Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the paint manufacturing industry include substances that are highly volatile, such as toluene, and highly carcinogenic, such as benzene. In the Republic of Korea, the emission of volatile organic compounds is regulated under the Clean Air Conservation Act, but it is found that individual substances are systematically insufficient. Although the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) is maintained to report the expected emissions from each plant every year, actual measurements are not performed. This study measured and analyzed VOCs at the site fenceline boundary. The ratio of PRTR and VOCs speciation results for xylene and toluene was similar to that of xylene 29% and toluene 28%, but ethylbenzene accounted for 2% in PRTR. Still, the actual measurement result showed a big difference of 11%. Because it is a solvent that is treated in large quantities in the resin manufacturing process and the reactivity of ethylbenzene, it is vaporized at high temperature and high pressure, resulting in many measurements. This study classified a large amount of VOCs emitted through the fence line monitoring system in the paint manufacturing industry and confirmed which VOCs were emitted the most. We compared whether this produced similar results to the actual emission survey method conducted by the EPA. Some substances have produced similar results, but certain substances have significant differences. This indicates that priority VOCs should be selected for each location through continuous measurement.
Rapid industrialization and the influx of human resources have led to the establishment of industrial complexes near urban areas, exposing residents to various air pollutants. This has led to a decline in air quality, impacting neighboring residential areas adversely, which highlights the urgent need to monitor air pollution in these areas. Recent advancements in technology, such as Solar Occultation Flux (SOF) and Sky Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (SkyDOAS) used as remote sensing techniques and mobile extraction Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (MeFTIR) used as an in situ technique, now offer enhanced precision in estimating the pollutant emission flux and identifying primary sources. In a comprehensive study conducted in 2020 in the Sinpyeong Jangrim Industrial Complex in Busan City, South Korea, a mobile laboratory equipped with SOF, SkyDOAS, and MeFTIR technologies was employed to approximate the emission flux of total alkanes, sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), and methane (CH4). Using the HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) diffusion model, pollutant dispersion to residential areas was simulated. The highest average daily emission flux was observed for total alkanes, with values of 69.9 ± 71.6 kg/h and 84.1 ± 85.8 kg/h in zones S1 and S2 of the Sinpyeong Jangrim Industrial Complex, respectively. This is primarily due to the prevalence of metal manufacturing and mechanical equipment industries in the area. The HYSPLIT diffusion model confirmed elevated pollution levels in residential areas located southeast of the industrial complex, underscoring the influence of the dominant northwesterly wind direction and wind speed on pollutant dispersion. This highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to address and mitigate air pollution in downwind residential areas. The total annual emission fluxes were estimated at 399,984 kg/yr and 398,944 kg/yr for zones S1 and S2, respectively. A comparison with the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) survey system revealed that the total annual emission fluxes in this study were approximately 24.3 and 4.9 times higher than those reported by PRTRs. This indicates a significant underestimation of the impact of small businesses on local air quality, which was not accounted for in the PRTR survey system.
30 June 2022 in Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
This study conducted long-term measurements and analyzed emission sources in a petrochemical manufacturing industrial complex using UV-DOAS (Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) equipment. The measurement site was strategically located in a region with significant chemical-related challenges. This area includes three small businesses, a combined cycle power plant, and two large petrochemical facilities.The UV-DOAS was installed along two separate paths: Route 1 and Route 2. The equipment was positioned at the center of the industrial complex, enabling measurements over a total path length of 775 meters (Route 1: 383 meters; Route 2: 392 meters). During the measurement period, the prevailing wind direction was primarily from the east (35.6%), with an average wind speed of 4.2 m/s and an average temperature of 17.4°C.The measurement results showed that SO₂ was measured at 2.49 ppb, NO₂ at 17.99 ppb, and benzene at 3.57 ppb. Source analysis revealed that SO₂ originated from the wastewater treatment facility, NO₂ was influenced by the power plant and construction sites, and benzene was attributed to the large-scale NCC facility and three small businesses.