Pollutants In Flue Gas Research Articles

Isolation and Whole-genome analysis of Desmodesmus sp. SZ-1: Novel acid-tolerant carbon-fixing microalga

Utilizing microalgae to capture flue gas pollutants is an effective strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, existing carbon-fixing microalgae exhibit poor tolerance towards acidic flue gas. In this study, the Desmodesmus sp. SZ-1, which can thrive in acidic environments and efficiently sequester CO2, was isolated. Desmodesmus sp. SZ-1 exhibited strong acid tolerance ability, with an average carbon fixation rate of 497.6 mg/L/d under 10 % CO2 and pH 3.5. Physiological analysis revealed that SZ-1 responded to high CO2 by increasing chlorophyll levels while coping with acidic stress by activating antioxidant enzymes. Genome analysis revealed a large number of carbon fixation and acid adaptation genes, involved in membrane lipid biosynthesis, H+ pumps, molecular chaperones, peroxidase system, amino acid synthesis, and carbonic anhydrase. This study provides a novel algal resource for mitigating acid gas emissions and a comprehensive genetic database for genetically modifying microalgae.

Multicomponent adsorption mechanism of CO2, SO2, NO, and C7H8 from flue gases on nitrogen-doped biochar: Experimental and computational insights

The comprehensive control of CO2 and gaseous pollutants in coal-fired flue gas is urgent and difficult. As a green low-cost adsorbent, nitrogen-doped biochar has potential application in the control technology of flue gas pollutants. Still, its multi-component adsorption characteristics for flue gas are unclear. In this study, the multi-component adsorption characteristics of CO2, SO2, NO, and C7H8 on nitrogen-doped biochar were explored at different temperatures (25–120 °C), and the competitive mechanism of multi-component adsorption was revealed through continuous adsorption experiments and numerical calculation. The adsorption capacities of CO2, SO2, NO, and C7H8 by nitrogen-doped biochar can reach 38.1, 78.9, 3.1, and 245.2 mg/g, among which CO2, SO2, and C7H8 show strong competitive effects. Their adsorption capacities are decreased by 42 % (CO2), 28 % (SO2), and 27 % (C7H8) respectively compared with the single-component adsorption. This is because there are not only more C7H8 adsorption sites on nitrogen-doped carbon, but also C7H8 can partially occupy the adsorption sites of SO2 and CO2 during multi-component adsorption. Combined with the calculation results of density functional theory, the competitive ability of the three gases can be ranked as follows: C7H8 > SO2 > CO2.

Unveiling the promoting mechanism of Mo on the performance of CuCeOx catalyst for simultaneously NH3-SCR denitration and CO oxidation under oxygen-rich conditions

NOx and CO coexisted in numerous actual industrial flue gases. The simultaneous removal of NOx and CO had great potential for application but remained still a challenge. Herein, a series of Mo-modified CuCeOx catalyst was developed to simultaneously achieve NH3-SCR denitration and CO oxidation. The results indicated that the CCM3 catalyst displayed the optimal performance with 91.2 % NOx conversion and 100 % CO conversion as well as excellent long-time stability and SO2 or/and H2O tolerance at 225 ℃. It was found that the strong interaction between Cu, Ce and Mo oxides resulted in the particles highly dispersed with smaller size on catalyst surface, which could provide abundant active sites to decreasing the competitive adsorption among reactive gases. Furthermore, the Mo modification promoted the production of more oxygen vacancies, Ce3+ and Oα species, which facilitated the redox recycle and the generation of intermediates. Moreover, the H2-TPR and NH3/CO/O2-TPD analysis illustrated that the reducibility and the capacity for reaction gas adsorption and activation were enhanced, which improved low-temperature activity. The in situ DRIFTS experiment revealed that the E-R and L-H mechanism were existed in NH3-SCR process on CC and CCM3 catalysts. What’s more, the stronger acidity and strengthened E-R mechanism on CCM3 catalyst hindered the adsorption of SO2 and weakened the inhibition effect of competitive adsorption among SO2 and NO. Additionally, both surface lattice oxygen and chemisorbed oxygen could react with Cu+–CO species to produce CO2, the pathway obeyed L-H and MvK mechanism. This work may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of CO and NOx pollutants in industrial flue gas.

Experimental study on strengthening the hydrogen reduction process of pyrite in the presence of alkaline oxide

ABSTRACT In this study, an innovative approach is proposed for the hydrogen reduction of pyrite in the presence of alkaline oxide, suitable for desulfurisation of high-sulfur bauxite and iron extraction from pyrite. This approach has the advantage of efficiently utilising high-sulfur bauxite, solving the issue of SO2 flue gas pollution. Stirred fluidised beds were used as reactors to promote uniform particle distribution. The impact of hydrogen concentration and spatial velocity of the gas on the reduction process of pyrite and the sticking behaviour between particles in a side-stirred fluidised bed were investigated using a single-factor experimental method. The effects of various experimental conditions on the pyrite reduction percentage, sticking ratio, phase composition, and microstructure of the reduction products were examined using chemical, XRD, and SEM analyses. The results demonstrated that, when agitated, modifying the hydrogen concentration and spatial velocity of the gas significantly enhanced the reduction of pyrite in the presence of alkaline oxide and increased the reduction efficiency. A hydrogen concentration of 37.5% and spatial velocity of the gas of 0.115 m·s−1 were the ideal values, respectively. In addition, kilogram-scale experiments were performed to confirm the viability of the approach.

Integrating Atomically Dispersed Sites with Versatile Oxide Supports to Construct Efficient Thermocatalysts: Toward Comprehensive Treatment of Flue Gas Pollutants

Integrating Atomically Dispersed Sites with Versatile Oxide Supports to Construct Efficient Thermocatalysts: Toward Comprehensive Treatment of Flue Gas Pollutants

Emission characteristics of condensable particulate matter during the production of solid waste-based sulfoaluminate cement: Compositions, heavy metals, and preparation impacts

Recycling solid waste for preparing sulfoaluminate cementitious materials (SACM) represents a promising approach for low-carbon development. There are drastic physical-chemical reactions during SACM calcination. However, there is a lack of research on the flue gas pollutants emissions from this process. Condensable particulate matter (CPM) has been found to constitute the majority of the primary PM emitted from various fuel combustion. In this study, the emission characteristics of CPM during the calcination of SACM were determined using tests in both a real-operated kiln and laboratory experiments. The mass concentration of CPM reached 96.6 mg/Nm3 and occupied 87% of total PM emission from the SACM kiln. Additionally, the mass proportion of SO42− in the CPM reached 93.8%, thus indicating that large quantities of sulfuric acid mist or SO3 were emitted. CaSO4 was one key component for the formation of main mineral ye'elimite (3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4), and its decomposition probably led to the high SO42− emission. Furthermore, the use of CaSO4 as a calcium source led to SO42− emission factor much higher than conventional calcium sources. Higher calcination temperature and more residence time also increased SO42− emission. The most abundant heavy metal in kiln flue gas and CPM was Zn. However, the total condensation ratio of heavy metals detected was only 40.5%. CPM particles with diameters below 2.5 μm and 4–20 μm were both clearly observed, and components such as Na2SO4 and NaCl were conformed. This work contributes to the understanding of CPM emissions and the establishment of pollutant reduction strategies for waste collaborative disposal in cement industry.

Synergistic control potential of flue gas pollutants under Ultra-Low emission standards in waste incineration plants

As the dominant waste disposal process, incineration is regarded as the main incentive for the “not-in-my-backyard” syndrome, and faces an inescapable pressures of ultra-low emissions (ULE). Establishing precise response relationships between emission factors (EFs) and full-process influencing factors can provide guidance for the synergistic mitigation of flue gas pollutants (FGPs). In this work, the multi-dimensional EFs of FGPs were identified by initially integrating FGPs concentration monitoring data of existing 1,226 processing lines in China, technologies applied and operational experience (OE), local economic and political characteristics. Significant regional imbalance performance was observed, which EFs in the coastal regions were 3.55–92.39 % lower than those of the inland areas. NOx, SO2, HCl were identified as critical components requiring further reduction under the ULE standards, with exceedance rates recorded at 73.07 %, 38.90 %, and 56.69 %, respectively. An indicative value of 20 mg/m3 for PM is recommended for the control of heavy metals of Cd + Tl and Sb + As + Pb + Cr + Co + Cu + Mn + Ni based on the correlation coefficients of r = 0.28 (p < 0.001) and r = 0.20 (p = 0.002), respectively. Waste composition and OE were quantified as the main contributors of EFs’ disparities by the tree-branching controlled variable approach established in this study. Predictive models for FGPs control process and corresponding EFs were constructed. EFs of nine FGPs in 2030 would decrease by 0.97–65.42 %, due to more complex purification processes employed to meet ULE’s limitations, such as the application of five-stage processes growing from 45.60 % to 58.28 %. While regional imbalance in EFs-SO2 and EFs-HCl were extended with increases from 25.83 % to 33.07 % and 9.91 % to 32.32 %, respectively, due to the consistent disparities of OE and growing heterogeneity of control policies. Enhancing interregional empirical exchanges, reducing the regional market monopolies, and formulating technical guidelines would be beneficial to synergize the reduction of FGPs emissions and alleviate regional imbalance.

Long-term implications of municipal solid waste (MSW) classification on emissions of PCDD/Fs and other pollutants: Five-year field study in a full-scale MSW incinerator in southern China

Understanding how municipal solid waste (MSW) classification influences the physiochemical properties and incineration emission characteristics of MSW is imperative for sustainable waste management. To investigate how long-term changes in the composition and physical properties of MSW resulting from MSW classification affect the emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and multiple flue gas pollutants, a five-year experiment (2018–2022) was conducted in a full-scale MSW incinerator in Shenzhen City, China. After MSW classification, the food waste in MSW was substantially reduced while the paper, textile, and wood components were notably increased. MSW classification also remarkably decreased the water and chlorine contents of MSW while concomitantly increasing the wet-based calorific value, sulfur content, and nitrogen content. Consequently, the PCDD/Fs emissions declined from 106.7 ng I-TEQ/t MSW in 2018 to 26.0 ng I-TEQ/t MSW in 2022. Moreover, a process-tracing experiment demonstrated noticeable decreases in PCDD/F synthesis in the post-combustion area, with mass-reduction efficiencies of 23.6 %–95.4 %. In a correlation analysis, the PCDD/F emissions were significantly positively correlated with food waste, water content, and chlorine and negatively correlated with the wet-based calorific value and nitrogen content. Furthermore, MSW classification reduced the emissions of conventional flue gas pollutants (SO2, CO, and HCl) and multiple heavy metals (total sum of Sb, As, Pb, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, and Ni). In summary, the long-term study demonstrated that MSW classification can feasibly separate incombustible waste, improve combustion quality, and reduce pollutant emissions from sources. These findings offer practical guidance for promoting MSW classification.

Improving long-term operation performance of hazardous waste rotary kiln incineration facilities: An evaluation with DEA model

Hazardous waste rotary kiln incineration, as the most effective and comprehensive technology to reduce and detoxify waste, generally faces problems such as low load rate and short continuous operating periods. However, there are few studies on the actual operation of such facilities and evaluation of their technical efficiency. Based on the 77-week time-series data of the case company, this study introduces in-depth key operating parameters and evaluates long-term technical efficiency through the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. The results show that the continuous operating period of the rotary kiln incineration facility can reach more than half a year, with an average load rate of 91.7%. In the analysis of 9 input indicators, the amount of injected activated carbon could not be effectively evaluated due to the lack of relevant standards and online real-time monitoring of dioxins, which might become a weak link in the control of flue gas pollution. The average comprehensive technical efficiency of rotary kiln incineration facilities was 0.939, of which the average pure technical efficiency was 0.949 while the average scale efficiency was 0.989. With 33 of the 77 decision-making units being invalid, there is scope for improvement. The amount of incineration could be increased by 5.34%, and among the input variables, dosage of urea, calcium hydroxide and lye with a relatively high improvement ratio. Based on the results, targeted suggestions were proposed to advance the scientific and precise compatibility of hazardous waste, strengthen the control of dioxin emissions, and promote the intelligent control of the entire process.

Surface defect engineering of porous Ov-CeO2/Bi5O7I nanoflowers with Z-scheme heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic removal of mercury

High-speed migration of charge carriers and their efficient separation are effective ways to improve photocatalytic purification of environmental pollutants. Herein, CeO2/Bi5O7I porous nanoflower heterostructures were systematically designed and synthesized for Hg0 removal from coal-fired flue gas. In addition, during the photocatalytic reaction, the Ce3+/Ce4+ redox center acts as an electron capture center, which facilitates the activation of molecular oxygen and promotes the separation of charge carriers. Meanwhile, in the Z-scheme system, the internal electric field drives the accelerated transport of charge carriers, which further enhances the separation efficiency of charge carriers. Based on the above optimization, the CeO2/Bi5O7I porous nanoflower heterostructures have the best reaction rates, which are 3.02 and 2.55 times better than single-component CeO2 and Bi5O7I, respectively. This research supplies a sustainable solution for the purification of coal-fired flue gas pollutants.

The Impact of Coal Quality on the Generator’s Achieved Power of the 300 MW Thermal Power Plant

This paper discusses the results of monitoring the operation of the steam-turbine unit of the 300 MW thermal power plant over a period of 2 months. During the monitoring, coal samples were taken in front of the mill-fan (3 samples/day) and data were collected on the fuel load of the boiler, temperatures in the boiler, temperatures of flue gases, content of pollutants in flue gases and realized gross power on the generator. Based on the results of technical analyses of coal and collected data on the operation of the block, direct dependencies were established between the quality of coal expressed through the Lower Thermal Power (DTM) value, and the realized gross electric power on the generator, coal consumption and the content of pollutants in the flue gases of the thermal power plant.

Pyrolysis of plastics-free refuse derived fuel derived from municipal solid waste and combustion of the char products in lab and pilot scales: A comparative study

Pyrolysis of refuse derived fuel (RDF) has great potential for energy recovery from municipal solid waste (MSW), while chlorine-related plastics issue was one major barrier for scale up. After screening out plastics, the RDF pyrolysis and char products combustion were evaluated in lab and pilot scales. Thermogravimetry with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy results suggest that the main RDF pyrolysis reaction occurred in 190–410 °C, involving decomposition, decarboxylation, demethylation, and dehydration reactions, with CO2, CH4, H2O, CO, and organic compounds as the main gaseous products. Impacts of temperature and residence time on char yield and proximate composition were evaluated in lab, and a lower temperature was favored. The pilot-scale char had a comparable proximate composition to the lab-scale ones, but a lower heating value, lower H/C ratio, higher O/C ratio, which may due to different dominant reaction pathways during pyrolysis: apparent demethanation versus dehydration. Thermogravimetry data infers that the combustion performance of pilot-scale char, including combustion stage, weight loss, and kinetic parameters, were close to chars made in lab. Pilot-scale combustion tests show relief of flue gas pollution after upgrading RDF to char, while particulate matter and heavy metals were still main concerns. Lab- and pilot-scale investigations highlight scale up of plastics-free RDF pyrolysis and combustion as a promising and economic alternative for materials and energy recoveries from MSW.

Low-temperature catalytic oxidation of PCDD/Fs over MnCeCoOx/PPS catalytic filter.

Catalytic destruction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) combined with dust removal technique has attracted much attention, yet the application in the solid waste incineration air pollution control process is still lacking due to the complex flue gas atmosphere. In this work, the Mn-Ce-Co-Ox catalyst-coated polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) filter fiber with efficient dust removal and low-temperature polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) destruction has been prepared with a redox-precipitation method. The catalyst was uniformly grown around the PPS fiber with appropriate catalyst loading. The effects of several key operating parameters (e.g., reaction temperature, catalyst loading amount, and filtration velocity) on the catalytic efficiency were comprehensively investigated. The results show that the Mn-Ce-Co-Ox/PPS has a decomposition yield of 78.0% in PCDD/Fs and 96% in nitric oxide (NO) conversion at 200 °C. The poisoned catalytic filter exhibits a removal efficiency of 88.6% for PCDD/Fs. In addition, the catalytic filter can completely reject particles smaller than 1.0 μm with a low filtration resistance. Therefore, this efficient and energy-conserving catalytic filter shows promising applications in flue gas pollution treatments.

First principles insights into the interaction mechanism of iron doped thermally activated kaolinite with Cd and Pb pollutants in organic solid waste incineration flue gas

Incineration of organic solid wastes is accompanied by the heavy metal emission through flue gas. As an inexpensive and efficient heavy metal adsorbent, the improvement of kaolinite adsorption performance for heavy metals has drawn widespread interests. In this work, the interaction mechanisms between various kaolinite surfaces and Cd/Pb species are explored through first principles calculations. The results show that the combination of Fe doping and dehydroxylation enhances the activity of kaolinite surfaces, analysis of adsorption configurations reveal that both Cd and Pb species are immobilized through chemisorption on the -H + Fe surface. At the microscopic level, further electronic structure analysis shows that the composite modified kaolinite surface has more electron transfer and more pronounced orbital hybridization and overlap compared to the original kaolinite surface, demonstrating that the modification means of dehydroxylation and Fe doping indeed enhanced the activity of the kaolinite surface, especially the activity of the O atoms in the vicinity of the Fe atom and that the O atoms are more efficiently bonded as ionic connecting Cd/Pb species for the purpose of trapping Cd/Pb species. This study points out the research direction and provides basic theoretical support for the development of new kaolinite adsorbents in the future.

Unique Cluster-Support Effect of a Co3O4/TiO2-3DHS Nanoreactor for Efficient Plasma-Catalytic Oxidation Performance.

For environmental catalysis, a central topic is the design of high-performance catalysts and advanced mechanism studies. In the case of the removal of flue gas pollutants from coal-fired power plants, highly selective nanoreactors have been widely utilized together with plasma discharge characteristics, such as the catalytic oxidation of NO. Herein, a novel reactor with a three-dimensional hollow structure of TiO2 confining Co3O4 nanoclusters (Co3O4/TiO2-3DHS) has been developed for plasma-catalytic oxidation of NO, whose performance was compared with that of the commercial TiO2 confining Co3O4 cluster (Co3O4/TiO2). Specifically, Co3O4/TiO2-3DHS presented a higher efficiency (almost 100%) within lower peak-peak voltage (VP-P). More importantly, the NO oxidation efficiency was between 91.5 and 94.5% after a long time of testing, indicating that Co3O4/TiO2-3DHS exhibits more robust sulfur and water tolerance. Density functional theory calculations revealed that such impressive performance originates from the unique cluster-support effect, which changes the distribution of the active sites on the catalyst surface, resulting in the selective adsorption of flue gas. This investigation provides a new strategy for constructing a three-dimensional hollow nanoreactor for the plasma-catalytic process.

REDUCTION OF OCCUPATIONAL RISKS FOR THE HEALTH OF WORKERS AND IMPROVEMENT OF ECOLOGICAL SAFETY OF THE ENVIRONMENT DURING CLEANING OF INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS OF METALLURGICAL ENTERPRISES

Purpose: prevention of occupational risks and reduction of the negative impact on the health of workers of industrial flue gases, along with the improvement of environmental safety thanks to mathematical modeling regarding the rationalization of technological indicators of sulfur removal at production enterprises. Design / methodology / approach: the use of regression analysis is implemented as the main research method. Conclusions: a multifactorial mathematical model of the dependence of the degree of reduction of the content of sulfur dioxide in gaseous products on the technological parameters of flue gas filtration was built using industrial data. This makes it possible to rationalize the technological parameters of production with further regulation of the sulfur dioxide purification process to increase its efficiency. Achieving a reduction in flue gas pollution with sulfur dioxide contributes to reducing the harmful effects on the health of workers, preventing occupational risks, and increasing the level of environmental safety. Limitations / implications of the research: the interrelationship of desulfurization production parameters was investigated in certain intervals according to the features of the technological process, which determines the corresponding limitations of the use of the constructed mathematical model. Practical consequences: the interrelationship of technological indicators of industrial production is determined, which allows adjusting the value of the degree of purification of flue gases from sulfur dioxide when changing the technological parameters of filtration with the establishment of the most favorable conditions. The obtained results can be used to improve the production process of enterprises whose activities are accompanied by gaseous emissions: metallurgical plants, thermal power plants, etc. Originality / value: a multifactorial mathematical model of the dependence of the degree of purification of flue gases from sulfur dioxide on the technological parameters of the industrial process was built. The obtained results were presented in the form of a multivariate regression equation. On the basis of the obtained dependence, for a better visual perception, graphs were constructed in the form of surfaces, respectively, for some of the studied technological parameters.

The impact of pollutant emissions from co-incineration of industrial waste in municipal solid waste incinerators

A large amount of industrial solid waste (including waste plastics, textiles, wood, etc., which are byproducts of industrial production) urgently needs to be treated. Incineration is undoubtedly the most efficient and convenient method. The existing municipal solid waste incineration plants can be transformed to burn such industrial wastes. However, the potential risks associated with high levels of heavy metals in industrial waste and the air pollution caused by co-incineration pose significant challenges to the co-incineration disposal of industrial solid waste. The change of physical and chemical properties of municipal solid waste and the emission characteristics of flue gas pollutants after co-incineration of industrial waste were studied by means of material flow simulation and experiment. In addition, experiments were designed to study the effects of temperature, calcium sulfur ratio and chlorine content on heavy metal emission during the incineration of industrial waste. The results showed that co-incineration of a certain proportion of industrial waste significantly increased the calorific value of municipal solid waste, but excessive mixing of plastic and paper industrial waste would increase the ash content. Co-incineration of plastic industrial waste can significantly increase HCl, and with the increase of temperature, the transformation of Cl to HCl is more thorough. The increase of temperature can promote the migration of Cr, Pb and Se elements to the gas phase. When Cr, Pb, and Se elements are present in the gas phase, they can combine with other gases and aerosols to form particulate matter and toxic substances, causing air pollution. When Ca/S is 1, Ba, Mn, Ni, Zn can effectively reduce the retention rate of elements in the ash. Under certain conditions, chlorine in industrial waste plastics will react with Zn to form tiny particles and low boiling point chlorides, which will increase its volatility. The mineral components in the ash can also be used for making ceramsite and building materials. These results will provide reference for the pollutants controlling during co-incineration of industrial waste and municipal solid waste process.

Promotional Effects of FeOx on the Commercial SCR Catalyst for the Synergistic Removal of NO and Dioxins from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Flue Gas

In view of the atmospheric pollutants in flue gas raised by municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration, simultaneous abatement of nitric oxide and dioxins is the keystone to alleviate the existing environmental issues. By using the commercial selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, nitric oxide and dioxins can be directly removed in separate temperature windows, while the catalytic performances still remain unsatisfactory. Herein, a collection of commercial V2O5–MoO3/TiO2 (VMT) catalysts modified with transition metal oxides were prepared in this study, and their synergistic removal activities for NO and dioxins were systematically investigated. Catalyst performance tests indicated that the loading of FeOx demonstrated considerable promotional effects. To further elucidate the enhancing mechanism of FeOx doping on the physical and chemical properties of the catalyst, a series of characterizations were conducted. The results indicated that FeOx increased the specific surface area and pore volume of the catalyst, which was more conducive to the dispersion of vanadium species. The modification with FeOx also enriched surface acid centers, as well as the V5+ species on the catalyst surface, so that the adsorption and destruction efficiencies of both nitric oxide and dioxins were further increased. Furthermore, the abundant chemisorbed oxygen species and the redox capacity of the catalyst were intensified, owing to the newly formed Fe3+–V4+/Fe2+–V5+ catalytic redox cycle.

Layout of measuring points for flue gas flow velocity in coal-fired power plants based on CFD technology

In view of the existence of 90° bends in the flue after desulfurization in coal-fired power plants and the complicated distribution of flue gas flow velocity, the CFD simulation technology is proposed to simulate and analyze the flow characteristics of the flue flow field, and to find suitable flow velocity measurement points. On this basis, a set of on-line monitoring system for flue gas flow velocity and pollutants is designed by using LabVIEW.

Target the neglected VOCs emission from iron and steel industry in China for air quality improvement.

Recent years have witnessed significant improvement in China's air quality. Strict environmental protection measures have led to significant decreases in sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), and particulate matter (PM) emissions since 2013. But there is no denying that the air quality in 135 cities is inferior to reaching the Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB 3095-2012) in 2020. In terms of temporal, geographic, and historical aspects, we have analyzed the potential connections between China's air quality and the iron and steel industry. The non-target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions from iron and steel industry, especially from the iron ore sinter process, may be an underappreciated index imposing a negative effect on the surrounding areas of China. Therefore, we appeal the authorities to pay more attention on VOCs emission from the iron and steel industry and establish new environmental standards. And different iron steel flue gas pollutants will be eliminated concurrently with the promotion and application of new technology.