Trends from the South African historical diesel particulate matter data

Abstract

Currently, there is no occupational exposure limit (OEL) for diesel particulate matter (DPM) in South Africa. Recently the Department of Mineral Resources and the mining industry have made efforts to determine which concentration of DPM could be used as an OEL. The study reported here aimed to use historical data to determine how DPM exposure has been controlled and to determine a reasonable OEL for the South African mining industry. A questionnaire was sent to over 30 mines to establish whether they sample for DPM and to obtain their historical DPM exposure data. Unfortunately, limited information was received from the mining industry. This limited information illustrates the need for a national DPM database for tracking trends and monitoring improvements in the industry. An OEL should only be determined after an industry-wide baseline study has been conducted.