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Air quality modeling for impact evaluation of a mica, feldspar, and quartz mine in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India

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Abstract

The dust emission from the mining area is the primary source of air pollution for the surrounding environment. This paper deals with the study of baseline air quality assessment and air pollution modeling exercise for a mica, feldspar, and quartz mine to predict the maximum dust concentration from the mine with and without control measures. Baseline PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 levels in the buffer zone of the planned mine site were found to be 53.1–79.5, 20.2–43.2, 16.6–31.2, and 21.2–50.1 mg m−3, respectively, and these values were lesser than the corresponding permissible limit of 100, 60, 80, and 80 µg m−3. The respective predicted PM10 and PM2.5 levels will be 73.9–97.1 and 31.9–44.2 mg m−3 without control measures, and 73.5–82.5 and 31.8–43.8 µg m−3 with control measures during operation of the mine. It is estimated that PM10 and PM2.5 will remain below the permissible limit in the buffer zone of the mine. The paper suggests effective air pollution control measures, including a description of the developed smart dry fog dust suppression system and wirelessly controlled sprinkling system for applications at various dust emitting sources in the mining area.

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Data availability

The datasets created during the present field studies and modeling exercise are accessible from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

PM10 :

Particulate matter less than 10 µm diameter

PM2.5 :

Particulate matter less than 2.5 µm diameter

NAAQS:

National Ambient Air Quality Standard

CPCB:

Central Pollution Control Board

ROM:

Run-of-mine

SO2 :

Sulphur dioxide

NO2 :

Nitrogen dioxide

FDM:

Fugitive dust model

MoEF&CC:

Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change

HP:

Horsepower

CSIR:

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

CIMFR:

Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research

USEPA:

US Environmental Protection Agency

GLC:

Ground level concentration

ASTM:

American Society for Testing and Materials

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr. P. K. Singh, Director of CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, India, for granting permission to publish the paper. The authors are also thankful to the mine management for facilitating the field studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, 826 001, India

    Swades Kumar Chaulya, Rajni Kant Tiwary, Krishna Kant Kumar Singh, Kumar Nikhil, Gautam Chandra Mondal, Shailendra Kumar Singh & Sameer Shekhar

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  1. Swades Kumar Chaulya
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  2. Rajni Kant Tiwary
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  3. Krishna Kant Kumar Singh
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Correspondence to Swades Kumar Chaulya.

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Chaulya, S.K., Tiwary, R.K., Singh, K.K.K. et al. Air quality modeling for impact evaluation of a mica, feldspar, and quartz mine in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Arab J Geosci 15, 28 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-09296-1

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