Parallel personal measurements of diesel engine exhaust and crystalline silica using dual sampling port

Abstract

Diesel engine exhaust (DEE) and crystalline silica exposures occur simultaneously in the mining industry, and occupational sampling campaigns can be time- and cost-consuming. The authors evaluated a dual-port system for simultaneous sampling of DEE and crystalline silica in laboratory and field conditions. Laboratory tests evaluated the operation of pumps during 8 h sampling and the intensity of the flow variation for various filter loading conditions and for different modes of operation. Field validation was performed in an underground mine. Pumps operated in constant flow or constant pressure modes. Tests in constant flow mode showed that when the flowrate increased on one side of the system, it decreased on the opposite side according to the loading intensity. Tests in constant pressure mode showed that flowrates systematically decreased when using loaded cassettes. However, the higher the backpressure setting, the lower the flow variation was. Flow variations during field tests were generally within the acceptable ±5% range. However, significant flow variations were identified in higher concentrations. A significant negative correlation was found between flowrate variation and total carbon concentration. While the majority of tests support the use of the dual-port for evaluating concomitant exposures, results highlight the possibility of filter overloading as a cause of flowrate changes.

Keywords

• Crystalline silica
• Diesel engine exhaust
• Dual-port
• Mining
• Monitoring