title: Source location and characterization of volatile organic compound emissions at a petrochemical plant in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
abstract: This paper elucidated a novel approach to locating volatile organic compound (VOC) emission sources and characterizing their VOCs by database and contour plotting. The target of this survey was a petrochemical plant in Linyan, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. Samples were taken with canisters from 25 sites inside this plant, twice per season, and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The survey covered 1 whole year. By consolidated into a database, the data could be readily retrieved, statistically analyzed, and clearly presented in both table and graph forms. It followed from the cross-analysis of the database that the abundant types of VOCs were alkanes, alkenes/dienes, and aromatics, all of which accounted for 99% of total VOCs. By contour plotting, the emission sources for alkanes, aromatics, and alkenes/ dienes were successfully located. Through statistical analysis, the database could provide the range and 90% confidence interval of each species from each emission source. Both alkanes and alkene/dienes came from tank farm and naphtha cracking units and were mainly composed of C3-C5 members. Regarding aromatics, benzene, toluene, and xylenes were the primary species; they were emitted from tank farm, aromatic units, and xylene units.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering Science and Technology, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chin-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hung Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Chi-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shu
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002617:Chemical Industry; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D010578:Petroleum; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D010578:Petroleum