Air Pollution Control Equipment Research Articles

Evaluation of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PBDD/Fs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) outflows during the destruction of HBCD wastes in a hazardous waste incinerator

This paper presents an evaluation of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PBDD/Fs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) outflows during the destruction of HBCD waste stockpiles in IZAYDAS Hazardous Waste Incinerator (HWI) in Kocaeli, Türkiye. HBCD wastes containing 100 % pure HBCD were in 25 kg packages with 63 % Br content were co-incinerated in a 3-day test burn with average feed rate of 26 kg/h. HBCD, PBDD/Fs and PCDD/Fs were measured in the outlet streams to quantify the amount of unintended POPs releases associated with the processing of HBCD waste and to observe the POP removal performance of air pollution control equipment (APCE) of the incinerator. Total mass outflow rate of HBCDs is calculated as 2.6 g/day, corresponding to destruction efficiency of 99.9996 %. Total toxicity of the brominated dioxins was measured as 0.00044 ng TEQ/Nm3 on average, while highly brominated congeners are dominant. PCDD/F concentrations in the outflow streams during HBCD test burns are produced similar congener distributions with those given in the previous studies, with the dominance of 7,8-chlorinated congeners. Mass flows in the outlet streams indicated that the efficiency of ESP and wet scrubbers for the removal of PCDD/Fs and HBCDs. Flue gas concentrations of PCDD/Fs, HBCDs and PBDD/Fs obtained in HBCD burn test indicated that burning HBCD wastes cause no significant emissions as operational parameters and total halogen content in the menu are kept within the incinerator limits.

Assessment of volatile organic compounds in indoor and outdoor environment – A study on air quality impact assessment

Objectives: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a type of pollutant that causes health risks and can be present in both indoor and outdoor environments. VOCs originate mainly from solvents and chemicals used at home or in offices and also from vehicle emissions. The current research work was aimed at the detection and quantification of VOCs indoor and outdoor at Sri Ramachandra Faculty of Pharmacy, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU), Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Material and Methods: Air was drawn through an adsorbent tube with a pump at a steady flow rate (100 mL min-1) for an hour to gather samples using the active sampling approach. Thermal desorption in combination with a gas chromatography (GC) analyzer was used to estimate the levels of hazardous VOCs, namely benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and o-xylene (BTEX) compounds. Results: VOCs were analyzed using the GC-mass spectroscopy technique. The finding shows the levels of BTEX as benzene (0.05–0.11 μg/m3), toluene (0.44–1.27 μg/m3), ethylbenzene (0.012–0.03 μg/m3), m-xylene (0.009–0.027 μg/m3), p-xylene (0.007–0.025 μg/m3), and o-xylene (0.003–0.019 μg/m3) compounds. Conclusion: The BTEX levels were observed to be well below the maximum acceptable limit. VOC emissions can be reduced by making process changes or by installing air pollution control equipment.

Characteristics of inorganic acid emission from various generation semiconductor manufacturing factories

With advancements in semiconductor industry technology, the gas emissions per wafer have decreased, but the emission compositions have shown significant differences. This study analyzed nine semiconductor plants representing different generations of process technologies, ranging from 3 μm to 12 nm technology nodes. Stack inspections were conducted on the acid, alkali, and organic exhaust systems to understand the characteristics of inorganic acid emissions in plants in different process technologies. The analysis showed that with technological process and air pollution control equipment advancements, the emissions of inorganic acids per wafer decreased by 38% compared to the first generation. It is worth noting that both hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid are identified as the primary pollutants in traditional semiconductor process plants. At the same time, H2SO4 was instead the primary pollutant in advanced process plants. Based on these characteristics, each plant has established relevant improvement strategies. After two years of improvement, the emissions of inorganic acids per wafer in each generation of plants are evidenced to have further decreased by 15–56%. Hence, it is shown that these initiatives and studies have successfully helped to reduce air pollution emissions and promote advanced green manufacturing.

Environmental impact of quarrying on air quality in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

AbstractThe insatiable demand for rock supplies has enticed numerous building and construction enterprises to participate in stone quarrying. This paper examines the environmental impact of quarrying on air quality in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. To achieve the main aim of the study, an objective was set to detect air pollutants at the quarry sites. A total of 220 air samples were measured from six points around the quarry locations and recorded in situ for analysis. The samples were measured three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening) for three days. Gas monitors were used to monitor air pollutants. The generated data were subjected to completely random design (CRD) sampling techniques. The separation of means and tests was performed using Fisher's Least Significant Difference (FLSD) at a significance probability level of 5%. Based on statistical analysis, the findings detected significantly higher concentration levels of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorine, volatile organic compounds, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide in the quarry areas than the value detected in the control area. The findings also confirmed higher noise levels in the locations. It was also observed that the concentration levels of the parameters differed from point to point and at different times of the day. This really means the occurrence of a high rate of air pollution in the study locations. Based on the above findings, it is highly recommended that air pollution control equipment be installed at quarry sites in order to reduce gaseous (pollutant) emissions.

Environmental impact of quarrying on air quality in Ebonyi state, Nigeria

BackgroundThe insatiable demand for rock supplies has enticed numerous building and construction enterprises to participate in stone quarrying. However, this has had an environmental impact on air quality. This paper examines the environmental impact of quarrying on air quality in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. To achieve the main aim of the study, an objective was set to detect air pollutants at the quarry sites. A total of 220 air samples were measured from six points around the quarry locations and recorded in situ for analysis. The samples were measured three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening) for three days. Gas monitors were used to monitor air pollutants. The generated data were subjected to completely random design (CRD) sampling techniques. The separation of means and tests was performed using Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (FLSD) at a significance probability level of 5%.ResultsBased on statistical analysis, the findings detected significantly higher concentration levels of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, chlorine, volatile organic compounds, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide in the quarry areas than the value detected in the control area. The findings also confirmed higher noise levels in the locations. It was also observed that the concentration levels of the parameters differed from point to point and at different times of the day. This really means the occurrence of a high rate of air pollution in the study locations.ConclusionsBased on the above findings, it is highly recommended that, (i) if situation is not timely addressed, it will lead to a severe environmental disaster or hazard, as nobody selects the air he or she breathes; (ii) air pollution control equipment be installed in-situ at quarry sites where free air flow is available in order to reduce gaseous (pollutant) emissions, and (iii) the seasonal effects, meteorological parameters and time that were influenced by the activities of quarry should be put in check.

Fabrication of a carbon/polytetrafluoroethylene nanoparticle-coated antistatic bag filter using air-assisted electrospraying

Fabric bag filters have been widely used as air pollution control equipment owing to their high collection efficiency. However, the low efficiency of the fabric filtration method against fine dust and the high operating cost owing to the high-pressure drop have restricted its effective application. In addition, the filling of the fabric of bag filters by the passage of gas and deposited charged dust particles results in the generation of a static electricity that can cause a fire. To solve this problem, this study aimed to develop an antistatic filter by electrospraying carbon nanoparticles. The surface properties and conductivity of the antistatic filter as a function of the mixing ratio were compared, and the particle filtration performance as a function of the coating type was confirmed by evaluating the filter filtration performance. The results revealed that among the samples that exhibited conductivity, the sample with a mixing ratio of 1:1 exhibited the highest resistance value and best hydrophobicity. In addition, the filter performance evaluation revealed that the coated filter exhibited enhanced filtration performance compared to the uncoated filter at all particle ranges.

Business Roundup

BUSINESS Business Roundup ShareShare onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail C&EN, 2022, 100 (22), p 11June 20, 2022Cite this:C&EN 100, 22, 11AbstractWestlake has signed an agreement with the Department of Justice to install $110 million worth of air pollution control and monitoring equipment at two of its facilities in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and at one in Calvert City, Kentucky. The company’s improper industrial flaring had been violating the Clean Air Act. Evonik Venture Capital is investing an undisclosed sum in the sustainability funds Azolla Ventures and Chrysalix Venture Capital Carbon Neutrality. The investments are the first by Evonik’s Sustainability Tech Fund. Evonik Industries has expanded its capacity in Shanghai for myristyl myristate, a biobased ester used as a skin-softening emollient in personal care products. The firm says the ingredient, which it sells as Tegosoft MM MB, is made from responsibly grown palm oil. Dow has signed an exclusive deal with the biobased ingredient maker EcoSynthetix to bring products to the personal care market. The two firms are already working together onView: PDF | Full Text HTML

Studies on an estimation of PM2.5 and PM10 removal efficiencies of air pollution control equipment (APCE) employing online laser scattering method (OLSM)

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have been significant contributors to pollution, especially air pollution in recent years. One of the crucial air pollutants, particulate matter (PM), is a concern because of its harmful impact on human and the environment. Moreover, the existing scenario of particulate matter is quite a concern for health. The literature has already reported adverse effects of PM2.5 and PM10 on health. Usually, air pollution control equipment employed in industries primarily removes larger particles and discharges fine particulates that may contain PM10 and PM2.5 in a higher amount. The present study focuses on employing the newly developed Online Laser Scattering Method (OLSM) for measuring the efficiency of air pollution control equipment (APCE) in terms of PM2.5 and PM10 removal. The reason behind the development of this method is to overcome obstacles such as time requirements, cumbersome protocol and expenses associated with the existing gravimetric method. This research helps monitor and reduce PM2.5 and PM10 emissions from stationary sources.

The Effect of Good Corporate Governance on Production Effectiveness

PT. PLASTIKATAMA is an industrial technology company that runs its business in the production of air pollution control equipment, anti-corrosion equipment, electro-coating systems, chemical tanks, and industrial technology goods made from fiberglass, plastic, and metal as basic materials. Constraints that are being experienced by PT. PLASTIKATAMA, namely the production process is still ineffective, this can be seen from the lack of achievement of targets such as there are still obstacles in the timeliness of producing products, the inaccurate quality of the products produced. The purpose of the author in conducting research is: to know the implementation of Good Corporate Governance at PT. PLASTIKATAMA, to determine the effectiveness of production at PT. PLASTIKATAMA, knowing the influence of Good Corporate Governance on the production process on the effectiveness of the production of PT. PLASTIKATAMA. The results of this study can be used as input and information about the implementation of Good Corporate Governance so that it can be used as a basis for determining the effectiveness of the company's production. For employees at PT. PLASTIKATAMA provides information about the effectiveness of company production and Good Corporate Governance.

Research on assessment technology method of high efficiency air cleaners

In the face of the increasingly severe situation of air pollution, the research on evaluation technology and method of high-efficiency air pollution control equipment in China is being advanced. This paper discusses the background and significance of the research on high efficiency air cleaner evaluation techniques and methods, and introduces the General Ideas and principles of the research on high efficiency air cleaner evaluation techniques and methods, the technical methods of high efficiency air cleaner evaluation are established, including the evaluation object and scope of application, basic requirements of high efficiency air cleaner qualitative evaluation, quantitative evaluation requirements of key evaluation indicators, testing, calculation and evaluation methods, etc., the application of the research results of air cleaner will facilitate the production and consumption of air cleaner products.

Air Quality Management for Electroplating Industry for Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Maharashtra—Air Quality Management for Electroplating Industry

Electroplating is considered to be a major polluting industry because it discharges toxic materials and heavy metals through effluent like wastewater, air emissions and solid wastes. There are many registered electroplating units in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The quantities of gaseous wastes generated from these industries were estimated and the existing control and treatment techniques for these gaseous wastes were evaluated. Further, Air Quality Modeling (AQM) study was also carried out to predict the concentration of acid mist with the help of emission, characteristics of stack and meteorology. A Gaussian plume model based SCREEN View software was used to predict concentrations for two industries which showed that the acid mist emissions from stack were under the consented limits. Further, health impact survey was performed at 1km radius of the industry to study the effects of air pollution on human health. It showed that 47%, 40% and 57% workers near the electroplating industries are suffering from chest pain, eye irritation and breathlessness respectively. Clustering of electroplating industries in the MMR will improve the waste management in the region. Installation of efficient air pollution control equipment like wet scrubbers can eliminate the hazards caused due to acid mist emissions from electroplating industries.

Emission Characteristics and Control Device Effectiveness of Particulate Matters and Particulate-phase PAHs from Urban Charbroiling Restaurants: A Field Test

ABSTRACT Urban restaurants that charbroil meat are a major emission source of fine particulate matter (PM) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and receive frequent public complaints in large Korean cities. This study evaluated the effectiveness of newly installed pollution control equipment, including electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and filters, at five charbroiling restaurants in different metropolitan areas near Seoul. The PM in the exhaust gas, which was sampled from the inflow and the outflow of the control devices, was measured with a 3-stage cascade impactor. The particle-bound PAHs, following pre-treatment, extraction, and concentration, were then quantitatively analyzed using high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). According to our field tests, the flue gas emitted by these five restaurants contained average PM10, PM2.5, and PAH concentrations of 22.6 mg m–3, 22.1 mg m–3, and 4,127.1 ng m–3, respectively. In addition, the ratio of the PM2.5 to the PM10 was 0.98, and the correlation coefficient between the PM10 and the particulate-phase PAHs was 0.95, suggesting a close relationship between the fine particle fraction and PAHs. The air pollution control equipment demonstrated an overall removal efficiency above 90%, but specific cases exhibited an unexpectedly low efficiency (30%), indicating the necessity of periodic cleaning and consistent maintenance.

A novel approach to the solution of a steady state biofilter model

Designing of air pollution control equipment such as biofilters, also known as gas phase biological reactors, for elimination of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air streams require accurate modeling and model solutions. In this work, a novel approach is employed to solve a biofilter model and for performance predictions. The approach is based on expressing the particular solution of the governing equations as an integral containing Green’s function. The integral is then tuned to develop a suitable operator in which Krasnoselskii-Mann’s fixed point iteration method is applied. In this work, this technique was utilized to model the biological degradation of methanol and alpha-pinene. The results obtained by the proposed technique were compared against the experimental data adopted from literature and the originally published numerical solution. The comparison showed that the approach is highly accurate and converges fast with a uniformly distributed residual error over the entire domain. Furthermore, the method was used to perform a sensitivity analysis on the model equations to evaluate the performance of the biofilter under various conditions. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time Mann’s Green’s embedded method (MGEM) is applied in the solution of biofilter models.

Updated Hourly Emissions Factors for Chinese Power Plants Showing the Impact of Widespread Ultralow Emissions Technology Deployment.

Nationwide severe air pollution has prompted China to mandate the adoption of ultralow emissions (ULE) control technologies at all of its coal-fired power plants by 2020. This process has accelerated greatly since 2014 and, combined with operational adjustments related to overcapacity, has reduced the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM). Yet the quantitative understanding of ULE benefits is poor. Using detailed emissions data from 38 units at 17 power plants, corresponding to 10 combinations of ULE technologies representative of the Chinese power sector, we show that emissions factors for NO x, SO2, and PM are up to 1-2 orders of magnitude lower after ULE retrofitting. The effectiveness in cutting emissions shows a large spread across the various ULE technology combinations, providing an opportunity to choose the most efficient, economically viable technology (or a combination of technologies) in the future. The temporal variations in emissions at hourly resolution reveal the effects of power plant load on emissions, an increasingly important factor given that power plants are not operated at full capacity. These data will be useful in efforts to understand the evolving state of air quality in China and can also provide a basis for benchmarking state-of-the-art air pollution control equipment globally.

Analysis of emission reduction strategies for power boilers in the US pulp and paper industry

The US pulp and paper (PNP) industry utilizes a variety of fuels to provide energy for process needs, resulting in air emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM), and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Emissions from this sector have largely declined and continue to decline steadily since the mid-1990s, reflecting changes in fuel types used and their sulfur content, fluctuation in PNP production, increase in the volume of recycling, efficiency gains throughout the sector, and capital investments for compliance with regulations. Because of the above factors, recent market trends favoring the use of natural gas over coal, and more demanding regulatory limits, it is reasonable to expect that air emissions from the sector will continue to decline in the near future. Boilers have been the dominant source of SO2, NOX, PM, and CO2 emissions for the sector. It would, therefore, be of interest to understand how air pollution controls have been applied to date on new, existing, and replaced units, as well as the cost and emission reductions associated with expanding their use throughout the sector. In the work described here, the Universal Industrial Sectors Integrated Solutions (UISIS) model developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is used to examine the emission reduction potential and cost of controls. This paper briefly characterizes air emissions from boilers operating in the PNP sector and reviews the menu of air pollution control technologies applicable to the sector. Then, after describing the UISIS PNP model, modeling results are presented, in which several illustrative air emission reduction strategies are assessed, including fuel switching, installation of air pollution control equipment, and implementation of energy efficiency measures.

Customised Safety Behaviour Checklist at Construction Site

Organization X is a project based company which specialised in the installation of scrubber and other air pollution control equipment in Malaysia. In the year 2013, 39 cases of incidents have been recorded during scrubber installation at construction sites. This situation has not only affected the economic burden of the company but has also affected the work efficiency, company’s performance and reputation. At risk behaviours of workers were identified as the main contributor to this problem. The behaviour based safety approach have been used by implementing the Safety Behaviour Checklist (SBC) to minimise this delinquent. The study was done to investigate the at-risk behaviours that workers may pose and performed during installation of scrubber. Further investigation on the impacts of implementing the customised SBC was also done. After three months of observations, the study found that the implementation of the SBC contributes to the improvement of workers safe behaviour.

Selection of an Optimal Air Pollution Management System for Commercially Operated Spray Driers located in an Industrial Estate

Industrial air pollution is of serious concern in developing countries like India due to inferior ambient air quality. Among various states Gujarat is major hub/contributor for the production of dye and dye-intermediate industries. Most of them are using spray driers leading to emission of pollutant air containing various dye particles. These dye particles are causing health problems along with problems related to aesthetics in the nearby residential areas. In the present work we propose a mathematical model for optimal selection of air pollution control equipment. The model is capable to consider multiple pollutants, multiple emission sources and multiple control equipment. Constraints like budget, efficiency of control equipment and regulatory norms are included in the model. We have monitored seventy five commercially operated process plants located in the Vatva industrial estate in Ahmadabad District in the state of Gujarat. Based on the monitoring results we have identified the industries with inadequate Air Pollution Management Systems (APMS). The proposed optimization model is used to suggest necessary modifications in Process Control (PC) equipment to make the Air Pollution Management system (APMS) adequate. The efficacy of the proposed model is successfully demonstrated.

Mass and number size distributions of emitted particulates at five important operation units in a hazardous industrial waste incineration plant

ABSTRACTPast studies indicated particulates generated by waste incineration contain various hazardous compounds. The aerosol characteristics are very important for particulate hazard control and workers' protection. This study explores the detailed characteristics of emitted particulates from each important operation unit in a rotary kiln-based hazardous industrial waste incineration plant. A dust size analyzer (Grimm 1.109) and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) were used to measure the aerosol mass concentration, mass size distribution, and number size distribution at five operation units (S1–S5) during periods of normal operation, furnace shutdown, and annual maintenance. The place with the highest measured PM10 concentration was located at the area of fly ash discharge from air pollution control equipment (S5) during the period of normal operation. Fine particles (PM2.5) constituted the majority of the emitted particles from the incineration plant. The mass size distributions (elucidated) made it clear that the size of aerosols caused by the increased particulate mass, resulting from work activities, were mostly greater than 1.5 μm. Whereas the number size distributions showed that the major diameters of particulates that caused the increase of particulate number concentrations, from work activities, were distributed in the sub micrometer range. The process of discharging fly ash from air pollution control equipment can significantly increase the emission of nanoparticles. The mass concentrations and size distributions of emitted particulates were different at each operation unit. This information is valuable for managers to take appropriate strategy to reduce the particulate emission and associated worker exposure.

Assessment of Urban Air Quality around a Heritage Site Using AERMOD: A Case Study of Amritsar City, India

Air quality models (AQMs) play an important role in prediction and forecasting of air pollutant concentrations which are essential components for urban air quality management. Applicability of advanced AQM like AERMOD is well established in developed world where sufficient input data are available. However, it is limited in developing countries due to lack of adequate and reliable data. The present study is focused to assess the urban air quality around a heritage site in Amritsar city in India using AERMOD. The performance of AERMOD is evaluated for prediction of oxide of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter, having the diameter ≤10 μm (PM10). It is observed from the results that predicted pollutant concentrations are in satisfactory limits. The index of agreement (d) values estimated for NOx, SO2 and PM10 are 0.57, 0.51 and 0.50, respectively, indicating satisfactory performance of AERMOD. Similarly, other statistical descriptors also indicate its satisfactory performance in predicting the pollutant concentrations. Further, source apportionment of urban air pollutants has also been carried out using AERMOD. Besides, air quality management practices are also evaluated based on three what-if scenarios viz. (i) Introduction of battery-operated vehicles within the walled city, (ii) change in traffic movement and (iii) installation of air pollution control equipment in the free kitchen. It has been observed that after implementing the scenarios all together, PM10, NOx and SO2 concentrations reduce by 2.7, 9.8 and 7.0 %, respectively.

The Physicochemical Properties and the Fate of Fly Ash along the Air Pollution Control Devices in Coal-Fired Power Plant

The fly ash at the exit of inlet and outlet of No.2 ESP and outlet of No.2 FGD in San-he Power Plant were sampled. The microstructure, elemental composition, particle size distribution and other physicochemical properties of the collected ash samples were tested and analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Mastersizer2000 laser particle size analyzer. The results showed that, ESP outlet fly ash particle size distribution curve was significantly moved to the left, the proportion of the fine ash at the outlet was significantly increased compared with that of at the inlet, the morphology and composition of ash at the outlet of ESP, FGD was significantly changed compared to the ash at the inlet of ESP, indicating that air pollution control equipment (APCDs) have a great impact on physicochemical properties and the fate of fly ash.