Research Article Open Access

COMPARISON AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF DISPERSION MODELS FDM AND ISCST3 FOR A GOLD MINE AT GOA

Abstract

The emphasis of large-scale opencast mining has resulted in widespread concern about the deterioration in environmental quality, specially the increase in concentration of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) within and around the mining site. SPM, which is the primary pollutant from the surface mining operations is emitted due to blasting, excavation, transportation, material transfer, wind erosion of loose soil, overburden dump, etc. Thus, to gain better understanding of the fate and transport of the pollutants and to predict future conditions under various inputs and management action alternatives, the mathematical simulation of the dispersion process is an important exercise. For this, application of the EPA models for the short-term prediction of the pollution level due to mining activities was explored. The two models considered in the study are Industrial Source Complex Short-Term (ISCST3) and Fugitive Dust Model. The emission inventory and meteorological data are primary inputs for an air quality model. Various statistical approaches were used to compare and evaluate the models under study and it was found that FDM is more accurate then ISCST3 and thus is more useful as a screening tool for regulatory purposes.

Jyoti Prabha and Gurdeep Singh

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