Monson Geerts, Stephen DHudak, George JMarple, VirgilLundgren, DaleZanko, Lawrence MOlson, Bernard2019-10-032019-10-032019-12https://hdl.handle.net/11299/208474The two appendices mentioned in the report are attached both within the report (see the Attachments pane) and separately to this record (Appendices A and B).The Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study (MTWHS) was initiated in 2008 and included a multicomponent study to further understand taconite worker health issues on the Mesabi Iron Range (MIR) in northeastern Minnesota. Approximately $4.9 million funding was provided by the Minnesota Legislature to conduct five separate studies related to this initiative, including:  An Occupational Exposure Assessment, conducted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH);  A Mortality (Cause of Death) study, conducted by the University of Minnesota SPH;  Incidence studies, conducted by the University of Minnesota SPH;  A Respiratory Survey of Taconite Workers and Spouses, conducted by the University of Minnesota SPH; and  An Environmental Study of Airborne Particulate Matter, conducted by the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). NRRI’s “Environmental Study of Airborne Particulate Matter” comprises a multi-faceted characterization of size-fractionated airborne particulate matter (PM) from MIR community “rooftop” locations, background sites, and all taconite processing facilities active between 2008 and 2014. Characterization includes gravimetric determinations, chemical characterization, mineralogical characterization, and morphological characterization. This report specifically discusses the methods and gravimetric results of multiple aerosol PM sample collections from active (operating) and inactive (temporarily, but completely, shut down) taconite plants on the MIR. Taconite plant samples were collected in 2009 and 2010.enNatural Resources Research InstituteUniversity of Minnesota DuluthTaconiteMesabiParticulate matterAirborneProcessingPlantGravimetricTechnical Report