Hazardous air pollutant source emissions for a chemical fiber manufacturing facility in Taiwan

The chemical and fiber industries in Taiwan are very important contributors to economic development of Taiwan over the past several decades, but it of ten associated with serious air pollution problems. The study was initiated in response to odor complaints from residents of neighborhoods located adj acent to the largest chemical fiber manufacturing plant in Taiwan. The purp oses of this article are: (1) to characterize the source emissions; (2) to quantify some odorous components and VOCs in the ambient air around the pla nt; and (3) to compare measured ambient concentrations of emitted compounds with Taiwan's guidelines for Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) ambient concent rations. Gas samples were analyzed for target sulfurous and volatile organi c compounds, e.g., sulfides, mercaptans, BTX, etc. Ambient samples were col lected using Tenax adsorbent tubes for mass spectrometric analysis. On-site sampling and analysis was also conducted for SO2 by Continuous Emission Mo nitoring (CEM). The resulting measured ambient air concentrations were comp ared to published odor threshold limits and Taiwan's regulatory standards f or hazardous air pollutants. Subsequently, a Gaussian dispersion model inco rporating the measured data was applied to estimate the source emissions an d provide advance warning to the affected neighborhoods. The factors contro lling formation of the odors at the facility and in the residential neighbo rhoods were identified. Additionally, environmental conditions (wind speed and wind direction) that could affect concentrations of emission constituen ts were discussed.