Air quality impact of particulate matter (PM₁₀) releases from an industrial source

This study is the initial air quality modeling application to investigate the atmospheric dispersion of particulate matter (PM₁₀) released from an industrial plant in a mid-sized city in the northwestern region of Turkey. The study aims to determine how an industrial application might affect air pollution levels in the urban area of that city. Different types of PM₁₀ emission sources at the plant were analyzed to determine their contribution to the overall PM₁₀ level. The main concern of the study was to define whether the PM₁₀ emission from the plant produced any air quality effects on the nearby hospital and downtown area. According to the modeling result, the maximum daily PM₁₀ concentration was observed mostly in the southern part of the plant. The highest daily downwind PM₁₀ was estimated to be 286.3 μg m⁻³, while the annual mean of downwind PM₁₀ concentration was estimated to be 72.6 μg m⁻³. It was found that the highest PM₁₀ was emitted from the line source (282.2 μg m⁻³)—located at the south and southwest of the plant—that has been continuously used for hauling raw materials to the cement plant. In this study, the hauling roads (as a line source) were the hot-spot at the plant and needed serious maintenance for the reduction of PM₁₀ emissions from the plant. In the study area, a sensitive community state facility was subject to be considered an environmental concern since the central hospital complex was located nearby the PM₁₀ source. For this purpose, the American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD) was followed to determine whether the plant caused any severe PM₁₀ effect on the central hospital. The results indicate that the maximum hourly PM₁₀ concentrations were predicted as 20 μg m⁻³ for the central hospital area. Overall, the modeled PM₁₀ concentrations from the source at different time scales and locations did not exceed the national air quality limits in the area.