Grant to Northern researchers fund diesel emission in mine study

From Montana State University-Northern

Randy Maglinao and his co-investigators, Tony Gryffin and Keith Richardson, all from Montana State University-Northern, were recently awarded $60,000 of grant funding by the Montana INBRE - IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence - program to research ways to improve methods in protecting the health of underground mine workers from harmful diesel exhaust emission exposure.

The grant will allow the team to determine the composition of diesel exhaust emissions from alternative fuels and at what conditions it is formed. The funding will also help identify the barriers in motivating mine workers to adhere to changes in health and safety protocols. 

Underground mine operators predominantly use diesel to power their equipment, and its workers can be exposed to harmful diesel exhaust emissions. Several strategies have been implemented to reduce workers' exposure like using diesel particulate filters and adopting exhaust gas recirculation techniques.  Operators have also considered replacing diesel with biodiesel to significantly lower soot emissions. But these solutions come with their own challenges and the team sees the urgent need to create new strategies to decrease the formation of harmful gases from diesel engines.

Through this grant, Maglinao, a senior research scientist in the Advanced Fuels Center, will work alongside with Richardson to investigate how harmful exhaust emissions are formed in diesel engines using different commercial fuels, specifically diesel, biodiesel and renewable diesel. They will use the Advanced Fuels Center's state-of-the-art AC dynamometer, emission analyzer and microsoot sensor measuring unit to understand how abrupt changes in engine conditions affects the exhaust emission concentrations of these three fuels.  

Tony Gryffin, an assistant professor in the College of Health Science, will be contributing to the behavioral side, targeting commitment and adherence to health and safety protocol which can affect emissions and exposure to harmful gases and aerosols.

Gryffin's background includes conducting training and workshops at national conferences, in the use of health behavior models, theories and tools, toward enhancing health motivation and adherence to targeted health and safety concerns. Health behavior interventions have been used successfully in the identification of barriers and motivational factors toward enhancing mine worker health and safety.

Stakeholder participation, involving direct involvement by mine workers, will be used in the development of various measurable and evidence-based targeted messages, and in a program specific wellness champion program.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Miner Health Program notes that engaging directly with mine workers, and other relevant stakeholders, builds trust and can enhance communication and the improvement of overall health outcomes.

Student involvement will be a big part of this project. A portion of the grant funding will be used to hire and train Montana State University-Northern undergraduate students, who will also be mentored in conducting and publishing scientific research.  Students will assist the investigators in operating the engine dynamometer and emission analysis units, gathering engine and exhaust emission data, and performing statistical analysis.

From the community health side, students will be involved with a health needs assessment, the development and evaluation of measurable targeted messages, and an associated wellness champion program. The project aims to promote students' academic success and graduate school admissions, giving students applied and practical experience in research and development.