The advent of an x-ray diffraction (XRD) machine promises to enhance research into the harmful affects of silica dust on mine workers, in deep-level gold mines in South Africa.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) reports that XRD, also known as the Bruker D8 Advance Diffractometer is likely to speed up and improve the quality of the CSIR's laboratory analysis of silica dust.

CSIR researcher Cecilia Pretorius says that respirable silica is a serious health concern in the gold-mining industry.

"Exposure to silica dust causes silicosis, a deadly lung disease which is a major concern for the South African mining industry," she says.

The XRD can analyse the phases or crystal forms of a material to determine the substances which are present in a specific sample.

In mining, it is used to determine what proportion of a dust sample consists of quartz, reports the CSIR.

"It is the quartz component of the silica dust that is the culprit," states Pretorius.

The XRD's rapid analytical technique enables the phase identification of a crystalline material that is able to provide information on unit cell dimensions.

The analysed material is finely ground, homogenised, and the average bulk composition is then determined.

The XRD is most widely used for the identification of unknown crystalline materials, such as minerals and inorganic compounds.

The determination of unknown solids is critical to studies in geology, environmental science, material science, engineering and biology, reports the CSIR.

The Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) appointed the CSIR for two projects concerning the ultimate mitigation of respirable-silica dust.

"The projects are part of a national initiative that jointly set targets for the elimination of silicosis in South African mines by 2013," explains Pretorius.

The MHSC appointed the CSIR, in 2005, for a five-year project to research the containment and elimination of silicosis.

"While research on dust exposure and control has been conducted for decades, the containment of silica particles has not yet been researched properly," states CSIR occupational hygienist and research coordinator Tania van Dyk.

"Awareness about dust exposure and health effects is one of the priority areas for the MHSC silicosis control programme. Close collaboration is required with the dust measurement, and dust control projects on silicosis elimination," says Van Dyk.

The project consists of three parts, namely dust measurement and reporting, environmental engineering dust control, and human resources training and management.

The second MHSC project will determine a baseline for silica dust in the industry to establish the levels of dust present in mines, and to monitor the implementation of control techniques.

The CSIR has acquired the latest version of the XRD D8 Advance to ensure improved efficiency.