Mining Publication: Instrumentation for Diesel Particulate Matter Emissions Research

Measurement and sampling of diesel particulate matter in mine air presents a challenge due to the complexity of the diesel aerosol. The results of a series of tests carried out by the NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory in an underground mine were used to evaluate several measurement methods that are currently used to characterize particulate matter emitted by diesel-powered equipment. This paper presents an overview of these techniques and examples of the results, along with a discussion of the advantages and information gained by each technique. The measurement methods discussed include particle size measurements using a scanning mobility particle sizer, total particulate matter measurements using a tapered elemental oscillating microbalance, a size-selective sampling method for workplace and personal exposure assessment, and a size-selective high-volume sampling method for carbon analysis.