Whyalla Red Dusts

Whyalla is a town located on the upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. The area is semi desert, with an annual rainfall of less than 250mm. The town has been associated with steel production since the mid 1930’s using iron ore from the nearby Middleback Ranges.

In response to public concerns about the levels of airborne “red dust” the SA Department of Health undertook investigations that identified the ore screening and crushing operations in Whyalla as the main source of the hematite and goethite components of the dust. The investigations also identified the contribution from the pellet plant to PM10 (particles less than 10 microns in size) dust levels above the health guideline of 50µg/m3 (24 hour average).

• Characteristics and Source Apportionment of Air-fall Dusts in Whyalla (PDF 457k)

• Quantitative X-Ray Diffraction and Chemical Analysis of TSP and PM10 Filters Collected from Hummock Hill, Walls Street and Civic Park, Whyalla (PDF 557k)

In April 2004 OneSteel (Whyalla Steel Works) announced a $10 million program to move the screening and crushing operations from the pellet plant to the mine site. This is expected to result in appreciable in reductions in the amount of red dust reaching the Whyalla community environment.

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