Your guide to dust control methods in 2025. Which is best?

We’ve already seen mines in other countries pause operations because of drought. It’s a global problem that is only going to get worse in the years ahead, as restrictions and shortages start to bite. In the short term, water isn’t doing your roads any good either. Giving the ground a regular soak increases mud and erosion which, unchecked, can destabilise the road and stop traffic.
These days, water isn’t the only option for dust suppression. More stable, sustainable and economical methods are available. Luitpold Fried, chief technical officer at Bind-X, says it’s worth looking again at what’s on the market, including completely new approaches, to see if your site could be doing better.
Water
In the past, water’s main advantage was it was cheap and easily accessible. Even though it’s an increasingly limited resource, more than 70% of mining operations still use it as their primary method of dust suppression.
The problem with water is it requires frequent re-application, multiple times per day, meaning you not only churn through tonnes of water, but you also have to pay for fuel,increased wear on mining vehicles, and labour costs to respray. This means more trucks and more lost time. Luitpold says the real costs tend to be hidden.
“Because you have to apply it five to 20 times a day, when you think about the square meterage, it becomes highly cost intensive,” Luitpold explains.
“Most mines are just thinking about the upfront costs, they’re not thinking about it over the whole life of the mine.”
These costs are only going to get worse, long-term. Water is already scarce in many countries, including large parts of Australia. It’s a pressing problem in Chile, where mining operations were shut down for months by a severe drought in 2022. And more than half of all copper mining worldwide is at drought risk with climate change, according to a recent report by PWC. Long-term use of water can also destabilise the terrain, creating the need for more frequent road maintenance.
Pros:
✔ Cheap and easily accessible for now
Cons:
✘ Requires frequent application
✘ High environmental cost due to water usage
✘ High operational costs over time

Bitumen emulsions
Bitumen emulsions tend to be used for primary roads with a lot of heavy traffic. It’s not hard to see why. When applied, it sets quickly and provides a solid, stable and long-lasting base. Luitpold says this longevity is both a plus and a minus.
“Bitumen emulsions do a good job, but they are crude oil-based and not degradable. If you get it on your shirt, you’ll never get it out, it’s really ugly stuff.”
However, it’s not just about the oils. Because applying hot mix bitumen isn’t always possible at remote sites, you’ll need to treat the soil with bitumen emulsions containing solvents and other toxic chemicals. And while it lasts forever in the soil, it tends not to last too long on the shelf, meaning you won’t always get your money’s worth from a bulk purchase.
Pros:
✔ Established and trusted method
✔ Provides good performance and road quality
Cons:
✘ Oil-based
✘ Persistent in the soil for thousands of years
✘ Requires emulsification with other chemicals
Polymers
Synthetic polymers provide a flexible and durable layer to keep the dust down, by binding particles together. Unlike some other methods, they work well in a range of climates and remain durable in the wet. They only require a thin film to work effectively, but they do require regular reapplication. Luitpold says concerns about “white pollution” (solid waste from plastic products), along with rising costs, means many mine sites are starting to phase polymers out.
“Polymers are not as good in performance as bitumen emulsions and they are more expensive. Also, unless you’re using bio-based polymers, they will stay in the soil forever.”
Pros:
✔ Can provide good performance
✔ Work in a range of climates
Cons:
✘ More expensive than other methods
✘ Polymer film is only a thin layer, requiring frequent reapplication
✘ Environmental concerns around persistence in soil
Lignosulfonates
A waste product of the paper industry, the main appeal of lignosulfonates is that they tend to be cheap. If you’re working in a dry climate, they can also be effective. In wetter climates they tend to be less effective, because they aren’t water-resistant and might need to be reapplied after every rainfall.
“You have to use a lot of product, maybe 1.5kg per square metre,” Luitpold says. “If you’re building a road with 10,000 square metres, you’re going to need a lot of stock.”
That stock might be cheap but may not always be easy to access. Changes to the paper industry will have knock-on effects and reduce future affordability, unless you still have a mill nearby.
Pros:
✔ Cheap and stable in arid conditions
Cons:
✘ Introduces sulphur into the soil
✘ Requires frequent reapplication in wet climates
✘ Availability issues due to factory closures
Salts
Salts — or chlorides — are also cheap, but again you’ll need to use a lot of them. Because they work by sucking water out of the air and into the soil, they can have a destabilising effect on the terrain. The buildup of salts also tends to make soil poisonous to any vegetation.
“It gets into the groundwater, which is a big issue,” Luitpold says. “But it’s super cheap, which is the reason some people in Australia and North America are using it.”
Ultimately, the sheer volume of salt needed for effective dust suppression — and the associated transport and storage issues — often sees them fall out of favour with sites.
Pros:
✔ Very cheap
Cons:
✘ Not environmentally friendly, toxic to plants
✘ Washes out easily with rain
✘ Requires high application rates
Biological binding
Biological dust suppression is the new kid on the block. Instead of relying on chemicals, this method uses naturally occurring microorganisms that react with dust and dirt to create a solid layer as hard as cement. This means greater stability in any climate, fewer applications and much less wasted water (up to 20 times less than other approaches). Available in powder or liquid forms, it’s easy to store and simple to apply.
“It’s applicable with standard equipment, so the mine does not have to change anything,” Luitpold says.
“This is important if a mine does not want to make a huge investment upfront.”
One disadvantage is that it can take a little longer to work its magic than old school fixes such as bitumen emulsions. The microbes initially need six hours to turn the dirt into stone but have the advantage of creating a long-lasting stable crust that’s more solid than the surface films other methods offer.
Pros:
✔ Better water stability than bitumen emulsions
✔ Can be applied with standard equipment
✔ Binds small dust particles effectively
✔ Flexible powder formulation can be stored for up to two years
✔ Environmentally sustainable and bio-based
Cons:
✘ It takes six hours to reach full strength for road stabilisation due to biological activation (Although, dust suppression works with immediate effect)
✘ The application method requires initial training
No matter how you deal with dust today, it’s worth thinking about how you could do it better tomorrow. Water shortages will continue to make mining more expensive and difficult in many regions. So, if you’re just pouring water on your roads to keep the dust down, now is the time to look at other options. There are new and more effective methods out there, giving you a chance to get smarter about suppressing dust, improving road quality and – most importantly – keeping the trucks moving.
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