Level of Exposure of Occupational Respirable Dust to Underground Gold Mine Workers in Ghana

Underground gold miners are potentially exposed to various levels of crystalline silica dust from the mining activities. In order to assess the silica content exposed to underground miners in Ghana, a study was carried out using a gravimetric dust sampler for which the samples obtained were analysed for its dust and the crystalline silica contents using an X-ray diffractometer. A total of 226 underground workers were sampled from four underground operating shafts within which six different job titles were chosen to estimate the occupational dust exposure levels. The degree of exposure to both respirable dust and crystalline silica follows in the increasing order of Class A˃Class B˃Class C. The highest mean concentration of respirable dust and crystalline silica was recorded by the Grouters (4.2614 ± SD mg/m³) and the Teledyne Operators (0.5659 ± 0.26624 mg/m³), respectively. The resulting order of respirable dust within the job titles increased in the order as Machine Drivers<Long Hole Drillers<Equipment Operators<Teledyne Operators<Blastmen<Grouters whiles that of the crystalline silica increased as Machine Drivers<Equipment Operators<Blastmen<Long Hole Drillers<Grouters<Teledyne operators. Higher silica values suggest the exposure of larger amounts of respirable dust from silica bearing rocks to these workers during underground operations.

Author(s): Edward Ebow Kwaansa-Ansah, Edward Kwaku Armah, Francis Opoku

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