A Computer-Controlled SEM-EDX Routine for Characterizing Respirable Coal Mine Dust

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorJohann-Essex, Victoriaen
dc.contributor.authorKeles, Cigdemen
dc.contributor.authorSarver, Emily A.en
dc.contributor.departmentMining and Minerals Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-20T18:29:17Zen
dc.date.available2017-09-20T18:29:17Zen
dc.date.issued2017-01-23en
dc.date.updated2017-09-20T18:29:17Zen
dc.description.abstractA recent resurgence in coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (or “black lung”) and concerns over other related respiratory illnesses have highlighted the need to elucidate characteristics of airborne particulates in occupational environments. A better understanding of particle size, aspect ratio, or chemical composition may offer new insights regarding causal factors of such illnesses. Scanning electron microscopy analysis using energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) can be used to estimate these particle characteristics. If conducted manually, such work can be very time intensive, limiting the number of particles that can be analyzed. Moreover, potential exists for user bias in interpretation of EDX spectra. A computer-controlled (CC) routine, on the other hand, can allow similar analysis at a much faster rate, increasing total particle counts and reproducibility of results. This paper describes a CCSEM-EDX routine specifically developed for analysis of respirable dust samples from coal mines. The routine is verified based on reliability of results obtained on samples of known materials, and reproducibility of results obtained on a set of 10 dust samples collected in the field. The characteristics of the field samples are also discussed with respect to mine occupational environments.en
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationJohann-Essex, V.; Keles, C.; Sarver, E. A Computer-Controlled SEM-EDX Routine for Characterizing Respirable Coal Mine Dust. Minerals 2017, 7, 15.en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/min7010015en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/79308en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherMDPIen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectCCSEM-EDXen
dc.subjectrespirable coal mine dusten
dc.subjectdust characteristicsen
dc.subjectoccupational healthen
dc.subjectblack lungen
dc.titleA Computer-Controlled SEM-EDX Routine for Characterizing Respirable Coal Mine Dusten
dc.title.serialMineralsen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
minerals-07-00015.pdf
Size:
1.78 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.5 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Journal Articles, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Scholarly Works, Mining and Minerals Engineering