In a context where environmental requirements are tightening and social expectations toward the mining industry are increasing, dust management has become a top priority. Fine particle emissions compromise worker health, hinder productivity, and may lead to severe regulatory sanctions.
It is with this in mind that ABCDust Technologies Corp., a Québec-based company specializing in smart dust control and soil stabilization, has developed ZERO DUST AI—an innovative solution combining artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and image recognition. The goal: transform industrial dust management into an automated, predictive, and sustainable process.
Mining operations and large construction sites generate significant amounts of dust daily. Current methods often rely on broad, untargeted interventions: continuous watering, spreading salts or chemicals. These approaches result in high costs, excessive resource consumption, and limited large-scale efficiency.
ZERO DUST AI takes a completely different approach. By leveraging geo-referenced sensors, smart cameras, and machine learning algorithms, the solution can:
Continuously monitor dust levels on site;
Predict emission peaks based on environmental conditions;
Automatically trigger targeted control interventions;
Optimize the use of water, energy, and chemical additives;
Improve the productivity of personnel dedicated to dust control and operations.
The objective is to move from a reactive approach to proactive dust management—integrated into operations, scalable, and aligned with the highest ESG standards.
The ZERO DUST AI project spans 11 months, with multiple test sites validating performance under real and varied conditions.
Colas Mine in Lévis, Québec
The primary test site to assess automated dust detection, image recognition, and intervention automation in conditions representative of Québec mining operations.
Sierra Minera Mine, Chile
Through ABCDust’s Chilean subsidiary, trials will be carried out in an environment with extremely high dust levels and an arid climate. The goal: adapt models to different climatic and regulatory contexts.
ABCDust Headquarters (Québec)
Software development, predictive model training, and lab validation are performed at the company’s head office in Québec City, optimizing algorithms before field deployment.
Avoiding production stoppages due to dust and pollution
By measuring and automating dust control, continuous improvement cycles can be integrated, reducing or eliminating the need for costly shutdowns. The cost of a single day of halted production at a large mining site can range from USD 8M to 12M.
Reduced operating costs
Automated detection and interventions reduce dust management costs by 30–40%, with significant financial gains from optimized consumption of water, energy, and additives.
Health and safety improvements
Dust exposure reduces miners’ life expectancy by 10–20 years. Reducing airborne fine particles (PM10) significantly lowers risks of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, protecting both workers and nearby communities.
Regulatory compliance
The solution ensures compliance with strict environmental standards and supports automated ESG reporting with full traceability of interventions.
Environmental performance
By avoiding unnecessary watering, ZERO DUST AI reduces the ecological footprint of operations. The system also adapts interventions to changing weather and corporate sustainability targets.
Stricter environmental regulations are pushing mining companies to overhaul dust management practices. The global dust control market is growing 5–7% annually, while AI technologies applied to mining are expanding by more than 20% per year.
ZERO DUST AI sits at the crossroads of these two trends, offering a breakthrough solution that combines operational efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and improved overall site performance.
Headquartered in Québec City, ABCDust benefits from a global network supporting its technology deployment across multiple continents. Beyond its head office and workshop in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, the company also operates:
Subsidiaries in Chile and Peru
Agents in Brazil, Argentina, Congo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire
This international presence enables the validation of technologies in diverse geographic, climatic, and regulatory contexts, while showcasing Québec expertise worldwide.
The strategic framework of the project is built around four key pillars:
Resource optimization
Intelligent predictive models reduce water and energy consumption, enhancing both cost-efficiency and environmental performance.
Health and safety
Less dust means fewer risks to lungs, eyes, and skin. It is also a critical factor for the social acceptability of mining projects.
Reduced environmental impact
The solution can cut PM10 emissions by up to 99%, significantly lowering air pollution and limiting dust deposits in nearby water and soils.
Continuous innovation
ZERO DUST AI is scalable, integrating generative AI, the latest image recognition advances, and field feedback to adapt to evolving mining conditions.
The ZERO DUST AI project is fully aligned with MISA Group’s mission: fostering the development of sustainable, high-value technological solutions for the mining industry.
Through our innovation support programs and strategic pillars MISA partners with companies like ABCDust to transform complex industry challenges into opportunities for improvement and leadership.
Supporting mining innovation means supporting Québec’s competitiveness on international markets, while contributing to the industry’s ecological transition.
ZERO DUST AI is more than a technological innovation.
It redefines how mining companies can address dust emissions—with intelligence, rigour, and efficiency.
By improving worker health, reducing operating costs, ensuring regulatory compliance, and minimizing environmental impact, this solution paves the way for a new era of responsible and high-performing mining operations.
The future of mining is smart. ZERO DUST AI is proof.
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