African Journal of Geography and Regional Planning

ISSN 2736-1586

African Journal of Geography and Regional Planning ISSN 3627-8945 Vol. 7 (7), pp. 001-007, July, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Opencast mines: A subject of major concern for human health

Sneha Gautam*, Aditya Kumar Patra and Basant Kumar Prusty

Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Accepted 09 May, 2020

Abstract

Presently India ranks third amongst the coal producing countries in the world after China and USA. Sustainability of present growth rate around 9% in the Indian economy depends largely in accelerating growth in mining sector, especially the coal mining. Country’s demand of coal has increased manifold requiring adoption of appropriate technology in the industry. Enhancement of combustion fuel / minerals is mainly responsible for the degradation of air quality in mines area. Some activities (i.e. drilling, blasting, loading-unloading of materials, overburden etc.) in mines area created some fine particles which can suspended in air and caused of respiratory diseases. These all effects on human health through particulates matter are follow the time of exposure and quantity of particle in such type of concentration. Here we undertake the simplistic review of particulate matter which is generated due to mining activities and creates adverse impact on human health.

Keywords: Air pollution, Particulate matter, Opencast mines, Modeling, Health effects.