The fenceline VOCs monitoring of petrochemical plants were investigated by Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (OP-FTIR) at three elementrary school adjacent to the No. 6 Naphtha Cracker Complex of Formosa Petrochemical Corp in Mailiao and Dashe Petrochemical Industry.Compounds such as gasoline, nitrogen dioxide, propylene, ethylene, acetone, n-hexane, methanol, acetylene, dimethylether, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, isobutylene, dimethylformamide were identified and the monitoring concentration of gasoline and nitrogen dioxide both exceeded their odor threshold concentration. Five factories were identified for VOCs emission exceeding VOCs rule27. Consequent pollution reduction plans were proposed to EPA. Optical remote sensing and tracer gas release techniques were demonstrated on evaluating flare combustion efficiency. Two flares were selected and the combustion efficiency had been investigated. The relationship between the steam/flue gas ratio and the combustion efficiency each compound was also demonstrated. The overall combustion efficiency of this flare, which ranges from 76% to 80%, fluctuated dramatically with the flow rate of the inlet flue gas, not with the steam/flue gas ratio. The relationship between the nitrogen (inflammable gas) concentration and the combustion efficiency was also discussed. The results revealed the excess amount of inflammable gas (including nitrogen) can significantly influence the combustion efficiency in a negative way. A total of 10,000 components from 4 different plants/processes were investigated by Infrared gas image camera (FLIR). Significant leak from 37 components were found. Among them, the leak concentrations of 31 components were confirmed sequentially by FID. Based on the results of FLIR and foreign references, a guideline of applying infrared imaging camera on screening process component leaks was developed. Furthermore, based on the Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) Investigation and Enforcement Protocol of TCEQ, the minimum number of components to sample and the critical number of leakers were determined with Type I error (α)=0.05, Type II error (β)= 0.10 and alternate hypothesis (τ)=1.0%. 8,705 process components from 3 petrochemical plants/processes were tested for plant component leak rates. Based on the findings from 3-year investigation of the component leak rates, the SOP of “process component leak rate audition program” was proposed and based on the LDAR Investigation and Enforcement Protocol of TCEQ (α=0.05, β= 0.20 and τ=2.0%). The task of VOCs project evaluation that related with Mailiao Industrial Park has been completed by collected the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports of each development phase. It was found that the presented data in the EIA reports showed some rationality inquiries. Moreover, VOCs emissions from an oil refinery measured by regulatory agent and/or petroleum organizations showed to be substantially 10 times higher than the emissions estimated by factor calculation. Furthermore, the data analysis of all flare emergency report in Mailiao Industrial Park revealed that some problems such as the lack of documentation of flare emergency report and high gas flow and continuous operation of flares had already existed. Besides, a total 400 questionnaires to understand the proximity resident impression on air quality has been investigated in five townships. This result implied the government agency needs to establish further actions on air quality improvement. Finally, three environmental expert advisory meeting had been held on 99/08/27, 99/11/16, and 99/11/24. The website of “air pollution incident emergency response” has been revised and necessarily amending and maintaining task has been taken. One master-graduated environmental engineer to EPA as the project liaison was also assigned.

petrochemical industry, flare, equipment component, optical measurement technology