Air Pollutant Emission Rates Research Articles

Air Pollution Modelling for a Proposed Limestone Quarry

Predictions of the air pollution impact of a proposed opencastlimestone quarry have been made using meteorological data, information on various quarrying activities and their associatedemission factors, baseline air quality and a validated modelconditions. Results have indicated that the haul routes and ore processing plant are the major sources of suspended particulatematter (SPM) emissions. The emission rates of other air pollutants are insignificant. It has been predicted that 24-hraverage SPM concentrations due to quarrying activities would be around 360 μg m-3 in the work zone and less than 130 μg m-3 beyond the site boundary. The total 24-hr average SPM concentration beyond the site boundary would be below 500 μg m-3, which is the national air qualitystandard for SPM in an industrial area. Therefore, the impact of opencast extraction on the local air quality would be acceptable. However, implementation of a green belt comprisingof various tree species which will act as a dust attenuator of40 m width around the site boundary, along with efficient control measures at source, would effectively mitigate and minimize pollution impacts from the quarry. The effectivenessof the green belt around the quarry site has been assessed and a sensitivity analysis has been carried out for different parameters, namely, tree height, width of green belt, and distance of receptor from the source. The technique for designing a green belt around a quarry site has also been described.

The Development of Robust Methods for Measuring Concentrations and Emission Rates of Gaseous and Particulate Air Pollutants in Livestock Buildings

Abstract Air pollutants in livestock buildings may represent a risk to the health of both the housed livestock and of the stockmen. Moreover, when these air pollutants leave a building in its ventilation air, they may also represent a risk of pollution to the wider environment. A set of versatile and robust methods for quantifying pollutant emissions was therefore developed for common use during an extensive field survey of livestock buildings (329 sets of measurements) across four Northern European countries. Measurements were made, at seven different positions in each livestock building, of air temperature and relative humidity, and of the concentrations of carbon dioxide, ammonia, airborne dust (both inhalable and respirable), microorganisms and endotoxins. Concentrations of carbon dioxide were continuously measured by an infra-red analyzer while concentrations of ammonia were continuously measured by a chemiluminescence NO x analyzer preceded by a thermal converter. Mass concentrations of inhalable and respirable dust were measured by total filters and cyclone samplers, respectively, and the exposed filters were also assayed for endotoxins. Concentrations of airborne total bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and total fungi were measured in some of the buildings using a novel automated slit sampler. The ventilation rate of each building was estimated by a balance method from the information on both its internal and external carbon dioxide concentrations, and hence the emission rates of the different aerial pollutants from each building were estimated. The results of applying the methods are reported and discussed in detail in later papers in the series, but as an example of the results obtained, a slurry-based sow unit, monitored over 24 h in wintertime, gave internal carbon dioxide and ammonia concentrations in the ranges 1180–3765 and 5·3–17·4 p.p.m., respectively, along with internal temperatures and relative humidities in the ranges 15·7–20·4°C and 34–69% respectively. Examples of the estimated emission rates from the sow unit, averaged over the 24 h period and corrected for background, were: ammonia 0·86 g NH 3 /h (hpu) (hpu=heat production unit), inhalable dust 0·19 g/h (hpu), respirable dust 0·02 g/h (hpu), and total bacteria 2·3 M(cfu)/(hpu) where cfu is colony-forming units.

Energy from Paper Sludge: Criteria and Hazardous Air Pollutants

The paper-manufacturing industry generates more than 90,000,000 t of sludge annually in the United States, the disposal of which is a complex environmental issue. Test burns of pelletized and dried paper-mill sludge were performed in a small institutional boiler for the purpose of determining environmental feasibility of the operation. The sludge was from a facility processing 100 secondary fiber (40 postconsumer), and was co-fired with wood chips. Emission rates of various criteria and hazardous air pollutants were measured during the burns and compared to regulatory limits. Results indicated that criteria pollutant emissions from this 2.9 MW (10,000,000 Btu/h) operation were well within regulatory limits with the exception of particulate material. Emission control such as a baghouse or electrostatic precipitator would be needed for a facility performing energy recovery from sludge. Organic hazardous air-pollutant emissions were also well below mass rates that would qualify the boiler as a major source u...

Methods used for estimating fugitive emission rates of air pollutants and their application in China

This paper presents a series of methods for measuring and estimating fugitive emission rates, which have been widely applied in environmental impact assessment and establishing national emission standard and health protection zone (buffer zone) standards in China.