POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 8000 (PEG 8000): POTENTIAL DUST SUPPRESSANT TO SANDY LOAM PRESENT IN CONSTRUCTION AND MININGSITES

Abstract

Constant exposure to dusts generated from construction and mining sites as well as from farming activities poses danger to one‟s health. A possible treatment to sandy loam to address this concern is the Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 8000 which has been utilized as an adhesive for industrial purposes. This study therefore attempts to uncover PEG‟s potential as a dust suppressant to sandy loam soil to minimize dusts‟ negative effects. The soil‟s cohesion disclosed from the direct shear test served as a basis in selecting the best combination whereby 5%, 12.5% and 20% concentrations of PEG 8000 solution were added to soil at 15% by weight of sandy loam. The water as binding material to sandy loam served as the control to check the effectiveness of treatment. The dust control test applied the cohesion revealed in the direct shear test, which was at 12.5% without compromising the shear strength. The loss in dry mass of sandy loam after exposure to air action was compared to control. The results showed 2.90% and 0.15% loss in dry mass for control and PEG 8000 respectively, indicate that the treatment utilized is effective.