Dust Mitigation During Construction & Demolition

Feb 14, 2024

For project owners, designers, managers, forepeople, supervisors, contractors, and equipment operators interested in minimizing dust & particulate matter emissions at project sites.

This handbook outlines best practices for the reduction of fugitive dust emissions during construction and demolition activities. This content has been adapted from the document ‘Best Practices for the Reduction of Air Emissions From Construction and Demolition Activities’, March 2005, prepared for Environment Canada. Refer to this document when clarification or further detail is needed.

What are construction activities?Any on-site activities preparatory to or related to the building, alteration, rehabilitation or improvement of property, including, but not limited to the following activities: grading, excavation, trenching, loading, vehicular travel, crushing, blasting, cutting, planning, shaping, breaking, equipment staging/storage areas, weed abatement activities or adding or removing bulk materials from storage piles.

What are demolition activities?The wrecking or taking out of any load-supporting structural member of a structure or building and related handling operations.

Why should these best practices be used?There are significant health and environmental effects associated with emissions of particulate matter (PM) and other criteria air contaminants. Small airborne particulates with a diameter less than 10 microns (PM10), can be inhaled into the upper respiratory tract where heart and lungs can be affected. Particulate matter with a diameter or less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) can be inhaled and absorbed into cells and reach the bloodstream. This can have various negative health effects, especially on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Particulate matter increases respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing. People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults are particularly sensitive to this pollutant.Particulate matter permitted to pollute the environment can harm plants and animals directly and can impair habitat, food and water in which they need to survive.

There are 11 designated substances prescribed by the Ontario Ministry of Labour

A designated substance is a biological, chemical or physical component or combination considered hazardous and can pose a risk to workers or occupants during a planned renovation, demolition, or restoration project. Designated substances are particularly hazardous, especially when adequate controls are not in place to protect workers or occupants. They can cause cancers, strong allergic reactions, liver and lung problems, and effects on the nervous system. Some projects may therefore be subject to additional regulatory requirements. Contact the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) office to inquire if additional permits are required.

Most common designated substances found in residential & other types of buildings:

Other substances:

Other materials or conditions that are considered as hazardous:

Designated Substances in common building materials or locations

Source: Infrastructure Health and Safety Association

Health risks and how to reduce your exposure to the most common designated substances

Other benefits to reducing PM/dust and other pollutant emissions include:

This handbook describes technologies and work practices that can reduce emissions associated with construction and demolition activities. Proponents should consider the economic, environmental and technical circumstances with an emphasis on worker safety when choosing the elements of this document that best suit the unique features of each project, with the goal of eliminating off-site dust emissions whenever possible.

Environmental Management Plan

Every construction and demolition project should have a site-specific environmental management plan (EMP) before work begins. The plan will organize and document features of the project as they relate to communities and ecosystems, and note baseline conditions and sensitive receptorsthat need protection.

Using water and chemical dust suppressants at construction sites.

Benefits/Effectiveness

Challenges/Cautions

Advantages: Inexpensive and generally available.Disadvantages: Dries out fast, needs frequent application. Excess application creates muddy conditions.

Benefits/Effectiveness

Challenges/Cautions

Advantages: Can help form a longer lasting seal.Disadvantages: May be expensive to ship supplies. Application may require special equipment. May impact vegetation and water quality.

Design considerations to reduce emissions from construction and buildings.

Create a site-specific dust management plan that identifies potential fugitive emission sources from the construction operation. Start with a facility site map and note all roads, stockpiles, material transfer points, staging areas, material conveyances, parking lots, and other open areas subject to wind erosion. Also, note the prevailing wind direction on the map.

Use pre-fabricated materials/modular construction units where possible. Improving construction quality reduces the need for maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction of structures.

Delays and road closures/lane reductions can cause increased vehicle emissions due to idling or slow-moving traffic.

Deliveries of materials like concrete, asphalt and aggregates can generate road dust and increased vehicle emissions. If possible, establish temporary plants on site if financially feasible and properly managed/controlled.

Reducing fugitive dust emissions from constructon and demolition sites.

There are various technologies and work practices that can be applied to minimize fugitive dust emissions during construction and demolition activities.

Work, especially in drier weather, can generate significant dust emissions. Consider employing the various work practices prior to, during and after site preparation.

Several work practices can be employed to mitigate fugitive dust emissions resulting from storage piles.

EARTHWORKS are engineering works created through the processing of parts of the earth’s surface involving quantities of soil or unformed rock.

Control Mud and Dirt Trackout and Carryout

Trackout Control Devices

Minimize Material Drop at the Transfer Point and Enclosure

Utilize Foam Suppression Systems

Secure Loads on Haul Trucks

Prevent PM Emissions from Spills

Cutting, Grinding and Drilling

Sand and Grit Blasting and Facade Cleaning

Concrete and Asphalt Cutting

Mixing Processes

Internal and External Finishing and Refurbishment

Reducing other emissions at construction and demolition sites.

If you have any questions regarding permitting in your jurisdiction, please contact the local Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) about what your project is proposing to do, and inquire if additional permits are required.

Road and heavy engineering construction activities rely on the utilization of a wide range of mobile equipment, such as bulldozers, graders, dump trucks, pavers, excavators, and bobcats. The engine exhaust from these vehicles, especially from those operating on diesel fuel, represent a source of particulate and other emissions (e.g., Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Carbon Dioxide (CO2)) from the construction site. Outlined below are technologies and work practices that can be employed to reduce these emissions use diesel particulate filters.

The focus is on work practices to reduce gaseous emissions from portable hot mix asphalt plants that occur from the combustion process. Gaseous emissions include Suphur Oxides (SOx), NOx, Carbon Monoxide (CO) and VOC’s.

VOCs are primarily emitted from the construction and demolition sector through these sources:

Architectural Surface Coatings

Various work practices that should be employed in order to reduce VOC emissions from these sources:

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCS) are a family of organic compounds that contain one or more carbon atoms and have high vapour pressures so that they evaporate readily into the atmosphere.

Traffic Marking Operations

Asphalt Concrete Paving

Three categories of asphalt concrete:

Asphalt Roofing Kettles

VOCs are emitted from the installation and repair of asphalt roofs on commercial and industrial buildings, specificallyfrom roofing kettles. A roofing kettle is a device used to heat and melt asphalt or coal tar pitch so that it can be appliedonto a rooftop to provide a protective coating.

To limit VOC emissions:

Establishing a fugitive dust emission measurement and monitoring program can determine the need for dust actions as well as their effectiveness. This typically takes the form of maintaining a daily record-keeping log. The recommended procedures to measure and monitor opacity, stabilized surfaces and wind speed are provided below. View for detailed steps to these procedures

Opacity Monitoring

The opacity of dust leaving the property line where the activities are taking place should not exceed 20%. This test is conducted standing 5 meters away from a source with the sun behind, and observing the plume at zero seconds and five seconds. Repeat 12 times consecutively and average the readings. If the average is equal to or below 20%, the source is below the recommended opacity standard for construction and demolition sites. Make opacity observations approximately 1 meter above the ground. Record opacity observations making notes of the location, source type, method of control if any, observer’s name, etc. Consider using commercial opacity monitors for the most accurate analysis. Visually monitoring opacity requires a trained and certified Visible Emission Observer, and is only a general determination.

Stabilized Surfaces

This test determines whether a property is sufficiently crusted to prevent windblown dust. It requires a steel ball with a diameter of 1.6 cm and mass of 16 – 17 grams. Hold the steel ball one (1) foot over your survey area and drop it. Make observations. If it causes anindentation or sinks and disturbs loose grains of dirt, it has failed the test. If only causes slight indentation but there are no loose grains of dirt, it has passed. Repeat test 3 times in at least 3 areas. If one fails the surface is insufficiently crusted.

Wind Speed

Monitoring wind speed will only be practical for the largest of construction sites and for sites who have regulatory requirements.

Construction/demolition projects should maintain daily self-inspection records, and records retained for at least 3 years after project completion. Records such as inspections, fuel use and chemical dust suppression use, should be retained on site and made available to local permitting authorities upon request.