Occupational exposure to respirable dust remains a major cause of occupational lung disease across industries including mining, tunnelling, construction and engineered stone fabrication.
This project investigates occupational dust hazards using advanced electron microscopy to improve understanding of mining dust exposure, silica dust and diesel particulate matter. By developing new methods for detailed dust characterisation, the research aims to improve exposure assessment and support more effective dust control strategies to protect worker respiratory health.
Using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), the research can analyse dust particles at much higher resolution than conventional automated mineralogy methods. While the Mineral Liberation Analyser (MLA) is limited to detecting particles down to approximately 0.63 microns, FE-SEM enables investigation of much smaller particles in the submicron and nanoscale range, including diesel particulate matter. These ultrafine particles are of particular concern because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and may behave very differently to larger dust particles.
By analysing particle size distribution, morphology, mineral composition and agglomeration at this finer scale, the project aims to identify previously overlooked hazards and generate new insights into occupational dust exposure. The research will support improved exposure assessment and help inform more targeted dust control strategies to prevent occupational lung disease.
This project has three aims:
- Develop advanced dust characterisation methods using Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscopy to analyse particles at higher resolution than is currently possible with existing automated mineralogy workflows.
- Establishing a redeposition method that allows dust collected on PVC compliance filters to be transferred onto microscopy-suitable filters for detailed retrospective analysis.
- Improving understanding of how particle size, shape, mineral composition and agglomeration influence respiratory health risks and occupational exposure assessment.
Objectives
The project aims to advance dust exposure assessment by combining high-resolution microscopy with innovative sample preparation techniques. Using both ThermoFisher and JEOL FE-SEM platforms, the research will capture complementary information on particle composition, morphology and surface features.
These methods will allow detailed characterisation of respirable dust particles that are not well resolved by conventional monitoring techniques, including silica particles and diesel particulate matter. The resulting datasets will provide new insights into how different particle characteristics influence toxicity, lung deposition and disease risk.
The project will contribute to improving how occupational dust hazards are understood, measured and managed across industries exposed to mineral dust. This research forms part of the Dust and Respiratory Health Program at the UQ Sustainable Minerals Institute, which specialises in particle-level dust characterisation and advanced analysis of occupational dust exposures.
This work builds on the Dust and Respiratory Health Program’s expertise in particle-by-particle dust characterisation, an approach that examines individual particles rather than relying solely on bulk mass measurements. By combining advanced electron microscopy with mineralogical analysis, the program is generating detailed datasets that link particle size, shape and composition to occupational exposure and respiratory health risks. This capability enables more precise interpretation of dust hazards and supports the development of targeted prevention strategies across mining and other dust-exposed industries.
Project lead
Dr Nikky LaBranche
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Team members
Professor Nick Cook
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Dr Sally Allan
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Hoia Duc (Daniel) Vu
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This project is funded by the NSW Dust Diseases Board, administered through icare NSW.
Journal papers, conference presentations, and industry-facing communication materials coming soon.
Contact us
Get in touch to learn more about this research.
Dr Nikky LaBranche
Senior Research Fellow and Dust and Respiratory Health Program Lead
Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre
The University of Queensland
n.labranche@uq.edu.au