Investigating the amount of air pollutants produced by Ahvaz Oil and Gas Exploitation Complex No. 3

Subject Areas : Air Pollution

Ali Kashani Saffar ¹ (Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran.)
Hossein Norouzi ² (Assistant professor, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran.)
Nasrin choobkar ³ (Associate professor, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran. *(Corresponding Author))
Lia Shooshtari Kermanshahi ⁴ (Assistant professor, Department of Biotechnology and Plant Breeding, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran.)

Received: 2022-09-11 Accepted : 2022-10-11 Published : 2023-06-22

Keywords: Human Activity, Air pollution, Air Quality Index, oil and gas exploitation,

Abstract :

Background and Objective: Oil and gas production units emit large amounts of air pollutants due to combustion processes and burning of oil and gas wastes and endanger the health of the environment and people. Considering the extent of the activity of this industry in Khuzestan province, in the current study, the range of influence of the flares of the flares of the West Ahvaz oil and gas exploitation complex (number 3) in the winter of 2018 has been investigated.Material and Methodology: To carry out this study, NO2, CO2, SO2, CO gases were measured in four directions: north, south, west and east and at distances of 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 meters by direct reading devices. Findings: NO2, O3, SO2, and CO gas were higher than the standard in the distances near the flare, and PM2.5 and PM10 suspended particles were more than the standard at a distance of 3000 meters from the roads. Regarding PM2.5 and PM10 particles, the results showed that 79.16% of the points were in unhealthy condition for the sensitive and unhealthy groups and 75% of the points were in healthy condition, respectively, more than 83.33% of the measured points in the case of two So2 gas and 75% of the points in CO gas, 66.66% in No2 gas were in very unhealthy condition. Discussion and Conclusion: According to AQI index values, O3 and PM10 were generally unhealthy to very unhealthy, and SO2 gas and PM2.5 particles were in worse condition compared to others.

References:

1. Kumar, S.D., Dash A. 2018. Seasonal variation of air quality index and assessment, Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management. Vol. 4. pp. 483-492.


2. Adebiyi, F.M. 2020. Paraffin wax precipitation/deposition and mitigating measures in oil and gas industry: a review, Petroleu Science and Technology 2020; https://doi.org/10.1080/10916466.2020,2904400.


3. Lyu, X.P., Chen, N., Guo, H., Zhang, W.H., Wang, N., Wang, Y., Liu, M. Ambient volatile organic compounds and their effect on ozone production in Wuhan, central China. Science of the Total Environment. Vol. 541. pp. 200-209.


4. Song, P., Wanga, L., Hui, Y., Li, R. 2015. PM₅ Concentrations Indoors and Outdoors in Heavy Air Pollution Days in winter. Procedia Engineering. Vol. 121. pp.1902–1906.


5. Adebiyi, F.M. Air quality and management in petroleum refining industry: A review. Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology. Vol. 4. pp. 89-96.


6. Cheng, S., Zhang, J., Wang, Y., Zhang, D., Teng, G., Chang-Chien, G.P., Huang, Q., Zhang, Y.B., Yan, P. 2019. Global research trends in health effects of volatile organic compounds during the last 16 years: a bibliometric analysis, Aerosol and Air Quality Research. Vol. 19. pp.1843-1834.


7. Hamid, A., Akhtar, S., Atique, S.A., Huma, Z., Mohay Uddin, S.G., Asghar, S. 2019. Ambient air quality & noise level monitoring of different areas of Lahore (Pakistan) and its health impacts. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. Vol. 28. pp.623–629.


8. Zhang, H., Srinivasan, R.A. 2020. Systematic review of air quality sensors, guidelines, and measurement studies for indoor air quality management. Sustainability. Vol. 12. pp. 9045.


9. 2014. Air quality index (AQI), a guide to air quality and your health. US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Outreach and Information Division Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.


10. Dash, A.K, Dash, S.K. 2017. Atmospheric pollution load assessment through air quality index: A case study.Indian Journal of Environmental Protection. Vol. 37(9). pp. 736-741.


11. Yousefian, F., Faridi, S., Azimi, F., Aghaei, M., Shamsipour, M., Yaghmaeian, K., Hassanvand, M.S.2020. Temporal variations of ambient air pollutants and meteorological influences on their concentrations in Tehran during 2012–2017. Scientific Reports. Vol. 10. pp. 292-303.


12. Tong, X., Ho, J.M.W., Li, Z., Lui, K.H., Kwok, T.C.Y., Tsoi, K.K.F., Ho, K.F. 2020. Prediction model for air particulate matter levels in the households of elderly individuals in Hong Kong. Science of the Total Environment. Vol.717. pp. 135323.


13. Aslam, A., Ibrahim, M., Shahid, I., Mahmood, A., Kashif Irshad, M., Yamin, M., Muhammad Tariq, G., Shamshiri, RR. 2020. Pollution Characteristics of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and Constituent Carbonaceous Aerosols in a South Asian Future Megacity. Applied Sciences. Vol. 10. pp. 8864-8874.


14. 2005. Particulate matter air pollution: how it harms health. Fact sheet EURO/ 04/ 05 B, Copenhagen, Rome.


15. List of air pollutant emissions (caused by man-made sources in Ahvaz metropolis, including compilation and evaluation of emission reduction scenarios). Environ Protec Organiz. (2022). (In Persian)


16. Goudarzi, G., Omidi-Khaniabadi, Y. 2015. Application of Gaussian Model for assessment of particle matter dispersion from Doroud Cement Plant Stack, Lorestan. 3 th Nation Congress of Air and Noise Pollution Management; University of Sanati Sharif Tehran, Iran. (In Persian)


17. Otaru, A., Odigure, J., Okafor, J., Abdulkareem, A. 2013. Model prediction of particulate dispersion from a Cement Mill Stack: Case study of a Cement Plant in Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology. Vol. 2.pp. 97-110.


18. Choomanee, P., Bualert, S., Thongyen, T., Salao, S., Szymanski, W.W., Rungratanaubon, T. 2020. Vertical variation of carbonaceous aerosols with in the PM2.5 fraction in Bangkok, Thailand. Aerosol and Air Quality Research. Vol. 20. pp. 43–52.


19. Corson, S. 2006. Private Transportation Vs Mass Transit. The Environmental ASPECTS.


20. Ideriah, T.J.K., Warmate, A.G., Alabraba, M.A.2008. Effect of Naked Lamp on levels of Air pollutants in Port Harcourt. Nigeria, Research Journal of Applied Sciences. Vol. 3(1). pp. 77-80.


21. Heydari-Nejad, Q., Shuai, M. 2016. Investigating the effect of inter-tunnel chimney geometry on pollutant spreading in the external environment. Madras Mechinchal Engineering Journal. Vol. 17. pp. 22-13 (In Persian).


22. Jackson, W., Lavdas, L., Pitrolo, M., Loberger, D., Kelly, D.N. 2009. Imple smoke dispersion model for prescribed and wildland fires in flat to gently rolling terrain, Help for the User Interface for Vsmoke-Gis and Vsmoke Version 2.2.1.


23. Gurjar, B.R., Butler, T.M., Lawrence, M.G., Lelieveld, J. 2008. Evaluation of emissions and air quality in megacities. Atmospheric Environment. Vol.42. pp. 1593–1606.


24. Khodeir, M., Shamy, M., Alghamdi, M., Zhong, M., Sun, H., Costa, M., Chen, L.C., Maciejczyk, P. 2012. Source apportionment and elemental composition of PM2.5 and PM10 in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia. Atmosphric Pollution Research. Vol. 3. pp. 331–340.


25. Li, C., Chen, P., Kang, S., Yan, F., Hu, Z., Qu, B., Sillanpää, M. 2016. Concentrations and light absorption characteristics of carbonaceous aerosol in PM2.5 and PM10 of Lhasa city, the Tibetan Plateau. Atmospheric Environment. Vol.127. pp.340–346.


26. Sojinu, S.O., Ejeromedoghene, O. 2019. Environmental Challenges Associated with Processing of Heavy Crude Oils, Processing of Heavy Crude Oils - Challenges and Opportunities. Ramasamy Marappa Gounder, IntechOpen, https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen 82605, Available from intechopen.com/chapters/64885.


27. Al-Awadhi, J.M. 2014. Measurement of Air pollution in Kuwait City Using Passive Samplers. Atmospheric and Climate Sciences. Vol. 4. pp. 253-271.


28. Tajuddin Mansouri, S., Zarghami, I. 2021. Explain the Human-Environment Relationship Using a Critique of the Theoretical Foundations of Space Syntax. Human and Environment. Vol. 60. pp. 159-181.