Impact of blast induced transitory vibration and air-overpressure/noise on human brain – an experimental study

Abstract

Human response to blast induced ground vibration and air-overpressure/noise is a major concern of current mining activity. This is because the fact that mines are fast transgressing the habitats and people are getting educated. Consequently the response of humans is changing and expectedly will increase in days to come with no viable and economic alternative to blasting – an essential component of mining. The response of humans can be purely physiological or psychological in nature or combination of both depending upon the situation and conditions of mining. Where physiological response is documented in terms of effects on ears and lungs there is a meager amount or no literature available regarding effects of blasting on the brain. Moreover, the studies on transitory phenomenon like the effects of blasting on humans are rare in comparison to the whole body vibration studies. This study was designed to address the issues as a precursor to a major initiative. The preliminary investigations conducted with the monitoring of EEG responses of humans to vibration and air-overpressure/noise due to blasting revealed that there is no major response of the brain to transitory vibrations and noise.

Keywords:

• Mining environment
• blast vibration (Vmax)
• air-overpressure (p)
• EEG response

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the Ministry of Environment and Forest (GOI) for funding the project under World Bank scheme. Our sincere thanks to Baheti Hospital for sparing EEG equipment for this study. Also thanks to Sri N. Boradkar for taking pains in recording the EEG data, Professor Gurdeep Singh of CME, ISM, Explosive Department (GOI). We are thankful to the Director of CMRI for his permission to publish this paper.