follow the performance specifications of RCMD regulatory monitoring, but one should know how the readings of those monitors relate to readings obtained from compliance monitors.
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From page 92... ...
, it seems prudent to correlate basic work history of affected miners with any existing dust records collected as part of regulatory compliance activities. Such an effort could shed light on possible RCMD exposure factors associated with disease development (for example, trends in quartz concentrations, perhaps correlated with particular mining practices)
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From page 93... ...
As outlined in previous chapters, mounting evidence from medical surveillance of U.S. coal miners shows a substantial increase in the prevalence of coal mine dust lung diseases, especially the more disabling and rapidly progressive forms of CWP.
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From page 94... ...
In addition to NIOSH medical surveillance data, other data sources on trends in lung disease, particularly in retired coal miners, may be available through the Department of Labor Office of Black Lung Compensation Programs. Information from the Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Black Lung Clinics Program could also be used for cases of coal mine dust lung disease by integrating it into general medical surveillance data sets for understanding disease trends.
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From page 95... ...
. However, the device has potential for use in real-time area RCMD monitoring applications, where overall trends in RCMD concentrations may be of great interest.
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From page 96... ...
CONCLUSIONS 1. Given current uncertainties about the cause of the increase in coal mine dust lung dis ease prevalence and severity, the committee noted the possibility that high rates of op erator compliance with the 2014 dust rule requirements may not guarantee that RCMD exposures will be controlled adequately or that future disease rates will decline.
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From page 97... ...
Integrating RCMD monitoring data with associated contextual information, such as sampling locations and frequencies, environmental and operational conditions during sampling and other periods, and general knowledge of the health risks associated with the RCMD exposure metrics being monitored. Involving a suitable and acceptable system of medical surveillance that provides reg ular, no-cost medical examinations for all miners to help assess the efficacy of expo sure reduction efforts.
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From page 98... ...
Monitoring approach for respirable crystalline silica in coal mine dust. In 15th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, E
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From page 99... ...
1986. Comparison of the particle size distri bution of alpha quartz found in respirable dust samples collected at underground and surface coal mines with four reference standards.
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From page 100... ...
2017. Direct-on-filter α-quartz estimation in respirable coal mine dust using transmission Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and partial least squares regression.
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From page 101... ...
min eral mass fractions in respirable dust in Appalachian coal mines. In Proceedings of the 16th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, June , 2017, Golden, CO.
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From page 102... ...
2002. Evaluation of the respirable dust dosimeter for real-time assessment of airborne respirable coal mine dust exposures.
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From page 103... ...
2001. New tools to monitor personal exposure to respirable coal mine dust.
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