[Comparison between calculation- and measurement-based assessments of the effects of ambient air dust concentration on the environment and health status of the population living in the vicinity of a mineral mining plant].

Airborne and PM10 fraction dust concentrations were measured at seven measurement points in the area occupied by the plant. A GRIMM 1.105 laser meter was used to determine automatically total dust and PM10 fraction concentrations at 1 min intervals. The measurements were continued for 1 to 3 days at selected measurement points. The results were used to calculate the 30-min and mean 24-h (C24) concentrations. Significant differences were found to exist in the assessment based on the calculated and measured results of the ambient air dust concentrations. The calculation-based assessment did not predict any values above admissible limits, while the measurement-based assessment resulted in dust concentration values dangerous to the exposed population living in the vicinity of the plant, over both short (days) and long (years) time intervals. In emergency situation, when the dust-collection system was inoperative, dust concentrations in the ambient atmosphere of the plant were even 100 times higher than the current admissible values.