Quarrying operations focused on aggregates are first and foremost responsible for emissions of (1) dust when working during dry periods, (2) noise created by crushers and lorries on a permanent basis as well as (3) blasting operations on a periodical basis. Downstream of open pit operations there may also be (4) groundwater and (5) surface water contaminations (such as fishing and recreation sites). Contamination affecting the aquatic system can be anthropogenic by leakages in tools and devices leading to a harmful distribution of organic contaminants and geogene when in the course of mining and pitting operations rock sections are hit that contain abnormally high amounts of sulfides bearing heavy metals such as As, Ni, Co, Zn, …

Ad (1) you have to install air quality measuring stations at various distances particularly near housing areas and large agriculturally used areas be it commercially or a simple allotment gardens so as get an insight into pollution harmful for the lungs and the food chain. The density of measuring devices should be especially high in the downwind side of the quarrying operations. It may happen that special open cast mining operations need to be temporarily suspended during summer time or allowed when watering of the lorry tracks and work sites is guaranteed.

Ad (2) noise can only be measured by noise measuring devices at various distances around the work site

Ad (3) It is important that prior to opening up a monitoring is carried out in housing areas and commercial/ industrial sites to establish the state of security and construction so as to furnish clear evidence for the impact of quarrying operation when it comes to file a lawsuit against the company or the mining authority when damages to properties are recognized. I some case microseismic arrays can be installed around the site of operation to recognize if the shock waves impacting on the surrounding areas are above the range set up by law

Ad (4) Ground water monitoring to avoid and measure harmful access of acid mine drainage has to be achieved by monitoring wells downstream of the site of operation

Ad (5) surface water monitoring is conducted in tributaries and master rivers by permanent water quality monitoring stations installed downstream of the quarry. They must be able to organic and inorganic chemical compounds.

Prior to the mining/quarrying operation the state of the landscape and its solid, gaseous and fluid components must be assessed as some kind of background to find out during an impact assessment study if the current and/or abandoned operations have a constant or temporary influence on the living beings and properties around

The distance and number of measuring stations is a direction function of the aerial size and depth penetration of the open pit (or underground mine). The commodities also play an important part. There are commodities such as lignite mines prone to create lots of dusts, whereas others like some marble quarries with little or no blasting operations that are of lesser influence in terms of dust emissions.

H.G.Dill

Harald G. Dill Sir

Thank you so much for your response. Actually, I would like to know, how to determine sampling sites for taking a nearby air sample. Should I use the Windrose diagram for determining sites or any other methods can be used. If, Windrose diagram, how can it be used?

I mentioned it how to proceed under point (1) when it comes to a sampling of samples for air quality measurements. It is also important to place your sampling sites so that you really capture reliable digital data for the operation of the quarry and not for contamination produced by traffic or any other source. The local (micro) climate should by carefully studied and taken into consideration. Please pass through my entire post to see the intertonguing of affects harmful for the living beings. A selection and singling out of sources may be feasible when examining the samples but you may facilitate your whole study when you perfectly well position your sampling sites in an array considering the topography of the landscape.

It depends on the number of mining areas. If they are few there is no need for sampling but if there are many then you can use fishers method for sampling.https://www.geopoll.com/blog/sample-size-research/