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This paper refers on the result of an experimental work developed at an Italian limestone quarry. In such a site the pollutant emissions connected with standard activities such as drilling, blasting or crushing materials represent primary dust sources and contribute to determine the PM10 concentration all over the quarry plant and the surrounding area. Moreover many studies underlined the important contribution of secondary sources in the assessment of airborne dust climate. These ones, generally constituted by stockpiling or unpaved hauling roads, especially if in dry conditions and exposed to wind erosion, may affect OH&S environment and generate a massive airborne dust impact on the surrounding receptors. In this study, an emission model, based on emission factors is set up and a simulation is performed to define the PM10 concentration in the site. Then according with a sampling campaign, the quality of obtained results is verified and the two data sets are compared. The data analysis shows encouraging results that may assume a more general suitability if further studies should confirm this outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper refers on the result of an experimental work developed in a quarrying site aimed to test the reliability of geostatistical approach as an alternative tool in the assessment of spatial variability of professional hazards. The case study is referred to the exposure of workers to airborne dust generated from typical quarrying activities. In such a risk assessment procedure in fact, the most useful alternative method to personal sampling is represented by defining the space-time variability of the physical agent. This step is, nevertheless, complex requiring a considerable amount of field surveys for carrying out the spatial distribution itself. This study falls into this context, with the intention of providing a methodological contribution in the phase of hazard characterization. So, after a systematic sampling campaign aimed to collect significant values of respirable dust concentration all around the site, the geostatistical method of Kriging is then proposed as an alternative tool to estimate dust concentration in the selected domain. The analysis is then completed comparing the estimated values with data sampled by means of "leave one out" cross validation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper refers on the result of an experimental work developed at an Italian limestone quarry. A simple risk prediction method is tested to assess the professional exposure to respirable dust of those workers involved in common quarrying activities such as drilling, blasting and crushing materials. The evaluation is performed by means of the FAST method (Functional Analysis Space Technique) which is based upon the discretization in time and space of dust emission over the working area. When this pattern proves to well fit the operative conditions, a significant reduction of costs and efforts associated to the monitoring activities may be appreciated. The results are compared with samples collected during a second campaign in which personal dosimeters were used to assess the personal dose of the same workers. The application seems to encourage further research especially in those sites in which workers are involved in job rotation and the daily dose may change according with different activities performed during the working day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]