Abstract
ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL OF DUST AND NOISE POLLUTION IN MINES AND QUARRIES: A REVIEW
Oyedele E. O.*, Okeke O. C. and Israel H. O.
ABSTRACT
As much as we do acknowledge the economic benefits of mining activities, there is the need also to recognize the environmental hazards that come with it in order to find ways of dealing with them. Mining is essentially a destructive development activity where ecology suffers at the altar of economy. The health cost of mining operations sometimes outweighs the benefits gained. Dust pollution in terms of particulate matters is increasing tremendously mainly due to rise in open cast projects, transportation, coal stockyard overburden dumps as well as mineral mine fires and other domestic activities. Mine dust can result in a serious nuisance and loss of amenity for populations living in the vicinity of a mine. Health hazards of mines?/quarries? dust include asbestosis lung cancer, kidney damage, black lung cancer, bronchial cancer, gastro-irritation, cough, conjunctivitis, CNS deterioration, silicosis. Noise has been recognized as a health hazard with potent implications on occupational safety. The physiological and psychological effects of noise on humans are often subtle and insidious, appearing so gradually that it becomes difficult to associate cause with effect. This paper focuses on the adverse effects of dust and noise in mines and quarries and provides the control measures for protecting the workers against it.
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