Dust Control – Soil Stabilization – Erosion Control

Archive for the ‘road dust control’ Category

Australian Dust Control will be exhibiting their shaker dust collectors at the School Resources Expo at Rosehill Gardens on 12 and 13 March 2010. Apart from being able to assist with any technical and sales enquiries, their school shaker dust collectors will be on display. Schools across Australia are taking advantage of recent Government funding to upgrade their existing dust and fume extraction systems in woodworking classrooms, welding workshops, fine arts and industrial design departments.

Australian Dust Control designs and installs a range of school shaker dust collectors that offer the following key features and benefits:

* These dust collectors are environmentally friendly
* Shaker dust collectors offer energy efficiency
* The School Shaker dust collectors can be delivered to site pre- assembled
* Dust collectors can easily be placed on the base framework

An investment in school shaker dust collectors from Australian Dust Control will give schools peace of mind knowing that their students and teachers have access to a high standard of protection available. Australian Dust Control complies with all selection criteria and OH&S guidelines set forward by schools and other learning institutions, and the innovative and flexible designs of dust extractors by Australian Dust Control are available at competitive prices.

There are different types of construction dust that is created at the workplace. The type of construction and location of the site will determine what is in the air. Unlike road dust, construction dust is more than basic road dust.

The dryer regions of the country have a problem with particle matter floating in the air whose makeup is different than wetter regions where the nuisance dust could be from the saw dust that the building tools create. The cleaning up of the loose debris is the solution for most dust problems that are actually created on the construction site that is directly caused by the construction process. The health hazards of construction site dust could include cement residue, asbestos, mineral fibers with a man made origin and the most common is wood dust.

The reason for the concern is the effects it has on the people working at the site and the surrounding region. When natural sources of dust from plants and animals combine with the airborne particles of the construction site, it could adversely affect the membranes of the occupance.

The US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health consider silicosis has a major problem and cause of health problems that has its origins from construction dust. Construction dust control from the particle matter smaller the 10 micrometers or PM10 has to be approached from a different perspective  than those that are naturally occurring in our environment

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There are different types of construction dust that is created at the workplace. The type of construction and location of the site will determine what is in the air.

The dryer regions of the country have a problem with particle matter floating in the air whose make up is different than wetter regions where the nuisance dust could be from the saw dust that the building tools create. The cleaning up of the loose debris is the solution for most dust problems that are actually created on the construction site that is directly caused by the construction process. The health hazards of construction site dust could include cement residue, asbestos, mineral fibers with a man made origin and the most common is wood dust.

The reason for the concern is the effects it has on the people working at the site and the surrounding region. When natural sources of dust from plants and animals combine with the airborne particles of the construction site, it could adversely affect the membranes of the occupance.

The US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health consider silicosis has a major problem and cause of health problems that has its origins from construction dust . Construction dust control from the particle matter smaller the 10 micrometers or PM10 has to be approached from a different perspective than those that are naturally occurring in our environment

The airborne crystalline silica that originates from the concrete, masonry and rock on the site can become lodged in the membranes and lungs of the respiratory systems of the people on and near the site. Once there, they become hardened and cause permanent damage and even death.

Construction dust control for this problem can be accomplished when the proper precautions are taken along with the right equipment. The blades that are used to cut concrete and other masonry items should be equipped with a water attachment to make the dust to heavy to become airborne. When drilling into rock the same accessory should be used to weigh down the dust and prevent it from becoming airborne.

Cleanup afterwards is just as important. The water that was used to weigh down the dust particles will evaporate over time. Collection and proper disposal is a necessary part of keeping the work site as free as possible of nuisance dust.

Another little thought about source of silica is from the abrasive materials that are used on the construction site. This includes the silica paper and sanding discs that are used to prepare and condition the different surfaces around the site. When these materials are used, the operator should be using a dust mask on themselves to prevent inhalation of the particle matter.

The US Government classifies nuisance dust that is created by the landscape as a natural event under the air pollution laws. This is a contributor to the construction dust problem but not the whole cause. With the proper precautions control of construction dust can minimize the adverse effects in the people on and near the construction site.

To help you with determine specifically what is best for your situation there is a valuable resource with information on this environmental topic at Soil Control International and their informative blog site.

The fugitive dust that is around us is not on the run from the law, but in some cases should be. It is true that this type of dust has been around since the dawn of time caused by wind sweeping across the barren landscape.

This type of dust is scientifically described as particular matter. This is airborne debris that can adversely affect the health of people and the environment. The most common particulate matter is smaller than 10 micron in diameter and is called PM10. The second most common is PM2.5. This is debris that is smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter.

As man has evolved, so has his impact on the surrounding environment. The process of the fine particles that are being introduced into the atmosphere is becoming more numerous as time goes on. This was first noticed in the days of the wagon trains when it was beneficial to be up front due to the dust cloud that was created.

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An approach to road dust control  must take into account the type of road and the terrain in which it is situated. The solution for a paved road in the desert will be very different than a gravel road in the rural upper Midwest. Since nuisance dust has many sources in the environment, a permanent solution is not feasible. But there are long term solutions and very short term solutions to road dust .

The shortest term solution is the spraying of water on the road surface. This is an environment-friendly solution, but only lasts until the water evaporates. Oils are a longer term solution, but are not nearly as environmentally friendly as water is. In some cases, like with Times Beach in Missouri, the oils are from a waste source and contain toxins. The oil that was used as the road dust control  product for Times Beach was only 6 cents a gallon, but contained dioxin and other toxic chemicals. This was an economical solution for the town and its dust problem, but a health and environmental nightmare. This has lead to a ban by many states for the use of waste oils as a road dust control product.

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Most Americans are not fully aware of the road dust problem that exists across the nation. This dust is of a different makeup from what is found around in most homes. The dust that accumulates around on the furniture is made up of some dirt particles, but its main component is dead human skin cells that have fallen off the occupants of the dwelling.

For a particle to be considered dust, it must be smaller than 500 micrometers in size. This is why HEPA filters are used on vacuum cleaners and as part of the HVAC units in the homes, they trap 99.97% of all particles that are 0.03 micrometers in size.

Nuisance dust from the roads has a completely different composition and source. This dust is produced when the soil is disrupted and made airborne from wind or a passing vehicle, pollutants in the air, and the occasional volcanic dust that lingers around in the atmosphere.

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Sydney based road tanker manufacturer and rental business, Water Trucks Direct, have made a decision to standardise on Aussie Quik Prime pumps from Australian Pump Industries ’ product range. The company, operating from a facility at McGraths Hill in Sydney make a complete range of water tankers equipped for both dust suppression and water transport.

“We chose the Aussie pumps high pressure pumps because of their big flow, high pressure performance and overall reliability” said Water Trucks Direct Managing Director, Brenden Bastian. “The 5 year warranty offered by Australian Pump is a tremendous bonus” he said.

Water Trucks use both high volume transfer pumps for fast filling in 3”, 4” and 5” sizes. The big volume pumps are either PTO or hydraulic drive with diesel options being available. Smaller tankers in the 10,000 litre range use Aussie 3” self priming gushers that produce flows of up to 1,500 litres per minute. Genuine Japanese Honda petrol engines, one of the major features offered by Australian Pump and Yanmar diesel drives are both used depending on the application and customer’s requirements.

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MANSFIELD — Townships, counties and the state are increasingly abandoning asphalt paving programs amid climbing costs and dwindling resources.

Rural areas are taking the most dramatic steps, with some converting paved roads to gravel based on cheaper maintenance and the high price of asphalt.

Coshocton County, home to 36,000 people and 350 miles of road, is using a maintenance-only plan to salvage the best paved roads, county Engineer Fred Wachtel said. Those in the worst condition are reverting to gravel.

“We’re losing ground and I think most other folks, especially in rural areas, are in the same situation,” Wachtel said.

Others are adopting a method called chip and seal, which spreads a layer of low-grade asphalt emulsion and compacts stone chips on top of it. It is considerably less expensive up front, but chip-and-sealed roads have to be resurfaced two or three times in the life span of a traditional asphalt road.

Richland County roads are now almost exclusively chip-and-sealed, but county Engineer Tom Beck said that’s borne out of short-term financial demands.

“You don’t really save too much money in the long run doing chip and seal,” Beck said. “Over the long haul, when you are doing that two or two and a half times as often, long-term savings are not there.”

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With the collections of taxes so low due to the “slump in the economy”., many municipalities are having to either do away with services or raise more taxes.. 

[Hoping,Eager,Hopeful] to [avoid,keep away from,stay away from,steer clear of,evade,circumvent,get around,get out of,dodge,duck] asking [property,land,estate,acreage] owners for [road,street,highway] millage, Hamilton Township [Supervisor,Manager,Administrator,Superintendent,Controller,Overseer,Director,Boss,Superior] Carl Druskovich will be heading to the Van Buren [Road,Street,Highway] [Commission,Committee,Authority,Agency,Board] to try to work out a [deal,contract,agreement,arrangement,treaty].

The township, facing [dwindling,declining,decreasing,diminishing,deteriorating,falling] road [funding,backing,support,subsidy,money], has held four [public,community,municipal] meetings on what to do [about,concerning,regarding,on the subject of,with reference to] roads, prompting [discussion,debate] about [options,choices,alternatives] such as [reducing,dropping] dust control applications and extending the [amount,total] of time between seal-coating of roads. “Nobody was in support of any of those ideas,” Druskovich said.

The township gets about $40,000 [annually,each year] from the road [commission,authority,committee,administration], but has to [match,equal,counterpart] every $1 from the [county,region,district] with $3 in [local,community,district,regional,area] [funding,backing], the [supervisor,manager,administrator] said. “We need to have a lower match from us,” Druskovich said.

The township board hopes to get the road commission to agree to a 50-50 split on funding projects.

The board also [discussed,talked about] the [option,alternative,choice] of [seeking,looking for] voter [approval,endorsement,support,authorization] of a millage to [fund,finance,subsidize] road work. A levy of 1 mill, or $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s [taxable,assessable] value, [would,could] [generate,TAKE] up to $65,000, according to the township.

Received for publication January 31, 2009. Magnesium chloride (MgCl2)-based dust suppression products are commonly used throughout western United States on nonpaved roads for dust suppression  and road stabilization by federal, state, and county transportation agencies.

The environmental implications of annually applying these products throughout spring and summer months on adjacent stream chemistry are not known. Sixteen streams were monitored biweekly for 1 to 2 yr in two Colorado counties for a suite of water quality variables up and downstream of nonpaved roads treated with MgCl2–based dust suppression products.

Eight of 16 streams had significantly higher downstream than upstream concentrations of chloride or magnesium over the entire monitoring period (p  0.05). Mean downstream chloride concentrations ranged from 0.17 to 36.2 mg/L and magnesium concentrations ranged from 1.06 to 12.8 mg/L. Several other ions and compounds, including those commonly found in dust suppression products such as sodium, calcium, and sulfate, were also significantly higher downstream at some sites.

Downstream electrical conductivity (EC), chloride and magnesium concentrations were positively correlated with road surface area draining water toward the stream and yearly amount of MgCl2 applied (R2 = 0.75, 0.51 and 0.49, respectively), indicating that road managers can limit the amount of product entering roadside streams by assessing drainage characteristics and application rates in best management practices. Although MgCl2–based dust suppressants did move into some roadside streams, the concentrations detected were below those reported to adversely affect fresh water aquatic organisms, but the ultimate fate of these ions in Colorado waterbodies are not known.

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