Industrial Wind Erosion: PM Emission from the Erodible Flat Surfaces of Tailing Basins

The article deals with the emission of Particulate Matter (PM) from the erodible surfaces of tailing basins. Dust emission from industrial sites typically derives from both conveyed sources and fugitive dust sources. While the emission from conveyed sources can be estimated with sufficient accuracy, the quantification of the emission rate from fugitive sources is notoriously more challenging, all the more so when the wind not only governs the dispersion phenomenon but also affects the emission rate (i.e., erosion from erodible surfaces). The article specifically deals with the emission of PM from the deposits of mineralogical processing residue exposed to wind erosion (industrial win erosion). In fact, the examination of the technical and scientific reports has shown that the emission factors proposed for other types of erodible surfaces cannot be directly applied to those deposits, because of their peculiar characteristics: wide and flat surfaces with low roughness and residue physical state dependent on its moisture content. The object of the research hereby discussed is the definition of an emission conceptual model applicable to the bauxite residue disposal areas (BRDA). Basing on the analysis of the scientific literature regarding wind erosion, the article proposes a specific-site conceptual model and its validation procedure.