University of Engineering and

Technology Lahore

Environment and Safety

Che-451

Air Pollution
 From lecture 2

Another classification of pollution

 Air pollution
Soil pollution
Radiation pollution
 Thermal pollution
 Water pollution
 Noise pollution

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 Learning objectives
 To introduce air pollution.
 To study impact of petroleum industry air
pollutants.
 To study treatment of emissions of petroleum
industry.
 To study criteria air pollutants
 To study about sources and effects of criteria
pollutants.

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 Air pollution
• Contamination of air with various pollutants
such as hydrocarbons, H2S, SOx, NOx, CO, CO2
and particulate matter is called air pollution.
• These pollutants are named as air pollutants.

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 Classification of air pollutants
 Primary air pollutants
Pollutant that directly enter into the atmosphere
due to natural or other activities.
Examples: CO, CO2, SO2, VOCs, particulate matter
 Secondary pollutants
These are formed by the reaction of primary
pollutants.
 Examples: SO2 forms SO3 by reacting with O2 and
SO3 is converted to H2SO4 by reaction with H2O.
 HNO3 and ozone.
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Classification of air pollutants

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 Sources of emitted pollutants
(In terms of activities)

 Emissions due to burning of fuel

 Forest fires
 Volcanic eruptions
 Industrial activities
 Soil erosion

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 Sources of air pollutants
(In terms of industries)

 Various chemical industries

 Mining Industries
 Petroleum industries
 Automobiles
 Power plants
 Agrochemical industry

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 Major air pollutants
 Oxides of carbon
 CO
 CO2
 Oxides of nitrogen
 NO
 NO2
 Oxides of sulfur
 SO2
 H2S
 Ozone
 Hydrocarbon
 Particulates
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Effects of air pollution (From previous
lecture)
 Acid rain
 Green house effect and Global warming
 Depletion of ozone
 Smog (smoke+fog*) formation

Fog*: droplets of condensed water vapours

suspended in air.

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Air pollution w.r.t. petroleum industry

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 Air emission
 A wide variety of air pollutants are generated and emitted
during the processes of finding and producing petroleum.
These include
 Primarily oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Methane, chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs), benzene, phenol, carbon
tetrachloride, formaldehyde etc
 Oxides of sulfur (SOx)
 Partially burnt hydrocarbons
 VOC also emitted during regeneration of glycol during natural
gas dehydration
 Use of Halogen gases (Bromotrifluoromethane, CBrF3) at many
drilling and production sites for fire suppression, released to
atmosphere and cause depletion of ozone.

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 Emission from combustion
Internal combustion engines are used to power
drilling and production activities which include
drilling rigs, compressors and pumps.
Fuels used include diesel or natural gas.
Two primary pollutants emitted include
 Oxides of nitrogen and partially burnt hydrocarbons.
 At high combustion temperatures molecular oxygen
dissociates into individual oxygen atoms and readily
reacts with atmospheric nitrogen to form NOx.
 Partially burnt hydrocarbons emitted due to incorrect
fuel/air mixture.
Heaters, steam boilers etc. also generate CO, CO2 .
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 Emission from operations
 Large number of operations release various
VOCs.
 Fixed roof tanks, wastewater tanks, and casing gas.
 VOCs emission from open tanks, sumps (container in
which oil drains), and pits depending on ambient
temperature, exposed area and nature of
hydrocarbons.
 Loss during transfer of oil from tanks to trucks.

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 Fugitive* emissions
 Loss of hydrocarbons from production system
through leaking components.
 Valves, flanges, pumps, compressors and
connections etc. but valve are the major
contributors.
 Occurs due to improper fit, wear and tear, and
corrosion of equipment.

Fugitive*: emissions rising from leakage.

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 Emissions from site remediation
 Release from the cleanup of petroleum
contaminated sites.
 Usually three technologies are practiced that include
soil extraction, vacuum extraction, and air stripping.
 Vacuum extraction involves the drilling a well through
the contaminated soil and pulling a vacuum in the well.
 Vacuum extraction has a benefit that soil is treated in
place but can take weeks to months.
 Treatment of contaminated water through air stripping
to remove VOCs present in water.

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 Impact of air pollutants
 Soiling or chemical deterioration of surfaces.
 For plants,
 Damage to chlorophyll and disruption of
photosynthesis.
 Accumulation of SO2 in soil leading to lower pH
and modifying soil nutrient balance.
 Impact of SO2 and some hydrocarbons (ethene)
was even at 0.03 and 0.05 ppm, respectively.

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 Impact of air pollutants
For humans and animals,
 Irritation and damage to respiratory system.
 Some organic hydrocarbons leads to chronic
diseases such as cancer, lungs diseases.
1ppm concentration of SO2 can cause constriction
of airways in the respiratory tracts of humans.

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 Treatments of air emissions
 During production and drilling activities,
various pollutants are released which include
 Hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and
particulates.

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 Treatments of air emissions
Hydrocarbons treatment
 Primary source is the exhaust from engines, it can not
be reduced except operating engine within their
design specifications.
 Vapor phase in production tanks can have VOCs,
these can be collected and treated.
 Fugitive emissions rising from leaking valves and
fittings, can be avoided by replacing the leaked ones.
 Emissions from remediation projects of hydrocarbon-
contaminated sites can contain volatile hydrocarbons.
These can be collected through adsorption,
absorption or sometimes via catalytic oxidation.

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 Treatments of air emissions
 Sulfur oxides
 Generated by combustion of fuel containing the
sulfur, can be removed via scrubber.
 It can also be avoided by using the low sulfur fuel.

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 Treatments of air emissions
 Nitrogen oxides
 Generated from high-temperature combustion and
combustion of crude containing nitrogen.
 These emission are difficult to control and require
special equipment.
 Low NOx burners, selective catalytic reduction
devices.
 Amount of nitrogen oxides emitted can also be
lowered by reducing the amount of oxygen in the
combustion process, but at the same time it increases
the partially burnt hydrocarbons.

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 Treatments of air emissions
 Particulates
 Many combustion operations emit partially burnt
hydrocarbon particulates from incomplete
combustion.
 Particulates can be removed by passing the flue
gas through a scrubber, where
the particulates become entrained in the water.

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 Criteria Air Pollutants
 Commonly found air pollutants named as criteria
pollutants by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
 EPA has put National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) for these polluants based on human health or
environment based criteria.
 Carbon monoxide
 Nitrogen dioxide
 Sulfur dioxide
Ozone
 Particulate matter (<10 micrometer)
 Lead
 Photochemical oxidants
 Volatile organic compounds
 Hydrocarbons
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 Carbon Monoxide (CO)
 Colorless, odorless, tasteless gas and is most
abundant criteria pollutant.
 Released from incomplete combustion of fuels.
 About 70% CO comes from mobile sources in
Europe and USA.
 Effects on human health
 Replace oxygen in blood stream and forms
carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) by reacting with
hemoglobin.
 30 ppm CO can form 2% COHb, which is hazardous.
 Exposure for 8 hours of 50 ppm can form 7.5% of
COHb.
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 Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
Oxides of nitrogen
Nitrogen oxide (NO)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
Nitrogen trioxide (NO3)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Nitrogen pentoxide (N2O5)
Acids of nitrogen
Nitrous acid (HNO2)
Nitric acid (HNO3)
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NOx emissions in the EU in 2011

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 NOx
NOx are produced during combustion of fossil
fuels containing nitrogen compounds.
Thermal NOx are produced due to oxidation of
atmospheric nitrogen at high temperatures of
combustion.
 Mostly NO is produced and converted to NO2
which may lead to HNO2 and HNO3 formation.
2 𝑁𝑂 + 𝑂2 ↔ 2𝑁𝑂2
2 𝑁𝑂2 + 𝐻2𝑂 ↔ 𝐻𝑁𝑂3 + 𝐻𝑁𝑂2

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 NOx
Photochemical smog
 HC* + NOX + sunlight  Photochemical smog
Health effects
 Respirator problems
 Pulmonary (lungs) and bronchial (respiratory)
diseases

• HC*: hydrocarbons

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 Sulphur oxides (SOx)
 Sulfur oxides are the product of fossil fuel combustion
usually oil and coal.
 SOx are also produced by volcanos, forest fires and
biological decays of sulfur containing organic matters.
 Main product is sulfur dioxide (primary) and some sulfur
trioxide (secondary).
 SO2 leads to SO3 formation and finally formingH2SO4.
ℎ𝑣
 SO2 + ½ O2 SO3
ℎ𝑣
 SO3 + H2O H2SO4
 Reduction in forest growth, acid rain (pH<5.6) and
bronchial diseases in human are the main problems.
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Sulphur oxides emission in EU

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 Particulate matter
Particulates - small pieces of solid materials and
liquid droplets
Airborne particulate organic and inorganic matter;
suspended particulate matter, total suspended
particulate, black smoke, haze, fog, mist, PM-10.
PM-10 is a term used by USEPA(United States EPA)
for particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter less
than 10 µm.
 Sea salts, soil dust, volcanic particles, various
industries, power plants fly ash and smoke from
forest fires contribute towards particulate matter.

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Particulate matter

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 Ozone
 Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas composed of three
oxygen atoms.
 It is both a natural and a man-made product that
occurs in the Earth's upper atmosphere (the
stratosphere) and lower atmosphere (the
troposphere), respectively.
 Tropospheric ozone – what we breathe -- is formed
primarily from photochemical reactions between two
major classes of air pollutants, volatile organic
compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX).
HC + NOX + sunlight  Photochemical smog
 Cough, tightness of the chest, a feeling of an inability
to breathe, dry throat, headache and nausea
(vomiting).
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 Photochemical Smog
 Brownish-gray haze*.
 Vital ingredient is sunshine.
 Final products of smog (smoke + fog* ):
 Ozone
 Particulates
 Unreacted hydrocarbons
 Causes reduced visibility, eye irritation and deterioration
of materials.

Haze* reduced visibility as result of condensed water

vapours, dust.
fog* droplets of condensed water vapours suspended in air.

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 Lead
 Heavy metal (M.W. 207 and density 11.34 g/cm3 )
 Bluish grey soft metal
 Tetraethyl lead was used as fuel additives in past.
 Prior to 1986, 80-90% lead in atmosphere was from petrol.
 Important sources of environmental contamination include
mining, smelting, manufacturing and recycling activities, and,
in some countries, the continued use of leaded paint, leaded
gasoline, and leaded aviation fuel.
 Exist in ambient air as particulate matter of size <3 µm.
 30-50% of Inhaled lead lodges on to respiratory system.

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 Lead
Causes brain and nervous system diseases in young
children.
 Increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney
damage in adults.
 It is highly cumulative poison.

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 Volatile organic compounds
 Produced primarily by combustion of fossil fuels.
 Present in vapor state at room temperature.
 A major source of man-made VOCs are solvents, especially
paints and protective coatings.
 Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, nausea (vomiting);
damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system
 Examples of VOCs:
Methane, chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs), benzene, phenol,
carbon tetrachloride, formaldehyde etc.
Methane is most abundant one with 1-6 ppm
concentration.

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 Hydrocarbons

 One specie of VOCs.

 HCs consist of only carbon and hydrogen.
 Methane, one of the green house gas*.
 Alkene are highly reactive with NOx and produce
peroxyacetyl nitrate and ozone.
 Benzene related compounds are carcinogenic (produces
cancer).
 Traffic, production and transportation of crude and
distribution of natural gas are main sources.

Green house Gas* contributing to green house effect i.e.

rise in temperature of atmosphere, like CO2
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 Summary
 Air pollution
 Sources
 Types
 Major pollutants
 Petroleum industry air emissions
 Treatment
• Criteria pollutants
• Sources of criteria pollutants
• Hazards and problems of criteria pollutants

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