Application of fault tree approach for the causation mechanism of urban haze in Beijing--Considering the risk events related with exhausts of coal combustion.
Haze weather has become a serious environmental pollution problem which occurs in many Chinese cities. One of the most critical factors for the formation of haze weather is the exhausts of coal combustion, thus it is meaningful to figure out the causation mechanism between urban haze and the exhausts of coal combustion. Based on above considerations, the fault tree analysis (FAT) approach was employed for the causation mechanism of urban haze in Beijing by considering the risk events related with the exhausts of coal combustion for the first time. Using this approach, firstly the fault tree of the urban haze causation system connecting with coal combustion exhausts was established; consequently the risk events were discussed and identified; then, the minimal cut sets were successfully determined using Boolean algebra; finally, the structure, probability and critical importance degree analysis of the risk events were completed for the qualitative and quantitative assessment. The study results proved that the FTA was an effective and simple tool for the causation mechanism analysis and risk management of urban haze in China.
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, PR China. Electronic address: huangwq@dgut.edu.cn.
Weiqing
W
Huang
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, PR China.
Hongbo
H
Fan
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, PR China.
Yongfu
Y
Qiu
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, PR China.
Zhiyu
Z
Cheng
School of Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, PR China.
Yu
Y
Qian
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000068476:Beijing; D003031:Coal; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D003031:Coal; D052638:Particulate Matter
Causation mechanism; Coal combustion; Fault tree analysis; Haze