Design of a compact dilution sampler for stationary combustion sources

The dilution sampling method simulates the rapid cooling and dilution processes after hot flue gas have left the stack. This allows gases or vapors to nucleate both homogeneously and heterogeneously, and to condense on preexisting particles in processes analogous to those that occur in the ambient environment. Using this method the authors can collect filterable particulate matter (PM) and condensible PM, that is, primary PM, simultaneously. In order to make this method more suitable for field investigation, a compact dilution sampler was developed. The sampler enhances mixing of dilution air with the stack gas, and thus shortens the length of the mixing section. The design decreases the nominal flow rate through the aging section, and accordingly reduces the size of the residence chamber. The decreased size of the sampler is suitable for field test. Sampling gas is pressured into the residence chamber, and air pressure in the chamber is micro-positive. Uncollected redundant gas is automatically discharged through unused sampling ports, which keeps the unit stable. Performance evaluation tests demonstrate that the design is reasonable. The sampler has been applied to characterize PM emissions from various combustion sources in China.     

Direct measurement of fugitive emissions of hydrocarbons from a refinery

Refineries are a source of emissions of volatile hydrocarbons that contribute to the formation of smog and ozone. Fugitive emissions of hydrocarbons are difficult to measure and quantify. Currently these emissions are estimated based on standard emission factors for the type and use of equipment installed. Differential absorption light detection and ranging (DIAL) can remotely measure concentration profiles of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere up to several hundred meters from the instrument. When combined with wind speed and direction, downwind vertical DIAL scans can be used to calculate mass fluxes of the measured gas leaving the site. Using a mobile DIAL unit, a survey was completed at a Canadian refinery to quantify fugitive emissions of methane, C2+ hydrocarbons, and benzene and to apportion the hydrocarbon emissions to the various areas of the refinery. Refinery fugitive emissions as measured with DIAL during this demonstration study were 1240 kg/hr of C2+ hydrocarbons, 300 kg/hr of methane, and 5 kg/hr of benzene. Storage tanks accounted for over 50% of the total emissions of C2+ hydrocarbons and benzene. The coker area and cooling towers were also significant sources. The C2+ hydrocarbons emissions measured during the demonstration amounted to 0.17% of the mass of the refinery hydrocarbon throughput for that period. If the same loss were repeated throughout the year, the lost product would represent a value of US$3.1 million/yr (assuming US$40/bbl). The DIAL-measured hourly emissions of C2+ hydrocarbons were 15 times higher than the emission factor estimates and gave a different perspective on which areas of the refinery were the main source of emissions. Methods, such as DIAL, that can directly measure fugitive emissions would improve the effectiveness of efforts to reduce emissions, quantify the reduction in emissions, and improve the accuracy of emissions data that are reported to regulators and the public.     

Calculation of concentration of aerosol particles around a slot sampler

A mathematical model and numerical procedure are proposed for investigation of aspiration efficiency and the particle concentration field around a slot sampler in a moving gas. A potential-flow model for the carrier gas and a Lagrangian method for calculation of particle trajectories and concentration are employed. The particle concentration patterns around the slot and at the sampler inlet are studied. The dependence of the aspiration efficiency on the ratio of the wind and sampling velocities is analyzed. It is shown that the local aspiration efficiency calculated on the symmetry axis of the slot gives satisfactory approximation for the integral aspiration efficiency.     

Calibration of a diffusion sampler used for the measurement of unattached radon daughter products

A diffusion sampler for the collection of unattached radon daughter products has been calibrated and found to have an efficiency of about 90% at a flow rate of 11 min ⁻¹. Previous lower efficiencies appear to have been caused by insufficient precautions in excluding aerosols from the calibration systems. Studies show that diffusion samplers can conveniently be used for investigation of the formation of radiolytic aerosols in filtered gases and air, and of the attachment of radon daughter atoms or ions to aerosols.     

湖北孝感不同类型扬尘中黑碳的污染特征及来源分析

在湖北孝感采集5种不同类型扬尘(道路尘 、大气降尘 、堆场尘 、土壤尘和建筑尘)样品45个,并采用热光反射法测定其黑碳(BC)、焦炭和烟炱浓度.结果表明:(1)孝感扬尘中BC质量浓度为0.02～10.65 g/kg,平均值为1.45 g/kg,BC平均值表现为道路尘>土壤尘>建筑尘>大气降尘>堆场尘.(2)BC和总有机...     

远距离多通道的无组织排放VOCs连续在线监测系统

研制了一套远距离多通道VOCs连续采样在线监测系统.监测系统主要由远距离多通道VOCs连续采样装置与真空紫外灯单光子电离源飞行时间质谱仪组成.通过PAMS与有机硫标准气体对该系统进行了性能表征测试.结果表明:各物质连续7次实验RSD≤7％;最优检测限为0.004 μmol?mol-1;在0.01～1.00 μmol?m...     

Polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) uptake rates for 17 polar pesticides and degradation products: laboratory calibration

Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) are useful for monitoring a wide range of chemicals, including polar pesticides, in water bodies. However, few calibration data are available, which limits the use of these samplers for time-weighted average concentration measurements in an aquatic medium. This work deals with the laboratory calibration of the pharmaceutical configuration of a polar organic chemical integrative sampler (pharm-POCIS) for calculating the sampling rates of 17 polar pesticides (1.15?≤?logK _ow?≤?3.71) commonly found in water. The experiment, conducted for 21 days in a continuous water flow-through exposure system, showed an integrative accumulation of all studied pesticides for 15 days. Three compounds (metalaxyl, azoxystrobine, and terbuthylazine) remained integrative for the 21-day experiment. The sampling rates measured ranged from 67.9 to 279 mL?day^?1 and increased with the hydrophobicity of the pesticides until reaching a plateau where no significant variation in sampling rate is observed when increasing the hydrophobicity.     

An autonomous aerosol sampler/elemental analyzer designed for ocean buoys and remote land sites

An autonomous aerosol sampler/elemental analyzer, that employs energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to determine the elemental (Fe, Si, S, Ca and K) concentrations of aerosols in near real time, has been designed, built and successfully tested on a roof. The ultimate technical goal is to deploy a buoy-mounted aerosol sampler/analyzer in order to make the long-term measurements necessary to quantify the deposition of mineral dust to the oceans. A major scientific goal is to address the question of enhanced biological production due to the release of dissolved iron from the deposition of mineral dust. Design and operating features are discussed and illustrated. This instrument has the sensitivity to measure the concentrations of mineral dust and Fe over the oceans with a time resolution of a few days during periods of moderate to high dust deposition.     

Validation of a test method for the measurement of methanol emissions from stationary sources

Title III of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments designated methanol as a pollutant to be regulated. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through a contract with Research Triangle Institute, has developed a method for measuring methanol emissions from stationary sources. The methanol sampling train (MST) consists of a glass-lined heated probe, two condensate knockout traps, and three sorbent cartridges packed with Anasorb 747. Samples are desorbed with a 1:1 mixture of carbon disulfide (CS2) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Condensate water and CS2/ DMF samples are analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The MST has a practical quantitation limit of approximately 3 ppm for a 20-L sample. Samples were shown to be stable for at least two weeks after collection. Field tests of the MST and the National Council of the Paper Industry for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) methanol sampling method were conducted at two pulp and paper mills. Sampling and analysis procedures followed EPA Method 301 requirements. The sampling location for the first field test was the inlet vent to a softwood bleach plant scrubber, where the methanol concentration was approximately 30 ppm. The mean recovery of spike was 108.3% for the MST method and 81.6% for the NCASI method. Although neither method showed significant bias at the 95% confidence level, the between-methods bias was significantly different. A second field test was conducted at a vent from a black liquor oxidation tank where the methanol concentration was approximately 350 ppm. Mean spike recoveries were 96.6 and 94.2% for the MST and NCASI methods, respectively. The biases of the two methods and the between-methods bias were not significantly different for the second field test.     

Monitoring of PM10 and PM2.5 around primary particulate anthropogenic emission sources

Investigations on the monitoring of ambient air levels of atmospheric particulates were developed around a large source of primary anthropogenic particulate emissions: the industrial ceramic area in the province of Castelló (Eastern Spain). Although these primary particulate emissions have a coarse grain-size distribution, the atmospheric transport dominated by the breeze circulation accounts for a grain-size segregation, which results in ambient air particles occurring mainly in the 2.5–10 μm range. The chemical composition of the ceramic particulate emissions is very similar to the crustal end-member but the use of high Al, Ti and Fe as tracer elements as well as a peculiar grain-size distribution in the insoluble major phases allow us to identify the ceramic input in the bulk particulate matter. PM2.5 instead of PM10 monitoring may avoid the interference of crustal particles without a major reduction in the secondary anthropogenic load, with the exception of nitrate. However, a methodology based in PM2.5 measurement alone is not adequate for monitoring the impact of primary particulate emissions (such as ceramic emissions) on air quality, since the major ambient air particles derived from these emissions are mainly in the range of 2.5–10 μm. Consequently, in areas characterised by major secondary particulate emissions, PM2.5 monitoring should detect anthropogenic particulate pollutants without crustal particulate interference, whereas PM10 measurements should be used in areas with major primary anthropogenic particulate emissions.     

Open-path tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy for acquisition of fugitive emission flux data

Air pollutant emission from unconfined sources is an increasingly important environmental issue. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a ground-based optical remote-sensing method that enables direct measurement of fugitive emission flux from large area sources. Open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) has been the primary technique for acquisition of pollutant concentration data used in this emission measurement method. For a number of environmentally important compounds, such as ammonia and methane, open-path tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (OP-TDLAS) is shown to be a viable alternative to Fourier transform spectroscopy for pollutant concentration measurements. Near-IR diode laser spectroscopy systems offer significant operational and cost advantages over Fourier transform instruments enabling more efficient implementation of the measurement strategy. This article reviews the EPA's fugitive emission measurement method and describes its multipath tunable diode laser instrument. Validation testing of the system is discussed. OP-TDLAS versus OP-FTIR correlation testing results for ammonia (R2 = 0.980) and methane (R2 = 0.991) are reported. Two example applications of tunable diode laser-based fugitive emission measurements are presented.     

烟气平均流速自动测量及其自动检测装置

通过对烟道"速度场常数"的研究,提出了利用速度场常数监测烟道烟气平均流速的方法,同时研制出速度场常数自动检测装置.解决了烟道烟气平均流速自动监测的技术难题.经实践检验:所研究的监测方法正确,检测装置结构合理,监测结果稳定、可靠.     

An automatic method for determining the mixing depth from lidar observations

Lidar observations of the atmosphere reveal layers having different concentrations of aerosols. A computer method has been developed to analyze digital records of lidar backscatter in a manner that reveals the presence and heights of significant aerosol layers and the depth of the mixed layer. Boundaries between layers are represented by vertical gradients in the backscatter data. To compute the mixing depth, the backscatter gradients for a given time period (e.g. 10 min) are treated in a two-dimensional height-time array. Positive gradients and negative gradients are organized into groups that are contiguous in space and time. Then an algorithm selects one group as representing the mixing depth, on the basis of the height of each group and the strength of the gradients. Mixing depths determined automatically from the lidar records agreed with subjective estimates of mixing depth (based on data from lidar, radiosondes, and helicopter temperature soundings) 91% of the time for data collected in St. Louis, Missouri during the RAPS program of July and August, 1976. A slightly altered version of the automatic method, applied to lidar observations from the October 1977 AMBIENS experiment in Indiana, was 97% accurate. Real-time application of the method is believed to be feasible.     

Combustion sources of particles: 2. Emission factors and measurement methods

Emissions from the combustion of biomass and fossil fuels are a significant source of particulate matter (PM) in ambient outdoor and/or indoor air. It is important to quantify PM emissions from combustion sources for regulatory and control purposes in relation to air quality. In this paper, we review emission factors for several types of important combustion sources: road transport, industrial facilities, small household combustion devices, environmental tobacco smoke, and vegetation burning. We also review current methods for measuring particle physical characteristics (mass and number concentrations) and principles of methodologies for measuring emission factors. The emission factors can be measured on a fuel-mass basis and/or a task basis. Fuel-mass based emission factors (e.g., g/kg of fuel) can be readily used for the development of emission inventories when the amount of fuels consumed are known. Task-based emission factors (g/mile driven, g/MJ generated) are more appropriate when used to conduct comparisons of air pollution potentials of different combustion devices. Finally, we discuss major shortcomings and limitations of current methods for measuring particle emissions and present recommendations for development of future measurement techniques.     

An analytical method for the measurement of nonviable bioaerosols.

Exposures from indoor environments are a major issue for evaluating total long-term personal exposures to the fine fraction (<2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter) of particulate matter (PM). It is widely accepted in the indoor air quality (IAQ) research community that biocontamination is one of the important indoor air pollutants. Major indoor air biocontaminants include mold, bacteria, dust mites, and other antigens. Once the biocontaminants or their metabolites become airborne, IAQ could be significantly deteriorated. The airborne biocontaminants or their metabolites can induce irritational, allergic, infectious, and chemical responses in exposed individuals. Biocontaminants, such as some mold spores or pollen grains, because of their size and mass, settle rapidly within the indoor environment. Over time they may become nonviable and fragmented by the process of desiccation. Desiccated nonviable fragments of organisms are common and can be toxic or allergenic, depending upon the specific organism or organism component. Once these smaller and lighter fragments of biological PM become suspended in air, they have a greater tendency to stay suspended. Although some bioaerosols have been identified, few have been quantitatively studied for their prevalence within the total indoor PM with time, or for their affinity to penetrate indoors. This paper describes a preliminary research effort to develop a methodology for the measurement of nonviable biologically based PM, analyzing for mold and ragweed antigens and endotoxins. The research objectives include the development of a set of analytical methods and the comparison of impactor media and sample size, and the quantification of the relationship between outdoor and indoor levels of bioaerosols. Indoor and outdoor air samples were passed through an Andersen nonviable cascade impactor in which particles from 0.2 to 9.0 microm were collected and analyzed. The presence of mold, ragweed, and endotoxin was found in all eight size ranges. The presence of respirable particles of mold and pollen found in the fine particle size range from 0.2 to 5.25 microm is evidence of fragmentation of larger source particles that are known allergens.     

An automatic rain gauge for continuous,real time determination of rainwater chemistry

An automatic rain gauge has been developed, capable of collecting rainwater and analysing it continuously for the ions H⁺, NH₄⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, NO₃⁻, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻ and for dissolved H₂O₂. The wet-only rain collector, based on an inverting V-tray arrangement, is mounted on the roof of a small caravan, which contains the analysis equipment. An indirect colorimetric method is used for SO₄²⁻ and a chemiluminescent method for H₂O₂, the other species being determined by ion-selective electrodes. The onset of rain is sensed either by a simple conductivity plate or by a modified float gauge. In addition, equipment is installed to determine simultaneously gas-phase O₃, NO, NO₂ and SO₂ and simple meteorological parameters. Data is recorded on disc by a microcomputer, which also handles automatic calibration and other control functions.The caravan as a whole is a fairly comprehensive, transportable air and rainwater monitoring package. The advantage of the rainwater sampling method is that instantaneous concentrations are measured continuously rather than daily or weekly averages; and that problems of deterioration of stored samples are eliminated.