Hazardous Air Pollutant Source Emissions for a Chemical Fiber Manufacturing Facility in Taiwan

Abstract

The chemical and fiber industries in Taiwan are very importantcontributors to economic development of Taiwan over the past several decades, but it often associated with serious air pollution problems. The study was initiated in response to odorcomplaints from residents of neighborhoods located adjacent tothe largest chemical fiber manufacturing plant in Taiwan. The purposes of this article are: (1) to characterize the source emissions; (2) to quantify some odorous components and VOCs in the ambient air around the plant; and (3) to compare measured ambient concentrations of emitted compounds with Taiwan's guidelines for Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) ambient concentrations. Gas samples were analyzed for targetsulfurous and volatile organic compounds, e.g., sulfides, mercaptans, BTX, etc. Ambient samples were collected using Tenax adsorbent tubes for mass spectrometric analysis. On-site sampling and analysis was also conducted for SO₂ by Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEM). The resulting measured ambient air concentrations were compared to published odor threshold limits and Taiwan's regulatory standards for hazardousair pollutants. Subsequently, a Gaussian dispersion model incorporating the measured data was applied to estimate the source emissions and provide advance warning to the affected neighborhoods. The factors controlling formation of the odors at the facility and in the residential neighborhoods were identified. Additionally, environmental conditions (wind speedand wind direction) that could affect concentrations of emission constituents were discussed.