Prolonged exposure to respirable coal and silica dust particles in coal mine dust is the primary cause of Coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP). After a steady decline over the past years, the prevalence of CWP is on the rise in recent years. The occurrence rate of CWP is directly related to the to the exposure level to respirable coal dust, and a lowering of the coal-mine dust level standard from 2.0 to 1.0 mg/m3 has been proposed to reduce the rate. To achieve a lower dust level, newer technologies are needed. Existing technologies based on plain water sprays are not effective for the removal of airborne small particles (i.e., size less than 10 Prolonged exposure to coal mine dust causes incurable black lung disease which afflicts a large number of people working in coal mines, and its occurrence can be reduced significantly by lowering the dust level in coal mines. We will develop ways of improving the effectiveness of sprayed water droplets in removing small coal dust particles that pose the greatest health risk. We will examine the effect of the use of additives and electrostatic charge in water droplets on the capture of small coal particles by the droplets.Public Health Relevance
