5 From water-borne solids to airborne pollutants: the re-aerosolization of respirable dust

Abstract Service water is critical in any underground mine where it is used for a number of activities such as drilling, dust suppression and general cleaning. However, using partially treated service water can pose significant challenges in underground gold mines. While service water is intended to control dust, partially treated service water has the potential to act as a secondary source of airborne dust through daily mining operations. This paper will explore sources of dust in mine service water and the potential mechanisms of dust liberation when drilling, watering down and using atomizers The paper sets out a practical approach to quantify total crystalline silica suspended in the Mines Service Water using X-Ray diffraction (XRD) at an accredited SANS lab in South Africa. Determine a link between these water borne solids to potential airborne exposures and determine the extent of exposures in a stope from entry examination to the end of the shift using a silica dust real time monitor. An investigation of effective water treatment systems including settlers, filtration and RO plants will be done to further mitigate the risks of water borne solids becoming airborne.