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Project duration:
1 October 2026 – 31 March 2030
Project coordinator:
KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology, Dominik Bałaga, Dr Eng.
Project coordinator at GIG-PIB:
Robert Hildebrandt, Dr Eng.
The RESPIRA project (Risk Evaluation, Simulation and Prevention of Respiratory dust in post-mining Areas) received funding from the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) under grant agreement No. 101296016.
The RESPIRA project addresses the issue of emissions of coal dust and dust from post-mining waste, which are generated during storage, transport and handling.
Depending on weather conditions, fine particles of dust may be carried beyond the boundaries of mines, spoil heaps and transhipment sites, reaching residential areas as well. This poses a risk to workers, local communities and the environment alike.
The aim of the project is to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms governing the formation and dispersion of dust, depending on the conditions under which coal is transported and stored, as well as meteorological factors. To this end, field and laboratory studies will be carried out, along with physico-chemical and toxicological analyses of dust samples. These will enable the properties of the dust to be determined and its potential impact on human health and the environment to be assessed. As part of the project, a model will also be developed to predict the concentrations and dispersion of coal dust based on measurement data, meteorological parameters and information on emission sources. The integration of field measurement results, laboratory tests and modelling will help identify effective ways of reducing dust emissions at their source. The project’s outcomes will include, amongst other things, technical solutions to reduce dust levels, procedures for evaluating them, a predictive model and a catalogue of best practices.
The project consortium comprises the following partners:
Instytut Techniki Górniczej KOMAG Instytut Badawczy, leader, Poland
Główny Instytut Górnictwa - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, partner, Poland
Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza im. Stanisława Staszica w Krakowie, partner, Poland
University Medical Centre Freiburg (UKLFR), partner, Poland
CSIC-IDAEA (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua, partner, Spain
POLSKA GRUPA GÓRNICZA S.A., partner, Poland
Project website: respira.gig.eu
