Residents living near a rock quarry in Boston have long complained about visible dust and noise from blasting, stone crushing, materials transportation, trucking, and other quarrying activities. Residents expressed concerns to the Boston Public Health Commission's Office of Environmental Health (OEH) about the potential health impacts of offsite visible and respirable dust emissions. Since there is a direct association between respiratory health and airborne particle exposure, OEH took action to address these concerns. The quarry operator was required to put in seismic monitors, move stockpiles away from homes, install a water sprinkler system, set up a truck wheel washing station, and sweep roads. Control provisions greatly reduced visible dust emissions. Invisible airborne particles that are small enough to impact the airways and alveoli of the lungs are separately regulated as PM10. After instillation of environmental controls, OEH inspectors monitored ambient air PM10 around the perimeter of the quarry during heavy quarrying operations. Four synchronized DustTrack laser light scattering particle monitors were used to simultaneously datalog upwind and downwind PM10 concentrations. The average upwind PM10 measurement was 0.013 mg/m3. The average downwind measurement was 0.025 mg/m3. The National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM10 is 0.150 mg/m3 (24-hour average) and 0.050 mg/m3 (annual average). Although quarrying operations produced measurable emissions of PM10, peak operations emissions were well below the NAAQS. OEH will continue to periodically monitor the quarry to ensure maintenance of successful control provisions.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to: 1.Describe the environmental health risks posed by airborne particulate emissions from a rock quarry. 2.Apply the theory and techniques for monitoring airborne particulate emissions and the engineering controls to reduce these emissions
Keywords: Air Quality, Environmental Health Hazards
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Boston Public Health Commission
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment