Water is used to assist control dust during the mining and processing of ore, on tailings and storage heaps, and throughout the transportation process. Water not only binds mineral dust to the surface of the ore but also aids in suppressing dust that is already in the air.
Huge trucks enter and exit mines several times a day on unpaved haul routes, generating copious amounts of dust in the air. Water trucks are mostly used to control the dust produced by this traffic.
Water trucks can cause traffic jams and delay other trucks transporting more crucial cargo because they must travel slowly to provide the right amount of water to wet down the road.
Many in the mining industry believe that one of the worst methods of dust control is the usage of water trucks. For water-based dust control in mines and on haul roads to be effective, there must be consistent wetting as well as weather monitoring of air temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, and speed.
One practical and cost-effective way to use water to help prevent dust is to install a sprinkler system that includes weather monitoring, centralised control, and appropriate water distribution components.
