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Dust Control Techniques in Opencast Limestone Mines: A Review forOccupational Health and Environmental Protection in India

Saral Tiwari

Abstract:Open-cast limestone mining is widely used to supply raw materials for the cement and construction industries. However,activities such as drilling, blasting, loading, crushing, and transportation produce significant amounts of airborne dust.Prolonged exposure to respirable dust particles poses serious occupational health risks to mine workers and harms the surrounding environment. Dust pollution can degrade air quality, damage vegetation, and cause respiratory diseases among workers and nearby communities. This study reviews the main sources of dust generation in open-cast limestone mines and assesses common dust control methods. Such as water spraying systems, wet drilling, dust extraction systems, haul road maintenance, and vegetative barriers. The study highlights the importance of integrated dust management strategies to minimize airborne particulate matter in mining areas and improve occupational health and environmental sustainability.
Keywords:Opencast Mining, Limestone Mining, Dust Suppression, Occupational Health, Environmental Protection