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Dust Control

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52 views4 pages

Dust Control

Uploaded by

upasana.b.1012
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Dust Control

EROSION CONTROL TECHNIQUE

Revegetation [1] Temperate Climates  Short-term 


Non Vegetation [1] Wet Tropics  Long-term [2]
Weed Control Semi-Arid Zones  Permanent
[1] Treatment options can include temporary vegetation and non-vegetated treatment options.
[2] Most treatment options, excluding permanent revegetation, provide only short-term benefits.

Symbol

Key Principles
1. Potential adverse impacts of dust control products/chemicals on the environment (both
short- and long-term) must not exceed the potential benefits achieved by their use, or any
locally adopted measures of unacceptable environmental risk.
2. Critical design parameters include ability to control dust generation, suitability of the product
to the work place conditions and the soil type.
3. Effectiveness and durability of most treatment measures depends on soil type, weather
conditions, and frequency of disturbance (e.g. traffic movement).

Design Information
Dust control involves the suppression of dust particles generally in the range 0.001 to 0.1mm (1
to 100 microns). Much of the dust generated on construction sites is likely to be greater than 10
microns. Non-visible dust particles (less than 5 microns) are potentially the most harmful to
human health.

Dust generation associated with wind erosion is normally controlled using one or more of the
following techniques:
(i) Maintaining moist soil conditions (water trucks and sprinkler systems)
(ii) Chemical sealants placed over the soil surface (refer to Soil Binders fact sheet)
(iii) Surface roughening (refer to Surface Roughening fact sheet)
(iv) Revegetation (short- and long-term ground cover options)
(v) Wind breaks (e.g. retention of existing vegetation, or 60:40 fabric:opening shade cloth).

© IECA (Australasia) V1 - January 2010 Page 1


Dust problems can also be reduced by the following activities:
• Limiting the area of soil disturbance at any given time.
• Promptly replacing topsoil after completion of earthworks
• Programming works to minimise the life of soil stockpiles.
• Temporarily stabilising (e.g. vegetation or mulching) long-term stockpiles.
• Gravelling unsealed access and haul roads.
• Minimising traffic movements on exposed surfaces.
• Limiting vehicular traffic to 25kph.
• Retaining existing vegetation as wind breaks.

International Erosion Control Association (IECA, 1993) reports that:


• 30% soil cover will reduce soil losses by 80%.
• Roughening the soil to produce 150mm high ridges perpendicular to the prevailing wind can
reduce soil losses by 80%.
• A small decrease in velocity can have a major impact in reducing wind erosion given that
the erosive power of wind is proportional to the cube of the velocity.
• For wind barriers perpendicular to the wind, the width of the [protected] zone leeward of the
barriers is around 8 to 10 times the height of the barrier.

Possible treatment options for dust are summarised in Table 1. A summary of dust suppressant
agents is provided in Table 2. Discussion on the use of soil binders for dust control is provided
in the Soil Binders fact sheet.

Table 1 – Dust control practices [1]

Treatment options
Site Permanent
Chemical Stabilised
Haul truck
Minimise
Mulching Watering surface Gravel road entry/exit site
condition vegetation covers
stabiliser [2] [3] pad disturbance
Areas not
subject to      
traffic
Areas
subject to     
traffic
Material
stockpiles   
Demolition
areas   
Clearing &
excavation   
Unpaved
roads     
Earth
transport  
[1] Sourced from: California Stormwater BMP Handbook – Construction (2003).
[2] Oil or oil-treated subgrade should not be used for dust control as this may migrate into downstream
water bodies. It is also noted that surface stabilising chemicals (soil binder) may make the soil water
repellent, possibly resulting in long-term revegetation problems.
[3] On long-term access and haul roads, the sealing of road with an application of 10mm single-coat
bitumen seal can be more effective than the application of dust suppressants.

The following materials must not be used for dust suppression purposes:
• oil;
• landfill gas condensate;
• any contaminated leachate or stormwater when the use of such material is likely to cause
unlawful environmental harm.

© IECA (Australasia) V1 - January 2010 Page 2


Table 2 – Summary of dust suppressant attributes [1]

Suppressant type Typical attributes


Soil binders • Refer to Soil Binders fact sheet
Chlorides: • Chloride compounds attract moisture from the air
Calcium chloride (CaCl2) (hygroscopic) and attach themselves to soil particles if they
are applied to wet soils
Magnesium chloride
(MgCl2) • Less effective in dry climates
• Ease of application, with 0 to 4 hours curing time
• Can be applied when temperatures drop below freezing
• Most suited to temperate and semi-humid conditions
• Lose effectiveness in continual dry periods
• Less effective than polymers during periods of heavy rainfall
• Susceptible to leaching
• Suitable for use on moderate surface fines (10–20%)
• Not suitable on materials with a low-fines content
• High fines content surfaces may become slippery in wet
weather
• Corrosive impacts associated with calcium chloride
Organic, non- • Ligno-sulfonate (lignin) is a by-product of the pulp-and-paper
bituminous: industry
Calcium ligno-sulfonate • React with negatively charged clay particles to agglomerate
Sodium ligno-sulfonate the soil
Ammonium ligno- • Perform well under arid conditions and in dry climates
sulfonate • Failures occur following rains
• Susceptible to leaching by heavy rains
• Suitable on high fines content (10–30%) in a dense graded
material with nil loose gravel
• Less effective on igneous, medium to low fines content
materials and crushed gravels
• High fines content surfaces may become slippery in wet
weather
• It is best to grade haul road to remove surface material,
potholes, and corrugations before application of agent
• Curing takes 4 to 8 hours
Petroleum-based • Generally effective regardless of climate
products:
• Will pothole in wet weather and high traffic conditions
Bitumen emulsion (slow-
• Suitable on materials with a low-fines content (<10%)
breaking non-ionic)
• Non suitable where runoff could contaminate receiving waters
Electrochemical • Work over a wide range of climates
stabilisers:
• Suitable for clay materials but depends on clay mineralogy
Sulfonated petroleum
• Iron rich soils generally respond well
Enzymes
• Least susceptible to leaching
• Ineffective if surface is low in fines and contains loose gravel
[1] After UMA Engineering Ltd 1987, Guidelines for Cost Effective use and Application of Dust
Palliatives. UMA Engineering Ltd, Ontario, Canada.

© IECA (Australasia) V1 - January 2010 Page 3


Water trucks and sprinkler systems
Water trucks have traditionally been used to control dust within construction sites, particularly on
haul roads and for highway construction. The maintenance of moist soil conditions through
watering remains a viable dust control measure.

The addition of wetting agents and polymer binders (refer to Soil Binders fact sheet) to the water
can decrease both the water requirements and the required application frequency. Wetting
agents can improve the depth and uniformity of the soil wetting process. Polymer binders
improve the binding of individual soil particles, thus reducing dust generation even after drying
of the soil surface. Dust suppressing agents can be applied by both water trucks and sprinkler
systems.

Dust-suppressing fog and mist generators


High volume mist generating machines can be used to suppress airborne dust resulting from
blasting operations. Large cannon-like systems can throw a mist some 250m to blanket the
treatment area. On small sites, hydraulic atomising misting nozzles can be attached to sprinkler-
like distribution system.

An ionic wetting agent can be added to the water to improve the performance of misting dust
suppression systems.

Foaming agents
Foaming agent additives can be added to directional dust-suppressing sprinkler systems to
apply a foam to the surface of conveyor belt materials to reduce dust resulting from crusher and
material handling plants.

Vegetable oil based soil binders


Biodegradable vegetable oil based soil binders can be applied as a water-based emulsion to
provide up to 3 months service life in heavy vehicular traffic areas.

Polymer based soil binders (refer to Soil Binders fact sheet)


Polymeric emulsion soil binders include: acrylic copolymers and polymers; liquid polymers of
methacrylates and acrylates; copolymers of sodium acrylates and acrylamides; poly-acrylamide
and copolymer of acrylamide; and hydro-colloid polymers.

In general terms, polymers can provide around 9 to 18 months service life if the treated area
remain free of disturbance and traffic movement. On haul roads and permanent unsealed roads,
polymer soil binders can be incorporated into road maintenance (grading and rolling) to improve
surface stability and compaction.

Photo 1 – Dust generation on a Photo 2 – Dust control using a water truck


construction site

© IECA (Australasia) V1 - January 2010 Page 4

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