Air tests begin in minnesota’s iron range

The Minnesota Iron Range study that has been several years in the making has finally begun, as this week researchers collected their first batch of air test samples. The NRRI and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health are collaborating on a five year study which will investigate the health risks Iron Range miners face from exposure to mine dust. It has previously been shown that Iron Range miners have a substantially increased risk of developing mesothelioma compared to the risk for the general population. The researchers have collected samples from a particle-sampling machine which sits atop Virginia City Hall. Over the next few months, three of these machinesâ€"which each cost $35,000â€"will move through communities all over the Iron Range, to allow researchers to find out what types of particles are present in the air around the mines. This information will be invaluable if subsequent research shows that mineral particles present in the mine or the air are a human health hazard. The testing machines have collected data for ten days in Virginia, and the filters will now be analyzed in Minneapolis, according to UMD Natural Resources Research Institute research associate Tamara Diedrich. Following the initial analysis the samples will be shipped back to UMD for more in-depth analysis using electron microscopy. Diedrich says these initial air tests are “exploratory” work, and also says the research team is still devising a detailed plan as to how Iron Range air quality will be monitored. The team will likely include Hibbing, Silver Bay, Babbitt, Grand Rapids, Ely, Keewatin and Chisholm in their initial sampling over the next few months. Up to ten communities may be involved, but only three will be monitored at a time due to limited resources. “This is an exciting opportunity to look at dust in the air and find out how the background changes from east to west across the Range,” Diedrich said. The machines which are being used for the sampling “inhale” one cubic foot of air per minute, and use tiny filters to retain particulate matter in the air. The intake valve filters are just eighteen microns in diameter. A human hair, in comparison, is 70 microns in diameter. According to Tamara Diedrich the community air monitoring will provide information about exposure to particulate matter which will be useful if there are any issues discovered during subsequent phases of the research. However, it will take up to three years’ worth of data to create a “baseline” for community particulate exposure which can be used as a basis for comparison with communities where suspected asbestos or other dangerous particles may be present in the air. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)