Fuente: Sustainability - Revista científica (MDPI) Sustainability, Vol. 18, Pages 633: Impact of Blasting Scenarios for In-Pit Ramp Construction on the Fumes Emission
Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18020633
Authors:
Michał Dudek
Michał Dworzak
Andrzej Biessikirski

Blasting operations associated with in-pit ramp construction in open-pit mines generate gaseous emissions originating from both explosive detonation and diesel-powered drilling and loading equipment. The research object of this study is the ramp construction process in an operating open-pit quarry, and the objective is to comparatively evaluate gaseous emissions across alternative blasting scenarios to support emission-aware operational decision-making. Five realistic blasting scenarios are assessed using a combined methodology that integrates laboratory fume index data for ANFO, emulsion explosives, and dynamite with diesel-emission estimates derived from non-road mobile machinery inventory factors. Laboratory detonation tests provide standardized upper-bound emission potentials for COx and NOx, while drilling and loading emissions are quantified using a fuel-based inventory approach. The results show that the dominant contribution to total mass emissions arises from diesel combustion during drilling and loading, consistent with studies on real-world non-road mobile machinery inventory factors. Detonation fumes, although chemically concentrated and relevant for short-term exposure risk, represent a smaller share of the mass-based emission budget. Among the explosive types, bulk emulsions consistently exhibit lower toxic-gas emission indices than ANFO, attributable to their more uniform microstructure and a moderated reaction temperature. Dynamite demonstrates the lowest fume potential but is operationally less scalable for large open-pit patterns due to manual loading. Uncertainty analysis indicates that both laboratory-derived fume indices and diesel emission factors introduce systematic variability: laboratory tests tend to overestimate detonation fumes, while inventory-based diesel estimates may underestimate real-world NOx and particulate emissions. Notwithstanding these limitations, the scenario-based framework developed here provides a robust basis for comparative evaluation of blasting strategies during ramp construction. The findings support increased use of emulsion explosives and emphasize the importance of moisture management, field-integrated gas monitoring, and improved characterization of diesel-equipment duty cycles.