Journal article
Community airborne particulate matter from mining for sand used as hydraulic fracturing proppant
The Science of the total environment, Vol.609, pp.1475-1482
12/31/2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.006
PMCID: PMC5600868
PMID: 28800690
Abstract
Field and laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of proppant sand mining and processing activities on community particulate matter (PM) concentrations. In field studies outside 17 homes within 800m of sand mining activities (mining, processing, and transport), respirable (PM4) crystalline silica concentrations were low (<0.4μg/m3) with crystalline silica detected on 7 samples (2% to 4% of mass). In long-term monitoring at 6 homes within 800m of sand mining activities, the highest daily mean PM concentrations observed were 14.5μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 37.3μg/m3 for PM10, although infrequent (<3% of time), short-term elevated PM concentrations occurred when wind blew over the facility. In laboratory studies, aerosolized sand was shown to produce respirable-sized particles, containing 6% to 19% crystalline silica. Dispersion modeling of a mine and processing facility indicated that PM10 can exceed standards short distances (<40m) beyond property lines. Lastly, fence-line PM and crystalline silica concentrations reported to state agencies were substantially below regulatory or guideline values, although several excursions were observed for PM10 when winds blew over the facility. Taken together, community exposures to airborne particulate matter from proppant sand mining activities at sites similar to these appear to be unlikely to cause chronic adverse health conditions.
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•Evaluated proppant sand activities on community particulate matter (PM)•Found PM and silica concentrations lower than regulations and guidelines•Suggest PM from sand activities unlikely to cause chronic adverse health conditions
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Community airborne particulate matter from mining for sand used as hydraulic fracturing proppant
- Creators
- Thomas M PetersPatrick T O'ShaughnessyRyan GrantRalph AltmaierElizabeth SwantonJeffrey FalkDavid OsterbergEdith ParkerNancy G WylandSinan SousanAimee Liz StarkPeter S Thorne
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Science of the total environment, Vol.609, pp.1475-1482
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.006
- PMID
- 28800690
- PMCID
- PMC5600868
- NLM abbreviation
- Sci Total Environ
- ISSN
- 0048-9697
- eISSN
- 1879-1026
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000066, name: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, award: P30 ES005605
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/31/2017
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Public Health Administration; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; Injury Prevention Research Center; Public Policy Center (Archive); Community and Behavioral Health
- Record Identifier
- 9983997439102771
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