Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T02:44:24.211Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Airborne particulate matter (PM10) in the china clay area, Cornwall, UK

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

B. Parsons ,
L. Salter ,
T. Coe ,
R. Mathias ,
R. J. Richards  and
T. P. Jones
B. Parsons*
Affiliation:
Cornwall College, Cornwall TR15 3RD, UK
L. Salter
Affiliation:
Cornwall College, Cornwall TR15 3RD, UK
T. Coe
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3US, UK
R. Mathias
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3US, UK
R. J. Richards
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3YE, UK
T. P. Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3US, UK
*
E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Work was undertaken in 1997 as part of a UK government programme to monitor air quality in the Cornish china clay area. These studies showed that concentrations of airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM10) did not exceed UK National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS, 1995) guidelines but were, however, greater than those normally associated with rural areas. Subsequently, in the summer of 2000, airborne dust sampling was conducted at three sites around the IMERYS (formerly ECCI) Kernick mica dam, a potential source of resuspended airborne particulates from china clay waste minerals. Analytical scanning electron microscopy examination of the collected material suggested that up to 61% of the airborne PM10 monitored next to the mica dam could be associated with china clay extraction compared with 46% 2 km to the south. Results showed the presence of substantial percentages of respirable kaolinite, muscovite and quartz; the major components of china clay waste. The health effects of the particular mineral dust emissions associated with china clay mining are reviewed.

Keywords

china claymica damsPM10airborne dusthealth effects.
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 67 , Issue 2 , April 2003 , pp. 163 - 171
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AUN (Automatic Urban Network) (2001) http://www.aeat.co.uk/netcen/airqual/welcome.html06/06/99Google Scholar
Bristow, C.M. (1998a) China clay. Pp. 167—177 in: The Geology of Cornwall (Selwood, E.B., Durrance, E.M. and Bristow, C.M., editors). University of Exeter Press, Exeter, UK.Google Scholar
Bristow, C.M. (1998b) The contemporary extractive industry. Pp. 229—231 in: The Geology of Cornwall (Selwood, E.B., Durrance, E.M. and Bristow, C.M., editors). University of Exeter Press, Exeter, UK.Google Scholar
CAQF (Cornwall Air Quality Forum) (1997) Final Report to the DoE (3 Vol). Cornwall College, Cornwall TR15 3RD, UK.Google Scholar
Comyns, R.A. (1995) Remedies to the pollution by wastes from china clay working. A paper produced by the Project Development Manager, ECCI International Ltd., Cornwall, UK.Google Scholar
Davis, R., Griffiths, D.M., Johnson, N.F., Preece, A.W. and Livingstone, D.C. (1984) The cytotoxicity of kaolin towards macrophages in vitro. British Journal of Experimental Pathology, 65, 453—466.Google Scholar
DoE (Department of the Environment) Minerals Division (1995) The Environmental Effects of Dust from Surface Mineral Workings Vol. 2, Technical Report. Arup Environmental, Ove Arup & Partners. London HMSO.Google Scholar
DoE (Department of the Environment) (2001) The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: A consultation document on proposals for air quality objectives. DoE, Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Hale, L.W., Gough, J., King, E.J. and Nagelschmidt, G. (1956) Pneumoconiosis of kaolin workers. British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 13, 251—259.Google Scholar
Jones, T.P., Williamson, B.J., BéruBé, K.A. and Richards, R.J. (2001) Microscopy and chemistry of particles collected on TEOM filters: Swansea, south Wales, 1998—99. Atmospheric Environment, 35, 3573—3583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, E.J., Harrison, C.V. and Nagelschmidt, G. (1948) The effects of kaolin on the lungs of rats. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology, 60, 435—440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lapenas, D., Gale, P., Kennedy, T., Rawlings, W., Jr. and Dietrich, P. (1983) Kaolin pneumoconiosis. American Review of Respiratory Disease, 130, 282—288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oldham, P.D. (1983) Pneumoconiosis in Cornish china clay workers. British Journal ofIndustrial Medicine, 40, 131—137.Google ScholarPubMed
Pearce, D. and Crowards, T. (1996) Particulate matter and human health in the United Kingdom. Energy Policy, 24, 609—619.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pope, C.A., III. (2000) Review: Epidemiological basis for particulate air pollution health standards. Aerosol Science and Technology. 32, 4—14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Psyrillos, A., Howe, J.H., Manning, D.A.C. and Burley, D. (1997) Geological control on kaolin particle shape and consequences for mineral processing. Clay Minerals, 34, 193—208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reynolds, L., Jones, T., BeruBe, K., Wise, H. and Richards, R. (2003) Toxicity of airborne dust generated by opencast coal mining. Mineralogical Magazine, 67, 139—150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, R.J. (2003) The effect of mineral particles in the lung. Mineralogical Magazine, 67, 127—137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, R.J. and Hunt, J. (1983) Reaction of mineral dusts with primary lung fibroblast cultures. Environmental Health Perspective, 51, 61—65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rundle, E.M., Sugar, E.T. and Ogle, C.J. (1993) Analyses of the 1990 chest health survey of china clay workers. British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 50, 913—919.Google ScholarPubMed
Shanker, R., Sahu, A.P., Dogra, R.K.S. and Zaida, S.H. (1975) Effect of intratracheal injection of mica dust on the lymph nodes of guinea pigs. Toxicology, 5, 193—199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sheers, G. (1989) The china clay industry — lessons for the future of occupational health. Respiratory Medicine, 83, 173—175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whittaker, A.G., Jones, T.P., Shao, L., Shi, Z., BeruBe, K.A. and Richards, R.J. (2003) Mineral dust in urban air: Beijing, China. Mineralogical Magazine, 67, 173—182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, M.L. (1999) Patterns of air pollution in developed countries. Pp. 83—104 in: Air Pollution and Health (Holgate, S.T., Samet, J.M., Koren, H.S., and Maynard, R.L., editors). Academic Press, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar