Scientists Develop Method to Reduce Fine Dust Emission at Construction Sites

Scientists from the Don State Technical University (DSTU), as part of a research team, have developed a method to monitor the amount of harmful dust at construction sites. Specialists believe this will help reduce emissions into the air and protect the health of workers and nearby residents alike.
Sputnik

The research results were published in the scientific journal Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing.

Scientists at DSTU have developed a method for the scheduled modelling of construction operations, which helps to calculate the amount of harmful fine dust that has been discharged into the air at different times of the year and for various reasons. For example, in the production of concrete or during excavation works.

The researchers noted that there is an increasing concentration of toxic substances in the air near construction sites. These include sulfur dioxide, ammonia, sulfates and nitrates. Scientists believe that these particles can penetrate the lungs and cause respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. Furthermore, air pollution can cause smog, which can injure workers and reduce visibility.

“Now we can calculate how much fine dust that affects human health will be emitted during construction in winter, summer, and at different humidity levels, particularly in the sanitary protection zone,” Svetlana Manzhilevskaya, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the "Technology and organisation of construction production" at DSTU commented.

The authors of the study believe that the use of the schedule modelling method for construction makes it possible to reduce the amount of dust emission in the air and reduce its harmful impact on the human body. For this purpose, scientists have created and patented specialised equipment. These include a dust shield, a dust suppression gun and green roof structures for public and residential buildings.

“The new method can be used in any country of the world to design and perform similar tasks with the same construction materials and technologies. Construction site managers must always control harmful fine dust emissions into the atmosphere, otherwise, they will be fined,” Svetlana Manzhilevskaya explained.

The research result was achieved by Svetlana Manzhilevskaya under the supervision of Valery Azarov, Doctor of Technical Sciences at Professor at Volgograd State Technical University. As of today, there are no analogues to this scientific work.

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