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Assessment of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants in the Ambient Air in Al Mirfa City, United Arab Emirates

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Assessment of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants in the Ambient Air in Al Mirfa City, United Arab Emirates Journal of Environmental Protection, 2012, 3, 640-647 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jep.2012.37077 Published Online July 2012 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/jep) Assessment of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants in the Ambient Air in Al Mirfa City, United Arab Emirates Entisar Al Katheeri, Fadi Al Jallad, Muthanna Al Omar National Energy and Water Research Centre, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Email: [email protected] Received March 16th, 2012; revised April 17th, 2012; accepted May 20th, 2012 ABSTRACT From 2007-2009, National Energy and Water Research Center (NEWRC) on behalf of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) conducted a long term baseline study of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3) and particulate matter <10 μm in diameter (PM10) using ambient air quality station located in the vicinity of Al Mirfa power plant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The objective of this study was to es- tablish baseline levels and study the behavior of airborne pollutants from natural as well as anthropogenic origins with temporal variations. The study reveals that the average hourly values for NO2, SO2, and 8 hour average of CO were 3 within the acceptable levels of 400, 300 and 30,000 µg/m respectively, whereas the levels of O3 as 8 hour average (<200 μg/Nm3) and PM10 (<150 μg/Nm3) occasionally exceeded the FEA permissible limits during the study period. Seasonal variation based on three years data reveals that the highest concentration of NO2 and SO2 were during winter and for CO and O3 during summer months. Results indicate that the levels of SO2 and CO were significantly controlled and improved while the fuel combustion of Al Mirfa power plant had increased from 2007 to 2009. Dust has signifi- cantly impact on the air quality by elevated levels of PM10 exceed in several instances associated with regional sand- storm during the monitoring period. Keywords: Ambient Air Quality Monitoring; Seasonal Variations; Sandstorm 1. Introduction The impact of power generation on ambient air quality has been investigated by many authors including the role Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE lies on a T-shaped island of power generation in air pollution [5]. Despite knowing jutting into the Arabian Gulf from the central western coast. Rapid economic, industrial, and population growth that the anthropogenic ambient air pollution, in particular in the UAE for the past 40 years has led to the burning of particulate matter (PM), causes a considerable public more fossil fuel for power generation and subsequent health impact in the UAE in terms of premature deaths as releases of air pollutants into the air environment. Air major causes [6], the studies on air quality monitoring pollutants that have been identified as an indicator of air are restricted to few. An author reported air pollutants, quality by the United States Environmental Protection H2S. NOX, NO2, NO, SO2, O3, CO, and HC, at various locations in Bahrain and found that most pollutants are at Agency (USEPA) are nitrogen oxides (NO2), sulphur lower levels compared with standards [7]. In Al Mirfa oxides (SO2), carbon monoxides (CO), ozone (O3), par- ticulate matter (PM10) and lead (Pb). SO2, NO2, CO and City, located in the western region of Abu Dhabi, UAE, a PM10 are well recognized as sources emitted from the power generation and desalination plant provides the combustion of fuels used in power and desalination local populace with electricity and water. Air emissions plants. The impact of emissions from power generation (solid or liquid particles and gases) contaminate the en- plants on ambient air quality that cause air pollution has vironment and result in chronic (arising from long-term been an area of concern and a focus of study during re- exposure) or acute (due to accidents) health conse- cent years [1]. Therefore, ambient air monitoring of po- quences on living populations and the ecosystem. This tentially harmful levels of pollutants is of paramount research study was conducted to determine the levels of importance. The attention to the exposure to elevated SO2, NO2, CO, O3 and PM10 in the vicinity of Al Mirfa pollutants concentrations for long continued exposure power plant and whether the levels of any of these pol- has increased due to wide range of adverse effects of air lutants exceeded permissible limits as specified by the pollutants on ecological system and human health [2-4]. laws of the UAE Federal Environment Agency [8] Copyright © 2012 SciRes. JEP Assessment of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants in the Ambient air in Al Mirfa City, United Arab Emirates 641 Table 1. Ambient air quality standards stated by UAE-FEA, along with the detection principle for each pollutant. Substance Max. Allowable Limits (μg/Nm3) Avg. Time Experimental Method 350 1 hour Sulfur Dioxide 150 24 hour UV fluorescence 60 1 year 30 (mg/Nm3) 1 hour Carbon Monoxide Non-dispersive infra-red 10 (mg/Nm3) 8 hour 400 1 hour Nitrogen Dioxide Chemiluminescence 150 24 hour 200 1 hour Ozone UV Photometry 120 8 hour Particulate Matter 150 24 hour Beta attenuation μg: microgram; mg: milligram; Nm3: Normal cubic meter. (Table 1) in addition to identify impact of regional sand- continues gas and particulate monitors along with mete- storm on PM10 in Al Mirfa (Figure 1). orological sensors for automatic operation and measure- ments. Five minutes average values are logged continu- 2. Pollution Sources ously for 24 hours a day throughout the year during 2007-2009. Raw data are retrieved simultaneously by Major pollution source in the study area is Mirfa plant which is located about 4 km upwind of town, and advanced central Data Acquisition System (DAS) oper- equipped with four gas turbines that each has a capacity ated by National Energy and Water Research Center of 48 MW. The plant consists of 12 stacks with an aver- (NEWRC), where rigorous and comprehensive Quality age height of 60 m from the ground level. The facility Control/Quality Assurance (QA/QC) programs are im- also has a distillation plant with a maximum capacity of plemented to ensure the high quality of collected data 37.7 million gallons per day (MGD). The distillation which obtained for about 90% of the study period. Table plant runs continuously on natural gas and occasionally 1 summarizes the principle of operation for the ambient on fuel oil. In 2008, the plant burned 18,090 MSCFof gas air quality monitoring. and 14,238 gallons of fuel oil [7]. 4. Characteristic of Air Quality Parameters 3. Measurements Techniques The need to investigate ambient air quality appears Ambient Air Monitoring station (AQMS) provided with paramount especially when bearing in mind the envi- ronmental impacts of air pollutants from major air emis- sion sources that can affect local and regional air quality. The dispersion and ground level concentrations of these emissions are determined by a complex interaction of the physical characteristics of plant stacks, physical, chemi- cal characteristics of the emissions, meteorological con- ditions at or near the site during the time the emissions travel from the stack to the ground level receptor, topog- raphical conditions of the plant site and surrounding areas, and the nature of receptors (e.g. people, agriculture, and vegetation). Fast economic development and growth congregated in Abu Dhabi from past four decades lead- ing to more fossil fuel consumption and subsequently to considerable release of air pollutants. Data from Al Mirfa power plant shows considerable increase in fuel con- Figure 1. Location of ambient air quality monitoring station sumption from 2005-2009. During normal operation in Al Mirfa city, United Arab Emirates. conditions the fuel used in Al Mirfa plant contains 5 μg/l Copyright © 2012 SciRes. JEP 642 Assessment of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants in the Ambient air in Al Mirfa City, United Arab Emirates of sulfur. Air pollutants that have been used as indicators during winter and spring while the lowest values pre- of air quality identify six pollutants namely as Nitrogen vailed during the summer (Figure 2). The mean value of 3 oxides (NOX), Sulfur oxides (SOX), Carbon monoxide NO2 in winter (14.44 µg/m ) showed a 22% reduction 3 (CO), Ozone (O3), Particulate matter (PM10) and lead (Pb) from the summer value (11.12 µg/m ). The trend of re- [9]. The standards for these pollutants are based on crite- spective higher and lower values of NO2 during winter ria related to health and environmental effects. With the and summer could be attributed to an enhanced oxidation exception of Pb all criteria pollutants are continuously process [11], where a reduction in photochemical reac- monitored at Al Mirfa AAQM station. However, the am- tions occur between NO2 and hydroxyl (OH) radicals that bient concentrations of Pb is expected to be in extremely form nitric acid (HNO3) [12]. This trend was also ob- low levels since this pollutant is mainly emitted from served in many studies on ambient air quality monitoring vehicles which are completely run by unleaded high [11,12]. grade petrol. In air quality research, information on met- rological data has significant importance. Dispersion and 5.2. Carbon Monoxide (CO) dissipation of pollutants are usually involve atmospheric CO levels vary within a range of 0.01 - 5.73 mg/m3 with mixing, settling and deposition which are greatly affected respective mean values of 0.67, 1.09, 0.57 mg/m3 during by the degree of turbulence in air [10] and the latter in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. Seasonal variation of turn depend on weather conditions (as temperature and CO at the Al Mirfa site exhibited a distinct cycle with wind speed), the movement of high and low pressure maximum values in summer and minimum values in systems and their interaction with the local topography.
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