Ambient air pollution is a leading contributor to global disease burden that increases morbidity and mortality, andit accounted for 4.2 million deaths in 2015. Mineral dusts are a constituent of total atmospheric particulate matterthat affect global biogeochemical cycles, pollute water bodies and air masses, and impact global climate. Dustpresents physical (i.e., reduced visibility and explosive mixtures) and health hazards, particularly affectingcardiovascular and respiratory health. Mining generates dust in virtually every step of the mining process:excavating, blasting, stockpiling, crushing, grinding, and transport. Dust generated from both modern and legacymining operations is known to be an exposure route for other contaminants (e.g. arsenic and lead). To protecthuman and environmental health from mining related dusts, it is important to develop innovative,environmentally-compatible technologies capable of mitigating dust emissions. Preliminary data hasdemonstrated glycolipid surfactants are effective dust suppressants with efficacy equal to or better than currentlyavailable products. Though a variety of dust suppression products are commercially available, disadvantagesprovide market opportunities that new technologies can address: (i) they are often corrosive to machinery, (ii)they can cause potential risks to human health due to hazardous components, and (iii) they have short-termeffectiveness due to the fragility of the protection layer that can be easily disrupted by environmental factors,such as strong wind. The overall goal of this Phase I SBIR is to demonstrate the commercial potential for a nextgeneration green dust suppression technology that combines GlycoSurf's proprietary glycolipid surfactants withcellulose polymers to develop marketable dust suppression formulations for two applications: mine tailings thatare not subject to mechanical disturbance and unpaved haul roads that undergo substantial mechanicaldisturbance. The Phase 1 Aims are two-fold. In Aim 1, unique formulations of glycolipids, alone and incombination with cellulose polymers, will be generated with target performance parameters suitable for tailingsand unpaved road applications. In Aim 2, these formulations will be tested for dust suppression efficacy andresistance to environmental factors such as UV radiation, precipitation, and high temperature. The stability ofglycolipid treatments will also be assessed against mechanical disruption via compression testing. A step-wisetesting process will be used to develop formulations that achieve a Good Air Quality Index as defined by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency. Successful completion of this project will result in the identification ofcandidate formulations with potential for marketability. These candidate products will subsequently undergo fieldtesting during Phase II research to demonstrate their efficacy protecting environmental and human health underreal-world conditions.
Public Health Relevance Statement: Public Health Narrative
Ambient air pollution is a leading contributor to global disease burden that increases morbidity and mortality, and
the mining industry accounts for 12% of global particulate matter health impacts. GlycoSurf and the University
of Arizona propose a novel technology using green environmentally-friendly glycolipid surfactants for the
suppression of dusts arising from tailings and haul roads in the mining industry. Successful application of this
technology will reduce emissions from mining operations and thereby protect human and environmental health
in downwind areas at risk of dust emission impacts.
Project Terms:
