Author(s)

Altansukh Otgonnasan¹, Gantugs Yundendorj¹, Oyu Tsogtbayar¹, Zoljargal Erdenechimeg¹, Tsatsral Ganbold¹, Tergel Namsrai², Naransukh Damiran³, Erdenechimeg Erdenebayar^1*

¹Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
²Centre for Research on Aging Health and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
³Health and Safety Solution Ltd., Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Introduction: Prosperity in the mining industry in Mongolia has led to an increase in the number of mining workers, resulting in an increase in occupational exposures and the prevalence of occupational diseases and disabilities. The aim of this study was to assess the personal exposure of workers to respirable dust (RD) and respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Erdenet Copper Ore Mining and included 581 personal samples of RD and 324 samples of RCS, collected in 2018-2020. Results: The study results revealed that the geometric mean (GM) of RD was 0.35 mg/m³ (95% CI 0.32 - 0.39). The RD concentration in 5.9% (n = 34) of all the samples exceeded the permissible exposure level (PEL) (3 mg/mg³). The GM of RCS was 0.012 mg/m³ (95% CI 0.010 - 0.016). In total, 12.0% (n = 39) of all RCS sample concentrations exceeded the PEL (0.1 mg/m³). Conclusion: Steel smelters, blasters, welders, and maintenance laborers were exposed to RD, while crushers, operators, drilling machinists, and maintenance laborers were exposed to RCS. Therefore, regular monitoring of the work environment, risk-based health examinations for dust-exposed workers, efficient support for dust mitigation, reduction measures at the source, and engineering controls are needed.

Copper Mine, Dust Exposure, Respirable, Quartz Silica, Cyclone

Otgonnasan, A. , Yundendorj, G. , Tsogtbayar, O. , Erdenechimeg, Z. , Ganbold, T. , Namsrai, T. , Damiran, N. and Erdenebayar, E. (2022) Respirable Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica Concentration in Workers of Copper Mine, Mongolia. Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine, 10, 167-179. doi: 10.4236/odem.2022.103013.