This is a continuous project to operate two air pollutant monitoring stations at Chao-Liao Middle School (CLMS) near to Da-Fa industrial area (DFIA) and Da-Lin police station (DLPS) near to Lin-Hai industrial area (LHIA). The instrument of monitoring is Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (OP-FTIR) based on the method of EPA NIEA A002.10C, and the targets are volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants. The monitoring is 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, and the stations are remote connected. The frequency of monitoring data is every five minutes. The standard qualitative and quantitative spectrum database is a total of 393 kinds of compounds, and standard qualitative spectrum database, 9190 kinds of compounds. The execution time of this project is from July 26, 2012 to December 31, 2013. The CLMS has completed 153 monitoring days in 2012 and 363 days in 2013, and the DLPS, 137 days in 2012 and 363 days in 2013.
The results of monitoring in CLMS of the project, in addition to the normal environment of air components such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, shows 10 categories 24 compounds are measured, including: propane, butane, 2-methyl butane, cyclohexane, ethylene, propylene, ethyl acetate, vinyl acetate, methanol, ethanol, acetone, 2-butanone, dimethyl ether, vinyl chloride, tetrahydrofuran, ethylene oxide, chlorodifluoromethane, dichlorodifluoromethane, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, trichlorofluoro- methane, sulfur dioxide, sulfur hexafluoride, ammonia, and hydrogen chloride. The most common compounds are ammonia, ethyl acetate, methanol, and ethylene. The concentration of compounds are rarely excess the lawful air pollutant standards.
The results of monitoring in DLPS of the project, in addition to the normal environment of air components mentioned above, shows 7 categories 18 compounds are measured, including: propane, butane, n-hexane, cyclohexane 2-methyl-butane, ethylene, propylene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), dimethyl ether, methanol, ethanol, hexyl acetate, chlorodifluoromethane und 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, dichlorofluoromethane, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide. The most common compounds are ethylene, propane, propylene, butane, hexane, and cyclohexane, the compounds are produced during petroleum refining. During the period of this project, at least one of the measured concentrations of n-hexane is higher than the lawful standard every month, and the records of MTBE higher than olfactory thresholds occur every month.
Both CLMS and DLPS stations have set up a pre-caution high-concentration alarm system. As the measured concentration of a certain compound has higher than 0.8 of its lawful standard or olfactory thresholds, the alarm system will immediately send message to the executive team of this project. And an emergency response will be started to prevent any further local air pollution damage. The pre-caution alarm system helps to improve the quality of life of residents and to reduce local foul odor complains cases.
Based on the above analysis of air pollutants, the pollution source tracking monitoring tasks, using FTIR technique, were arranged in 2012 to the execution of 9 factories, which 5 factories in LHIA and 4 factories in DFIA. The cumulative time of monitoring is 1686 hours, which is about 70.2 days. Above all, Taiwan Chinese Petroleum Company (CPC) Dalin Refinery has been measured up to 17 kinds of compounds is the largest number, and Chang Chun Plastics Co., Ltd. has been measured up to 14 compounds in the second place. In 2013, 11 factories have been arranged, which 6 in LHIA and 5 in DFIA. The cumulative time of monitoring is 2432 hours, which is about 101.3 days. Taiwan CPC Chen-Jen Storage and Transportation Station has been measured up to 15 kinds of compounds is the largest number, and Taiwan CPC Dalin Refinery has been measured up to 14 compounds in the second place.
According to the completion of the CLMS and DLPS long-term monitoring operations, coupled with pollution source tracking tasks with the meteorological data, the initial analysis of the sources of air pollution in CLMS can be classified for the following three categories: (1) Northwest: about 40 small factories - iron and steel processing plants, scrap metal recycling plant, plastic processing plants, plastic recycling plants (computer case). Ammonia, ethyl acetate, and butane will be the major concern. (2) Northeast and north (in Ta-Fa industrial district) - petrochemical plant (methanol, ethyl acetate, ethylene oxide, ammonia, ethylene, and tetrahydrofuran), sewage treatment plants and waste treatment plants (ammonia, methanol). (3) South (Linyuan Industrial Area) - vinyl chloride processes and oil refining processes, the main pollutants include acetate, vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, ethylene, and propylene, etc. The sources of air pollution in CLMS can be classified for the following four categories: (1) North-northwest-south-east (Taiwan CPC Dalin Refinery): alkenes, alkanes, MTBE, dimethyl ether. (2) Northeast (the Chinese Steel Company and the steelwork plants): ethylene and ammonia. (3) East (more than 30 petrochemical plants, such as Chinese Petrochemical Development Corp., Siao-Kong Plant, Lee Chang Yung Chemical Corp.): cyclohexane, 1,3-butadiene, and methanol. (4) North-west (Kaohsiung harbor dock facility or ship): ammonia, CFCs. The above information is helpful reference for air pollutant source tracking while air pollution incident occurred.
Odor patrolling is conducted in DFIA and LHIA 08:00~17:30 every weekday. The patrol officers inspect any smell outside the factory and need to do at least 2 inside factory inspections every weekday. Odor patrolling has completed 93 days for each industrial area, 186 days in total; and inside factory inspections has completed 186 plants for each industrial area, 372 plants in total in the year of 2012. Odor patrolling has completed 249 days for each industrial area, 498 days in total; and inside factory inspections has completed 498 plants for each industrial area, 996 plants in total in the year of 2012. Total 184 plants in DFIA have been regularly inspected and there is no plant with the frequency of odor greater than 50%. Total 144 plants in LHIA have been regularly inspected and there is one plant the frequency of odor is greater than 50%, which is Glory Oceania Refrigerated Food Processing Co., Ltd.
Two standard operation plans (SOP) have been submitted before the air monitoring station in CLMS and DLPS officially started to run. The other work in this project has submitted SOP before it officially started to run, including stationary air monitoring, air pollutant tracking monitoring, industrial factory odor patrolling, and internal auditing procedure.
A Technology Transfer Conference was held on December 7, 2012. The topic is “Description to the multiply emergent sampling device in an odor pollution incident.” Professional training sessions were held for community patrols of Chao-Liao District (April , 19) and of Guo-Si District (April 27). The themes include the method and result of local air monitoring, the patrol skill for construction site and bar ground, and olfactory judgment personnel training. A Technology Transfer Conference was held on August 20, 2013, on the topic “Modern technology & air pollution analysis - infrared, chromatography, electronic nose.” Finally, a monitoring result briefing was held on November 28, 2013 for industry, industrial zone management unit, and EPA, etc.
A quality assurance audit operations, operated by an impartial third body, of monitoring equipment used in the project is required. With the permission of EPA, Prof. Yu-Ping Guo from Department of Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Chia Nan University of Science and Technology is invited to do the auditing work. Four sessions have been completed in 2012, and 8 sessions, in 2013. The QA/QC test execution include: RMS noise, detection limits, precision and accuracy. Only one exception occurred on March 26, 2013 in DLPS that the accuracy of cyclohexane measured 117.4%, above the range of 15%. The other QA/QC tests are all within the scope of requirement.
According the air monitoring result of this project, short-term, mid-term, and long-term pollution control strategies and objectives for DFIA and LHIA have been developed. The main contents include the following topics. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) in situ reconstruction of CLMS has finalized. EPA, in addition to provide relevant information, the continuous air monitoring for the school is needed. Total air pollution control (TAPC) is suggested to operate in DFIA as soon as possible. Especially for the factories with large amount of air emission, the capital of air emission needed to be declared. Experts are suggested to carry the odor improvement counseling for the frozen food processing plants in Qian-Zen District and metal parts manufacturing and cleaning industry in Siao-Gong District. The chemicals transported by ship in Kaohsiung harbor, and the ship itself when navigating the exhaust emissions are likely to pollute of the air of Dalinpu area. To coordinate the relevant units and then to develop Port air pollution control measures will be needed.
