In recent years, environmental pollution issues related to the (fugitive) emissions from factories have gained a great deal of attentions from the general public, as people are aware of the potential adverse health effect that might affect their quality of life. With the increasing susceptibility of respiratory illnesses, such as children’s asthma or upper respiratory trait diseases, the figures of environmental nuisance complaints have been increasing at an unprecedented rate in recent years. The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) not only contributes to the formation of ground level ozone and various air contaminants, but also triggers a variety of health problems, including respiratory illness, circulation diseases, or even malignant tumors. For these reasons, Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA) has applied several air pollution control strategies, such as permit system, emission standards, fugitive emission control, and economic incentives, on reducing VOC emissions from stationary sources and improving air quality. two places were as target,
In relation to the task of investigation for repetitive air pollution nuisance complaints, B01 School and B02 Community, located in Yilan County, were targeted for odor investigation, in which a total three odor emission sources were identified. In addition, the potential harmful air pollutant, including particular matters and chemical species were also measured by both particle counters and OP-FTIR before and during the Dajia Matsu Pilgrimage Procession. Two emission reduction enforcements have been done, one was the odor emission sources of Yilan County, i.e., A01 Corporation in Lonung Te Industrial Park, and the other was the potential emission sources which may cause air toxics exposure on the students at C01 elementary school in Yun-Lin County, i.e, Ethylene Glycol (EG) No. 1 and No. 2 Plants. Three workshops (with at least 168 attendees) were conducted to introduce the knowledge and method of investigating air pollution sources by using optical remote sensing technology or other related analytical methods. Among various causes of odor nuisance complaints, it is suggested that surface coating may contribute the significant levels of VOCs to the surrounded environment mainly due to the fugitive emission of organic solvent. In regard to the auditing of the performance of OP-FTIR stationary monitoring station, two OP-FTIR paths were set up in parallel configuration at the same site to compare the differences in both spectra quality and qualitative/quantitative analytical results of the two systems.
The task of investigation of vinyl chloride level in ambient air and drinking water for C01 school has been done. The results showed that a total 24 chemicals were measured in ambient air by OP-FTIR and most of air pollutant concentrations were below the ambient limit of stationary sources. The ambient levels of vinyl chloride were 30 ppbv (maximum) and 10.3 ppbv (mean), both value were below to the ambient limit (200 ppbv). In terms of frequency, the high concentration (>200 ppbv) of vinyl chloride were counted for 0.1% among total 24,887 data, it was equivalent to a total of 120 minutes of measurement time with the duration time of 10 to 25 minutes at each occuurance. The frequency of 1,2-dichloroethane and ethylene oxide were less than 0.05% among total 24,887 data, it was equivalent to a total of 36 minutes of measurement time. According to the results of OP-FTIR, the emissions of those compounds which may cause the high level of TdGA revealed either sudden or intermittent pattern of emission during the entire measurement period. The results of ambient 24 hours samples, which sampled and analyzed by using canister and GC/MS showed a level below method detection limit (MDL) at all three sampling locations, including playground, office and classroom roof for vinyl chloride, acrylonitrile and 1,2-dichloroethane. The results of drinking water samples also were under method detection limit for both vinyl chloride and 1,2-dichloroethane at all samples located at kitchen water, drinking fountains and washing water.
The inspection and auditing of associated processes of vinyl chloride in C petrochemical Complex were also conducted in this project. A total of seven processes at four plants were audited and none of them were found non-compliance. As for the results of stack inspections, three processes at C Petrochemical Corporation have been detected, of which the concentration level of vinyl chloride were under 10 ppm (the emission limit of stack). Moreover, no leakage emissions have been found in the fugitive sources, including components, storage tanks, loading/unloading equipment, and wastewater treatment plants.
Compliance status of three targeted factories has been reviewed, in which the case of “incompliance to the law” were mainly identified at the equipment components, storage tanks, and wastewater treatment plants. Commends have provided to the responsible personnel of those plants for conducting the improvement plan. Seven cooling towers were sampled, of which the compositions were analyzed. Hexavalent chromium was no longer used as a rust inhibitor in all cooling towers. For heating equipment, the NOx regulation and control strategy of United States, European Commission, Japan, China and Singapore have been collected and reviewed. These information were used to develop NOx control strategy of heating equipment in petrochemical industry in Taiwan. An on-site inspection guideline of operating permit for petrochemical industry has been developed with six chapters included in the document.
The emission factors (EF) of potential hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from ethylene glycol processes have been developed, the EF of ethylene glycol were ranged from 0.00000033 ~ 0.01460978 kg/tonne-product. The results of ambient HAP profile from the B elementary school nearby the A petrochemical industrial park showed eight VOC compounds (such as acetone, toluene, and Chloromethane) and two carbonyls (formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) that were appeared in most of ambient samples. The levels of 1,2-dichloroethane in this year has been reduced compared to that of the levels of 2015. It implied that the VOCs emission control of Q petrochemical plant was effective.
