This project guides students in deploying a commercial DJI drone equipped with a specialized payload to evaluate particulate matter distribution across an active surface excavation site specialized in extracting gravel, sand, clay, and kaolin. Students investigate air quality across three specific areas of interest: the entrance buffer zone located just outside the working perimeter, the central transport corridor where heavy haul trucks stage and transit, and the perimeter around one of the excavated ground pits. Using a commercial drone with a custom-attached sensor enclosure allows students to safely collect real-time particulate data (PM1.0,PM2.5,PM10) above hazardous terrain while assessing how operational site conditions, stationary machinery, and material extraction influence localized dust levels.