From Dust to Disease: A Review of Respirable Coal Mine Dust Lung Deposition and Advances in CFD Modeling

The United States has witnessed a concerning surge in the incidence of diseases like Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP), despite numerous efforts aimed at prevention. This study delves into the realm of respiratory health by investigating the deposition of dust particles within the respiratory tract...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Minerals (Basel) 2023-10, Vol.13 (10), p.1311
Main Authors: Madureira, Eurico, Aboelezz, Ahmed, Su, Wei-Chung, Roghanchi, Pedram
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols
Atmospheric particulates
Coal
coal dust
Coal industry
Coal mines
Coal mining
Computational fluid dynamics
Dust
dust exposure
exposure limits
Fluid dynamics
Hydrodynamics
Literature reviews
lung deposition
Lung diseases
Lungs
Mathematical models
Mineral industry
Mines
Mining industry
Modelling
Particle deposition
Particle interactions
Pneumoconiosis
Regions
respirable coal mine dust
respiratory diseases
Respiratory system
Respiratory tract
Scale models
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Summary:The United States has witnessed a concerning surge in the incidence of diseases like Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP), despite numerous efforts aimed at prevention. This study delves into the realm of respiratory health by investigating the deposition of dust particles within the respiratory tract and lungs. By analyzing particles of varying sizes, shapes, velocities, and aerodynamic diameters, we aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of their impact on deposition patterns. This insight could potentially drive changes in dust exposure protocols within mining environments and improve monitoring practices. The interplay of several critical factors, including particle characteristics and an individual’s breathing patterns, plays a pivotal role in determining whether particles settle in the lungs or are exhaled. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review on Respirable Coal Mine Dust (RCMD), with a specific focus on examining particle deposition across different regions of the airway system and lungs. Additionally, we explore the utility of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in simulating particle behavior within the respiratory system. Predicting the precise behavior of dust particles within the respiratory airway poses a significant challenge. However, through numerical simulations, we aspire to enhance our understanding of strategies to mitigate total lung deposition by comprehensively modeling particle interactions within the respiratory system.
ISSN:2075-163X
2075-163X
DOI:10.3390/min13101311