Dust emission measurement system - PI-SWERL

与露天采矿有关的最重要的环境影响之一是由风蚀粉尘和气溶胶排放造成的污染。由于污染和污染物在环境中运输的潜在速度、距离和空间范围，这一过程可能是最值得注意的。在加拿大，越来越多的证据和担忧来自油砂地区采矿作业排放的有毒粉尘和颗粒物（PM）。然而，清点和监测PM来源所需的技术和科学研究落后于改善空气质量监测框架的并行努力。这项RTI提案概述了一项新技术，该技术将用于量化矿山表面实际和潜在的PM排放。由Dust - Quant LLC开发的便携式原位风蚀实验室（PI-SWERL）是一种紧凑的设备，用于测量表面对PM发射的敏感性。它可以测量阈值剪切速度，排放浓度，并且可以配置为提取样品进行污染物的化学分析。此外，其紧凑的尺寸和便携性意味着可以在短时间内测量大量站点，这对于量化不同矿山表面PM排放的时空变化以及测试缓解技术的有效性非常重要。PI-SWERL是一种经过验证的测量沙漠土壤排放的系统，但它尚未在油砂开采的背景下应用。这些数据将支持设计和实施缓解战略，以减少油砂露天矿的PM排放；从而减少阿尔伯塔省北部沥青开采对环境的影响和足迹。

One of the most significant environmental impacts associated with open-pit mining is pollution caused by emission of wind-eroded dust and aerosols. This process is perhaps most notable due to the potential speed, distance, and spatial extent in which the pollution and contaminants can be transported in the environment. In Canada, there is growing evidence and concern about toxic dust and particulate matter (PM) emitted from mining operations in the oil sands region. However, the technology and scientific research needed to inventory and monitor PM sources are lagging behind parallel efforts to improve the air quality monitoring framework. This RTI proposal outlines a new technology that will be used to quantify real and potential PM emissions from mine surfaces. The Portable In-Situ Wind Erosion Lab (PI-SWERL) developed by Dust - Quant LLC, is a compact device for measuring the susceptibility of surfaces to emit PM. It measures the threshold shear velocity, emission concentration, and it can be configured to extract samples for chemical analysis of contaminants. Furthermore, its compact size and portability mean that a large number of sites can be measured in a short period of time, which is important for quantifying spatiotemporal changes of PM emissions from different mine surfaces, and for testing the effectiveness of mitigation techniques. PI-SWERL is a proven system for measuring emissions from desert soils, but it has yet to be applied in the context of oil sands mining. The data will support the design and implementation of mitigation strategies to reduce PM emissions from the oil sands open-pit mines; thus reducing the environmental impact and footprint associated with bitumen extraction in northern Alberta.