Statistical evaluation of relationship between the gravel road dustiness and environmental conditions when mixtures of molasses based solution and CaCl2 for reducing dustiness are used

Abstract

The gravel road dust problem is quite acute. In order to minimize the harmful environmental components, dust reduction tests chosen mixtures with molasses base material and calcium chloride. Mixing CaCl2 with a new generation of materials in the Lithuanian market for molasses-based (solution “Safecote”) and using mixture for reducing dustiness to obtain the results of dustiness, this reflects the reduction in particulate matter in the air, using selected materials. Gravel road cover was treated with mixtures with different concentration solution “Safecote” (10 %, 20 %, 30 %) and 35.6 % CaCl2, and cars drove 30 km/h speed during the experiment. Dustiness was measured at different distances from the road (0 m, 1 m, 2 m, 3 m). In the study showed that concentrations of particulate matter varied changing weather conditions (air temperature, humidity, wind speed, atmospheric pressure). Statistical analysis of the data showed that the dust moves further away as the road weakly and moderately correlated with temperature (correlation coefficient ranged from 0.25 to 0.57), with moisture correlated negatively, and the distance from the road intensifying inverse correlation (correlation coefficient ranges from 0.39 to 0.21), with the wind speed correlation intensify then distance is increasing (from 0.15 to 0.43), and with pressure correlation is strong negatively (from –0.95 to –0.60).