Method of reducing the emission of nitrogen oxides from coke ovens

W artykule przedstawiano problem powstawania i potrzebę ograniczenia emisji tlenków azotu z baterii pieców koksowniczych. Dokonano analizy efektywności i dostępności metod redukcji tlenków azotu z baterii koksowniczych. Wdrożone do praktyki przemysłowej metody redukcji tlenków azotu z baterii pieców koksowniczych oraz realizacja przez operatorów instalacji koksowniczych programów dostosowawczych, przyczynią się do wypełnienia przez baterie pieców koksowniczych wymagań środowiskowych, wynikających z konkluzji BAT.This article tackles the issue of the formation and the need to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides from coke oven batteries. The analysis of effectiveness and availability of methods of reducing nitrogen oxides from coke-oven batteries was carried out. The methods of reducing nitrogen oxides from the cokeoven batteries implemented in industrial practices and the execution of adjustment programmes by operators of coke ovens shall enable the coke oven batteries to fulfill the environmental requirements resulting from the BAT conclusions

Niebezpieczne związki w miejskim pyle zawieszonym w centralnej części Górnego Śląska w zimie

Thirteen fractions of ambient dust were investigated in Zabrze, a typical urban area in the central part of Upper Silesia (Poland), during a heating season. Fifteen PAH and Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, As, Se, Cd, Pb contents of each fraction were determined. The dust was sampled with use of a cascade impactor and chemically analyzed with an energy dispersive X-ray fl uorescence spectrometer (PANalytical Epsilon 5) and a gas chromatograph with a fl ame ionisation detector (Perkin Elmer Clarus 500). The concentrations of PM1 and the PM1-related PAH and elements were much higher than the ones of the coarse dust (PM2.5-10) and the substances contained in it. The concentrations of total PAH and carcinogenic PAH were very high (the concentrations of PM1-, PM2.5-, and PM10-related BaP were 16.08, 19.19, 19.32 ng m-3, respectively). The municipal emission, resulted mainly from hard coal combustion processes, appeared to be the main factor affecting the air quality in Zabrze in winter.Próbki trzynastu frakcji pyłu zawieszonego były pobierane w Zabrzu w okresie grzewczym (centralna część Górnego Śląska, Polska). Punkt poboru jest charakterystyczny dla obszaru miejskiego. Zbadano zawartość 15 WWA oraz Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, As, Se, Cd, Pb w każdej frakcji pyłu. Do poboru pyłu zastosowano impaktor kaskadowy, a do analizy chemicznej – spektrometr fl uorescencji rentgenowskiej z dyspersją energii (PANalytical Epsilon 5) oraz chromatograf gazowy z detektorem płomieniowo-jonizacyjnym (Perkin Elmer Clarus 500). Zarówno stężenia pyłu PM1 jak i stężenia związanych z nim WWA i pierwiastków były znacznie wyższe niż stężenia pyłu grubego (PM2.5-10) i związanych z nim substancji. Stężenia sumy WWA, a w szczególności kancerogennych związków tej grupy były bardzo wysokie (np. stężenia dla BaP związanego z PM1- i PM2.5- oraz PM10- wynosiły odpowiednio: 16.08, 19.19, 19.32 ng m-3). Na podstawie uzyskanych wyników badań dla ww. zanieczyszczeń stwierdzono, że za stan jakości powietrza w Zabrzu, w zimie, odpowiedzialna jest emisja komunalna – stacjonarne źródła spalania, głównie spalanie węgla

Wpływ ruchu drogowego na stężenia trzech frakcji pyłu zawieszonego (PM) i jego główne składniki w dużym mieście Górnego Śląska

The study concerns the assessment of the traffic influence on the concentrations of three particulate matter (PM) fractions and their basic components. The PM samples were collected simultaneously at two receptors in Katowice. The measurement sites represented the so-called urban background and traffi c points. The contents of the organic and elementary carbon as well as water-soluble ions were determined in the samples. It has been observed that the traffic (car engines) pollution emissions enrich the submicron and fine PM particles with the elementary carbon at a typical urban background in southern Poland. On the other hand, the infl uence of the re-suspension of the road and soil dust, caused by traffic, on the concentrations and chemical composition is observed for the coarse PM fraction.W pracy oceniono wpływ ruchu drogowego na stężenia trzech frakcji pyłu i ich podstawowych składników. Próbki pyłu pobrano równolegle w parze receptorów w Katowicach. Jeden z punktów pomiarowych zlokalizowany w punkcie tzw. tła miejskiego; drugi reprezentował tzw. punkt komunikacyjny. W próbkach oznaczono zawartość węgla organicznego i elementarnego oraz jonów rozpuszczalnych w wodzie. Stwierdzono, że w typowym obszarze miejskim południowej Polski wpływ emisji zanieczyszczeń z silników samochodowych ujawnia się w przypadku pyłu submikronowego i drobnego poprzez wzbogacenie ich cząstek w węgiel elementarny. Wpływ resuspensji pyłu drogowego i glebowego wywołanej ruchem samochodowym na kształtowanie stężeń i składu chemicznego widoczny jest natomiast w przypadku frakcji pyłu grubego

Influence of Vehicular Traffic on Ambient Concentration and Mass Size Distribution of Two Fractions of Carbon in an Urban Area Atmospheric Aerosol

Ambient particulate matter (PM) is a component of the natural environment and a certain number of particles that varies with time, having many different properties which also change over time, is constantly present in the air. It can be assumed that the scope of environmental effects of PM is the broadest among all air pollutants: it affects the human health, climate, ecological conditions and visibility. Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) are the two most important components of suspended dust. The continuously increasing road traffic intensity is highly correlated with increasing concentrations of both of these components in the air of urbanized areas all over the world. In spite of this, the amount of data on OC and EC concentrations in Poland is still insufficient, especially in the case of areas located close to busy roads. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of vehicular traffic on ambient concentrations of PM-related OC and EC, and their mass size distribution in a typical urban area of the Upper Silesia. PM samples were collected simultaneously at two sites located in the Katowice city. One of the selected measurement points was situated in the city centre and characterized so-called urban background. The second measurement point, located near the A4 motorway, was in the area directly exposed to the influence of traffic emission. Dust was sampled during two measurement periods (2–10 August and 15–22 September 2011) using thirteen-stage impactors – DEKATI Ltd. (DLPI, Dekati Low Pressure Impactor). Analysis for the content of OC and EC in the collected dust samples was carried out by means of a thermo-optical method with the use of a Sunset Laboratory OC/EC carbon analyzer. During the entire measurement program strict adherence to the rigorous requirements for quality control of the obtained results was ensured. Concentrations of PM1-, PM2.5- and PM10-related OC and EC in Katowice, near the A4 motorway, were close to values obtained in other parts of the world in different measurement periods, at traffic sites of similar characteristics. Also values of the concentration ratio of OC bound to PM10 and PM2,5 (or PM2,5) were similar to quantities determined in different locations. In Katowice, due to municipal emission and poor quality of vehicles travelling the roads, also the coarse fraction of dust was enriched in EC. This situation is unusual in comparison to other regions. The effect of emission from engines of the cars travelling the motorway manifested itself mainly by elevated EC concentrations compared to the urban background site. For TSP the EC concentration was higher, five times in the beginning of August and two times in the second half of September. The largest differences between EC concentrations in the location near the motorway and in the urban background area were observed for the PM0.06–0.108, PM0.108–0.17 and PM0.17–0.26 fractions. In both measurement periods, at the traffic site in Katowice, the maxima of mass size distribution of EC were in the diameter range characteristic for soot emitted from Diesel engines (0.108–0.26µm). The fact that the influence of exhaust emission from vehicles travelling the motorway on EC concentrations was more pronounced in the second half of September than in the first half of August, was caused by larger EC emission from various sources in Katowice during the period following summer holidays. Concentrations of organic carbon bound to TSP in both measurement periods in Katowice was only 10% higher in the urban traffic site than in the urban background site. The largest differences between OC concentrations near the motorway and in the urban background are observed in the ranges 0.06–0.17 and 1.0–2.5 µm. Maxima of the mass size distribution of PM-related OC, both at the urban traffic site and at the background site, were similar in both measurement periods. It was inferred that the small differences between OC concentrations in the traffic and the background site are caused by the process of secondary aerosol formation, less intensive near the motorway than in the urban site

Mass Size Distribution of PM-bound Elements at an Urban Background Site: Results of an Eight-month Study in Zabrze

The analysis of elemental composition of ambient dust can help not only evaluate the environmental and health effects due to the air pollution but also identify emission sources. However, the whole number of projects and studies on concentrations and elemental composition of ambient (especially fine) dust hardly concern these issues in Eastern Europe. Neither is the chemical (and elemental) composition of the submicron ambient dust in Poland well recognized. There is also a shortage of data from long-term and parallel studies of the elemental composition of separate dust fractions. In the heavily polluted areas, the elemental composition of atmospheric aerosol and the dependence of elemental composition of particles on their size can appear essential for analyzing the toxicity of dust and its environmental effects. This study presents the results of determination and comparison of the elemental composition of four fractions of ambient dust in Zabrze (Poland), an urban area typical of the exposure of the Upper-Silesian Agglomeration population to the polluted air. The samples of the four dust fractions (fine: ≤1 µm – PM1, 1–2.5 µm – PM1-2.5, coarse: 2.5–10 µm – PM2.5-10, and 10–40 µm – PM10-40,) were collected during eight months (January–August 2009) with the use of a DEKATI-PM10 cascade impactor. All the dust samples (204 samples) were analyzed using a PANalytical Epsilon 5 spectrometer (EDXRF – energy dispersive X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy). The minimum, maximum and average concentrations, for winter (January–April, heating season) and summer (May–August, non-heating season), of 38 elements from each of the four examined dust fractions were calculated. The influence of anthropogenic sources on the ambient concentrations of elements from each dust fraction was determined by analyzing the enrichment factors (EF). The strength of linear relationships (Pearson’s linear correlation coefficients) between each pair of elements was determined separately for fine and coarse dust. The highest ambient concentrations were assumed by two nonmetals – sulfur and chlorine; their concentrations were significantly lower in summer than in winter. Both sulfur and chlorine were mainly bound onto the finest particles. Their share in the coarse dust, even in summer, was small. They came from anthropogenic sources. Ambient, typical crustal, Si, Al, Fe, Mg, K, Ca, Ti, Sr, Rb in Zabrze came from natural sources regardless of the fraction they were bound to. Small seasonal variations in ambient concentrations of these elements or some of the concentrations higher in summer than in winter confirmed the fact. A significant portion of the mass of the crustal elements, especially of Al, Si and Fe, was concentrated in the coarse fractions. However, the mass distribution among the dust fractions indicates some of them (K, Ca, Mg, Rb, Sr) as coming partly from anthropogenic sources. It particularly concerns their part bound to fine dust in winter. The mass contribution of crustal matter to ambient dust was about 6.8 in winter and 9.7% in summer; the contribution to PM1 was half of it. Almost all remaining 27 elements (except for Mn, Zn, Ge, Sb, La) had the ambient concentrations not greater than 100 ng m-3, usually higher in winter. The average mass shares of each of these 27 elements in PM1, PM1-2.5, PM2.5-10, and PM10-40, were different and depended on the season of a year. Co, Cu, Zn, Pb and As were cumulated mostly in fine dust, while V, Mn, Co, Cr, Ni, Ag, Cd and Ba in coarse dust. The former, in fine dust, were assumed to be rather of anthropogenic origin and closely associated with combustion. The later originated partly from combustion (especially in winter) but their greater part was secondary and came from road dust. The largest contributors to the mass of the elements in fine dust in Zabrze are domestic furnaces and car engines, i.e. combustion of fossil fuels, biomass, and waste. The possible effect of industrial sources was also identified. The elemental composition of coarse dust is due to re-suspension of soil and road dust, and to a lesser extent, to municipal emission