Modeling Pollutant Emissions: Influence of Two Heat and Power Plants on Urban Air Quality

Large industrial plants, power plants, and combined heat and power plants are popularly believed to be the main sources of point emissions, affecting both local and global air quality. This is because these installations emit significant amounts of pollutants at high altitudes every year. In this study, we investigate the impact of two solid fuel (hard coal)-fired CHP plants located within the urban agglomeration on the air quality of the city of Lodz in Poland (Europe). We used an OPA03 computer software to model the spatial distribution of pollutants. The results show that the annual average concentrations of pollutants were highest at an altitude of 25 m above ground level and decreased at lower measurement heights. The concentrations did not exceed permissible levels, reaching only 4% of national and international regulatory limits. We also made field measurements during the winter heating period, using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with sensors to map the distributions of dust and gas pollutants in the areas with the highest concentrations of emissions from the two heat and power plants. Overall, the field measurements confirmed that it is not high-altitude emissions that have the greatest impact on local air quality.

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OMI satellite observations of decadal changes in ground-level sulfur dioxide over North America

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-17-5921-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (9) ◽

pp. 5921-5929 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Shailesh K. Kharol ◽

Chris A. McLinden ◽

Christopher E. Sioris ◽

Mark W. Shephard ◽

Vitali Fioletov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

North America ◽

Sulfur Dioxide ◽

Power Plants ◽

Ground Level ◽

In Situ Measurements ◽

Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽

Control Laws ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) has a significant impact on the environment and human health. We estimated ground-level sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) using SO2 profiles from the Global Environmental Multi-scale – Modelling Air quality and CHemistry (GEM-MACH) model over North America for the period of 2005–2015. OMI-derived ground-level SO2 concentrations (r = 0. 61) and trends (r = 0. 74) correlated well with coincident in situ measurements from air quality networks over North America. We found a strong decreasing trend in coincidently sampled ground-level SO2 from OMI (−81 ± 19 %) and in situ measurements (−86 ± 13 %) over the eastern US for the period of 2005–2015, which reflects the implementation of stricter pollution control laws, including flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) devices in power plants. The spatially and temporally contiguous OMI-derived ground-level SO2 concentrations can be used to assess the impact of long-term exposure to SO2 on the health of humans and the environment.

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OMI Satellite Observations of decadal changes in Ground-Level Sulfur Dioxide over North America

10.5194/acp-2016-1070 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Shailesh K. Kharol ◽

Chris A. McLinden ◽

Christopher E. Sioris ◽

Mark W. Shephard ◽

Vitali Fioletov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

North America ◽

Sulfur Dioxide ◽

Power Plants ◽

Ground Level ◽

In Situ Measurements ◽

Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽

Control Laws ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) has a significant impact on the environment and human health. We estimated ground-level sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) using SO2 profiles from the Global Environmental Multi-scale – Modelling Air quality and CHemistry (GEM-MACH) model over North America for the period of 2005–2015. OMI-derived ground-level SO2 concentrations (r = 0.61) and trends (r = 0.74) correlated well with coincident in-situ measurements from air quality networks over North America. We found a strong decreasing trend in coincidently sampled ground-level SO2 from OMI (−81 ± 19 %) and in-situ measurements (−86 ± 13 %) over Eastern US for the period of 2005–2015, which reflects the implementation of stricter pollution control laws including flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) devices in power plants. The spatially and temporally contiguous OMI derived ground-level SO2 concentrations can be used to assess the impact of long-term exposure to SO2 on the health of humans and the environment.

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Entrainment and Mixing of Transported Ozone Layers: Implications for Surface Air Quality in the Western U.S.

EPJ Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/epjconf/202023703012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 237 ◽

pp. 03012

Author(s):

Christoph Senff ◽

Andrew Langford ◽

Raul Alvarez ◽

Tim Bonin ◽

Alan Brewer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Boundary Layer ◽

Air Quality ◽

Mixed Layer ◽

Las Vegas ◽

Surface Ozone ◽

Ground Level ◽

San Joaquin Valley ◽

Fire Emissions ◽

Ozone Transport ◽

The Impact

Recently, two air quality campaigns were conducted in the southwestern United States to study the impact of transported ozone, stratospheric intrusions, and fire emissions on ground-level ozone concentrations. The California Baseline Ozone Transport Study (CABOTS) took place in May – August 2016 covering the central California coast and San Joaquin Valley, and the Fires, Asian, and Stratospheric Transport Las Vegas Ozone Study (FAST-LVOS) was conducted in the greater Las Vegas, Nevada area in May – June 2017. During these studies, nearly 1000 hours of ozone and aerosol profile data were collected with the NOAA TOPAZ lidar. A Doppler wind lidar and a radar wind profiler provided continuous observations of atmospheric turbulence, horizontal winds, and mixed layer height. These measurements allowed us to directly observe the degree to which ozone transport layers aloft were entrained into the boundary layer and to quantify the resulting impact on surface ozone levels. Mixed layer heights in the San Joaquin Valley during CABOTS were generally below 1 km above ground level (AGL), while boundary layer heights in Las Vegas during FAST-LVOS routinely exceeded 3 km AGL and occasionally reached up to 4.5 km AGL. Consequently, boundary layer entrainment was more often observed during FAST-LVOS, while most elevated ozone layers passed untapped over the San Joaquin Valley during CABOTS.

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The Development of Electromobility in Poland and EU States as a Tool for Management of CO2 Emissions

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12152942 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (15) ◽

pp. 2942 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Karol Tucki ◽

Olga Orynycz ◽

Antoni Świć ◽

Mateusz Mitoraj-Wojtanek

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

European Union ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Power Plants ◽

Primary Energy ◽

Original Method ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

The European Union ◽

Car Market ◽

The Impact

The article analyzes the dynamics of the development of the electromobility sector in Poland in the context of the European Union and due to the economic situation and development of the electromobility sector in the contexts of Switzerland and Norway. On the basis of obtained data, a forecast was made which foresees the most likely outlook of the electric car market in the coming years. The forecast was made using the creeping trend method, and extended up to 2030. As part of the analysis of the effect of the impact of electromobility, an original method was proposed for calculating the primary energy factor (PEF) primary energy ratio in the European Union and in its individual countries, which illustrates the conversion efficiency of primary energy into electricity and the overall efficiency of the power system. The original method was also verified, referring to the methods proposed by the Fraunhofer-Institut. On the basis of all previous actions and analyses, an assessment was made of the impact of the development of the electromobility sector on air quality in the countries studied. Carbon dioxide tank-to-wheels emission reductions which result from the conversion of the car fleet from conventional vehicles to electric motors were then calculated. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, other pollutant emissions were also calculated, such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). The increase in the demand for electricity resulting from the needs of electric vehicles was also estimated. On this basis, and also on the basis of previously calculated primary energy coefficients, the emission reduction values have been adjusted for additional emissions resulting from the generation of electricity in power plants.

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Evaluating the Potential for Combustion of Biofuels in Grate Furnaces

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13081951 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 1951 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Małgorzata Wzorek

Keyword(s):

Sewage Sludge ◽

Combustion Process ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Biomass Combustion ◽

Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽

Hard Coal ◽

Meat And Bone Meal ◽

Bone Meal ◽

Coal Slime ◽

The Impact

The paper assesses the impact of combustion of biofuels produced based on municipal sewage sludge in stoker-fired boilers on the amount of pollutant emissions and examines the tendency of ash deposition of biofuels formed during the combustion process. The combustion tests were performed in a laboratory system enabling simulation of a combustion process present in stoker-fired boilers. The study was conducted for three types of biofuels; i.e., fuel from sewage sludge and coal slime (PBS fuel), sewage sludge and meat and bone meal (PBM fuel) and fuel based on sewage sludge and sawdust (PBT) with particle size of 35 mm and 15 mm. This paper describes and compares the combustion process of biofuels with different granulation and composition and presents the results of changes in emission values of NOx, SO2, CO, and CO2. The emission results were compared with the corresponding results obtained during combustion of hard coal. The results showed that biofuels with lower particle sizes were ignited faster and the shortest ignition time is achieved for fuel based on sewage sludge and coal slime-PBS fuel. Also, the highest NO and SO2 emissions were obtained for PBS fuel. During the combustion of fuel based on sewage sludge and meat and bone meal (PBM), on the other hand, the highest CO2 emissions were observed for both granulations. Biofuels from sludge show a combustion process that is different compared to the one for hard coal. The problems of ash fouling, slagging, and deposition during biofuels combustion were also identified. The tendency for ash slagging and fouling is observed, especially for fuel from sewage sludge and meat and bone meal (PBM) and fuel based on sewage sludge and sawdust (PBT) ashes which consist of meat and bone meal and sawdust which is typical for biomass combustion.

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Enhanced atmospheric oxidizing capacity in simulating air quality with updated emission inventories for power plants especially for haze periods over East China

10.5194/acp-2017-127 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Lei Zhang ◽

Tianliang Zhao ◽

Sunling Gong ◽

Shaofei Kong ◽

Lili Tang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Power Plants ◽

Emission Inventory ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Atmospheric Environment ◽

Pollutant Emission ◽

East China ◽

Emission Inventories

Abstract. Air pollutant emissions play a determinant role in deteriorating air quality. However, an uncertainty in emission inventories is still the key problem for modeling air pollution. In this study, an updated emission inventory of coal-fired power plants (UEIPP) based on online monitoring data in Jiangsu province of East China for the year of 2012 was implemented in the widely used Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC). By employing the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem), two simulations were executed to assess the atmospheric environmental change by using the original MEIC emission inventory and the MEIC inventory with the UEIPP. A synthetic analysis shows that (1) compared to the power emissions of MEIC, PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and NOx were lower, and CO, black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC) and NMVOCs were higher in the UEIPP, reflecting a large discrepancy in the power emissions over East China; (2) In accordance with the changes of UEIPP, the modeled concentrations were reduced for SO2 and NO2, and increased for most areas of primary OC, BC and CO, whose concentrations in atmosphere are highly dependent on emission changes. (3) Interestingly, when the UEIPP was used, the atmospheric oxidizing capacity significantly reinforced, reflecting by increased oxidizing agents, e.g. O3 and OH, thus directly strengthened the chemical production from SO2 and NOx to sulfate and nitrate, which offset the reduction of primary PM2.5 emissions especially in the haze days. This study indicated the importance of updating air pollutant emission inventories in simulating the complex atmospheric environment changes with the implications on air quality and environmental changes.

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Impact of Control Measures on Nitrogen Oxides, Sulfur Dioxide and Particulate Matter Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants in Anhui Province, China

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos10010035 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 35 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Haitao Dai ◽

Dawei Ma ◽

Renbin Zhu ◽

Bowen Sun ◽

Jun He

Keyword(s):

Particulate Matter ◽

Sulfur Dioxide ◽

Nitrogen Oxides ◽

River Basin ◽

Power Plants ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Control Measures ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Huai River ◽

The Impact

Anhui is one of the highest provincial emitters of air pollutants in China due to its large coal consumption in coal-fired plants. In this study, the total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM) from coal-fired power plants in Anhui were investigated to assess the impact of control measures on the atmospheric emissions based upon continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS). The total NOx, SO2 and PM emissions significantly decreased from 2013 to 2017 and they were estimated at 24.5 kt, 14.8 kt and 3.0 kt in 2017, respectively. The emission reductions of approximately 79.0%, 70.1% and 81.2% were achieved in 2017 compared with a 2013 baseline, respectively, due to the application of high-efficiency emission control measures, including the desulfurization, denitration and dust-removing devices and selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The NOx, SO2 and PM emission intensities were 0.125 g kWh−1, 0.076 g kWh−1 and 0.015 g kWh−1 in 2017, respectively, which were lower than the average of national coal-fired units. The coal-fired units with ≥600 MW generated 80.6% of the total electricity amount while they were estimated to account for 70.5% of total NOx, 70.1% of total SO2 and 71.9% of total PM. Their seasonal emissions showed a significant correlation to the power generation with the maximum correlation found in summer (July and August) and winter (January and December). The major regional contributors are the cities along the Huai River Basin and Yangtze River Basin, such as Huainan, Huaibei, Tongling, Maanshan and Wuhu, and the highest emission occurred in Huainan, accounting for approximately 26–40% of total emission from all the power plants. Our results indicated that the application of desulfurization, denitration and dust-removing devices has played an important role in controlling air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants.

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Assessing the impact of clean air action on air quality trends in Beijing using a machine learning technique

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-19-11303-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (17) ◽

pp. 11303-11314 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Tuan V. Vu ◽

Zongbo Shi ◽

Jing Cheng ◽

Qiang Zhang ◽

Kebin He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Air Quality ◽

Action Plan ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Assessment Process ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Ambient Air Quality ◽

Clean Air ◽

The Impact

Abstract. A 5-year Clean Air Action Plan was implemented in 2013 to reduce air pollutant emissions and improve ambient air quality in Beijing. Assessment of this action plan is an essential part of the decision-making process to review its efficacy and to develop new policies. Both statistical and chemical transport modelling have been previously applied to assess the efficacy of this action plan. However, inherent uncertainties in these methods mean that new and independent methods are required to support the assessment process. Here, we applied a machine-learning-based random forest technique to quantify the effectiveness of Beijing's action plan by decoupling the impact of meteorology on ambient air quality. Our results demonstrate that meteorological conditions have an important impact on the year-to-year variations in ambient air quality. Further analyses show that the PM2.5 mass concentration would have broken the target of the plan (2017 annual PM2.5<60 µg m−3) were it not for the meteorological conditions in winter 2017 favouring the dispersion of air pollutants. However, over the whole period (2013–2017), the primary emission controls required by the action plan have led to significant reductions in PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO from 2013 to 2017 of approximately 34 %, 24 %, 17 %, 68 %, and 33 %, respectively, after meteorological correction. The marked decrease in PM2.5 and SO2 is largely attributable to a reduction in coal combustion. Our results indicate that the action plan has been highly effective in reducing the primary pollution emissions and improving air quality in Beijing. The action plan offers a successful example for developing air quality policies in other regions of China and other developing countries.

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Oil and gas impacts on air quality in federal lands in the Bakken region: an overview of the Bakken Air Quality Study and first results

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-15-28749-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (20) ◽

pp. 28749-28792 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. J. Prenni ◽

D. E. Day ◽

A. R. Evanoski-Cole ◽

B. C. Sive ◽

A. Hecobian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Power Plants ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Quality Data ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Horizontal Drilling ◽

Federal Lands ◽

Pollutant Concentrations ◽

Quality Study ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The Bakken formation contains billions of barrels of oil and gas trapped in rock and shale. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing methods have allowed for extraction of these resources, leading to exponential growth of oil production in the region over the past decade. Along with this development has come an increase in associated emissions to the atmosphere. Concern about potential impacts of these emissions on federal lands in the region prompted the National Park Service to sponsor the Bakken Air Quality Study over two winters in 2013–2014. Here we provide an overview of the study and present some initial results aimed at better understanding the impact of local oil and gas emissions on regional air quality. Data from the study, along with long term monitoring data, suggest that while power plants are still an important emissions source in the region, emissions from oil and gas activities are impacting ambient concentrations of nitrogen oxides and black carbon and may dominate recent observed trends in pollutant concentrations at some of the study sites. Measurements of volatile organic compounds also definitively show that oil and gas emissions were present in almost every air mass sampled over a period of more than four months.

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The The impact of Cirebon coal-fired power plants on water quality in Mundu Bay, Cirebon Regency

Sustinere Journal of Environment and Sustainability ◽

10.22515/sustinere.jes.v4i3.114 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 189-204

Author(s):

Millary Agung Widiawaty ◽

Nurhanifah Nurhanifah ◽

Arif Ismail ◽

Moh. Dede

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Power Plant ◽

Chlorophyll A ◽

Power Plants ◽

Field Measurements ◽

Landsat 8 ◽

Marine Biota ◽

Coastal Morphology ◽

The Impact

The presence of Cirebon coal-fired power plant I and II caused negative effects to coastal morphology and the quality of marine waters. This also have negative impacts to the fisherman around that sea. This study aims to examine the impact of the Cirebon coal-fired power plant on the water quality of Mundu Bay, Cirebon Regency. Water quality is determined based on total suspended solids (TSS), sea surface temperatures (SST), chlorophyll-A, and salinity in the range 1999 – 2019. Data collection was carried out using satellite imagery of Landsat-5 TM, Landsat- 7 ETM+, and Landsat-8 OLI verified with in-situ field measurements, Sentinel-2 A MSI, and MODIS Aqua imageries. Changes in water quality due to the infrastructure of the two power plants are known through the Mann-Whitney U-Test and Spearman’s correlation analysis. This research shows that two Cirebon coal-fired power plant has a significant effect on changes in the quality of Mundu Bay waters. Changes in water quality are shown by a significant increase in TSS concentrations and SST values accompanied by a decrease in chlorophyll-A levels and salinity levels. Changes in the quality of these waters also disrupt marine biota habitat and cause fishermen in around are difficult to get the ideal catchment yield.

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