Measurement of dust emission from a road construction using exposure-profiling method

Jia Qi, Al-Ansari Nadhir, Knutsson Sven

Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources, Division of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Lule?, Sweden;.

DOI: 10.4236/ns.2013.512153                

Abstract

Road construction is one example of heavy constructions that may have a substantial temporary impact on local air quality. Construction of Lule? Road during the summer of 2013 generated a great deal of dust emission. US EPA recommended exposure-profiling method was used to measure dust emission. Inexpensive BSNE dust samplers were used instead of high volume samplers. The objective was to give a general idea of the amount of dust generated due to the construction work. Dust generation related to weather was discussed under conditions. Estimated threshold wind velocities for road surface materials at the height of 2 m were 12.88 m/s, 12.88 m/s and 24.76 m/s which were lower measured wind velocities, indicating no dust generated from wind erosion. Dust masses for 7 sampling periods show dust generation had a close relation with moisture content of surface material. Wind speed, humidity had minor or no effect. The estimated dust emission rate in the construction work during the measuring period was 22.86 kg TSP/d, 6 kg/d was from construction work and 16.86 kg/d was generated due to traffic on temporary roads.

Keywords

Dust Emission; Road Construction; Exposure-Profiling; BSNE

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	WRAP (2004) Definitions of dust. Western regional air partnership.
[2]	US EPA (1995) Compilation of air pollutant emission factors. AP-42. 5th Edition, 13.2.3 Heavy Construction Operations. Research Triangle, Kansas City.
[3]	Molvaer, T. (2009) Regulations for particulate matter pollution from heavy diesel machinery in urban areas-examples from Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Oslo.
[4]	Phillips, R. (2006) Air pollution associated with the construction of Swedish railways. Banverket Norra Banregionen, Lulea.
[5]	Johansson, C., Hadenius, A., Johansson, P.A. and Jonson, T. (1999) The Stockholm study on health effects of air pollution and their economic consequences part 1. Stockholm Environment and Health Protection Administration, Stockholm.
[6]	Edvardsson, K. (2010) Evaluation of dust suppressants for gravel roads: Methods development and efficiency studies. Doctoral Thesis at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm.
[7]	Gustafsson, M. (2011) Road dust-sources, properties and abatement strategies. Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, Linkoping.
[8]	Midwest Research Institute (MRI) (1999) Estimating particulate matter emissions from construction operations. Kansas City.
[9]	US EPA (1977) Standards of performance for new stationary sources, revision to reference methods 1-8, federal register, Part II.
[10]	US EPA (1998) Stationary source control techniques document for fine particulate matter. Research Triangle Park.
[11]	US EPA (1993) An review of methods for measuring fugive PM-10 emission rates. Research Triangle Park.
[12]	US EPA (1974) Development for emission factors for fugitive dust sources. Research Triangle Park.
[13]	Goossens, D. and Buck, B. (2009) Dust emission by offroad driving: Experiments on 17 arid soil types, Nevada, USA. Geomorphology, 107, 118-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.12.001
[14]	Ghose, M.K. and Majee, S.R. (1998) Assessment of dust generation due to opencast coal mining—An Indian case study. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 61, 255263.
[15]	Chaulya, S.K. (2006) Emission rate formulae for surface iron ore mining activities. Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 11, 361-370. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10666-005-9026-2
[16]	http://www.lulea.se/samhalle--gator/aktuella-projekt/planskild-korsning-gammelstad.html
[17]	Fryrear, D.W. (1986) A field dust sampler. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 41, 117-120.
[18]	Goossens, D. and Buck, B.J. (2012) Can BSNE (Big Spring Number Eight) samplers be used to measure PM10, respirable dust, PM2.3 and PM1.0? Aeolian Research, 5, 43-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aeolia.2012.03.002
[19]	Shao, Y., McTainsh, G.H., Leys, J.F. and Raupach, M.R. (1993) Efficiencies of sediment samplers for wind erosion measurement. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 31, 519-532. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/SR9930519
[20]	Stout, J.E. and Fryrear, D.W. (1989) Performance of a windblown particle sampler. Transactions of the ASAE, 32, 2041-2045. http://dx.doi.org/10.13031/2013.31260
[21]	Goossens, D. and Offer, Z.Y. (2000) Wind tunnel and field calibration of six Aeolian dust samplers. Atmospheric Environment, 34, 1043-1057. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00376-3
[22]	Goossens, D., Offer, Z.Y. and London, G. (2000) Wind tunnel and field calibration of five Aeolian sand traps. Geomorphology, 35, 233-252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(00)00041-6
[23]	Sharrat, B., Feng, G. and Wendling, L. (2007) Loss of soil and PM10 from agricultural fields associated with high winds on the Columbia Plateau. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 32, 621-630. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.1425
[24]	Sharrat, B. (2011) Size distribution of windblown sediment emitted from agriculture fields in the Columbia Plateau. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 75, 10541060. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2010.0337
[25]	US EPA (1995) Compilation of air pollutant emission factors. AP-42. 5th Edition, 13.2.5 Industrial Wind Erosion, Research Triangle, Kansas City.
[26]	Chepil, W.S. (1952) Improved rotary sieve for measuring state and stability of dry soil structure. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, 16, 113-117. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1952.03615995001600020001x
[27]	Chepil, W.S. (1958) Soil conditions that influence wind erosion. Technical Bulletin, 1185, 1-40.
[28]	http://www.epa.gov/region9/air/phoenixpm/define.html