Nuisance dust is generated by a wide range of activities, including traffic, construction/demolition, mineral workings and general industry.
With increasing awareness of the problems caused by dust generated from such works, many local authorities are now including dust monitoring as a planning requirement. Often there is a requirement to undertake a baseline survey, particularly as part of an EIA, in order to formulate acceptable thresholds.
Generally, two different approaches are used to measure the amount of dust deposited on a surface;
The most popular soiling rate measurement method is the Sticky Pad system which measures the soiling of a white adhesive surface over a known period and gives a measurement of the deposition (as percentage Effective Area Coverage (%EAC) per day) using a reflectometer. In this method, Fablon pad monitoring stations can be used to provide an indication of the relative deposition from different directions. This method is attributed to Beaman & Kingsbury (1981), who determined the sticky pad method as being representative of between 2 and 7 days of dust deposition. (Beaman & Kingsbury ‘Assessment of Nuisance from Deposited Particulates Using a Simple and Inexpensive Measuring System’, Clean Air, Vol.11, No. 2 pp77-81, 1981). The method can be relatively non-intrusive which makes it popular in areas where conspicuous monitoring is likely to cause problems.
SOCOTEC has experience in undertaking projects using a number of the methods outlined above. The work normally takes the form of an initial baseline survey of dust conditions in an area and then surveying during and after a project has been completed in order to indicate whether activities result in an increase in the levels of nuisance dust.
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