Title: Quantification of Industrial Emissions of VOCs, NO2 and SO2 by SOF and Mobile DOAS
Institution(s) Represented: Chalmers University of Technology- Johan Mellqvist, University of Houston- Bernhard Rappenglueck
Lead PI: Johan Mellqvist
AQRP Project Manager: David Sullivan
TCEQ Project Liaison: John Jolly
Awarded Amount: $484,662.00
Executive Summary- Project 10-006
Quantification of Industrial Emissions of VOCs, NO2 and SO2 by SOF and mobile DOAS
In a collaboration between the University of Houston and the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg/Sweden, a measurement study will be conducted which will help to locate and quantify industrial emissions of VOCs (alkanes, alkenes and other species), NO2 and SO2 utilizing the Solar Occultation Flux (SOF) and the mobile Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) methods. During part of the campaign, a mobile extractive Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (meFTIR) will also be used. These methods allow estimates of pollutant concentrations in a column of air from a point on the ground. This study will follow up previous measurements in 2006 and 2009 to obtain a trend analysis for selected sites, but also will be extended to new areas and improve the understanding of short and long term pollutant variability. Thus, the study objectives are relevant for the AQRP priority research area about emissions, emphasizing the need to improve the uncertainty of industrial gas emissions (VOC, NOx) that lead to the formation of tropospheric ozone. The measurements will be conducted from a van with a specially equipped sunroof to be able to conduct SOF measurements. The availability of such a platform will be valuable for future SOF studies. During the project, complementary wind measurements will be conducted using GPS radiosondes and from a 10 meter portable mast that will be acquired within the project. To complement the path measurements taken by the SOF, DOAS, and meFTIR, canister samples will be taken downwind the sites and analyzed afterwards using gas chromatography. In this way fugitive emissions for VOCs will be derived. The study areas will include locations in Houston (Houston Ship Channel, Mont Belvieu, Texas City, Chocolate Bayou, Freeport and Sweeny), Dallas - Fort Worth (DFW), Longview, Beaumont and Port Arthur. The priorities for the measurement areas outside Houston will be discussed with TCEQ and the AQRP project manager prior to the measurements.
The measurement campaign will take place largely in April and May 2011. The measurements in the DFW area will be carried out to augment other measurements taken by AQRP projects that are part of the DFW Field Campaign. The SOF measurements will be conducted 1 month earlier than the other DFW projects in order to get more sunshine hours and have better chances of cooler temperatures which will optimize SOF measurements, and for other logistical reasons.
The overall measurements in this project will be carried out in the same manner as in previous studies in the Houston area during 2006 and 2009, but a few qualitative studies will be conducted in addition, measuring CO and formaldehyde (HCHO) in parallel with VOCs. We also plan to perform thermal emission measurements with FTIR, targeting flares as a source of emissions.
Work Plan: projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Work Plan.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Tech Report Mar 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Tech Report Apr 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Tech Report May 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Tech Report Jun 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Tech Report Jul 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Tech Report Aug 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Tech Report Sep 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Tech Report Oct 2011.pdf
QAPP: projectinfo\10-006\10-006 QAPP.pdf
Final Report: projectinfo\10-006\10-006 Final Report.pdf
Publications & Citations
Johansson, J., Johan Mellqvist, Jerker Samuelsson, Brian Offerle, Jana Moldanova , Bernhard Rappenglück, Barry Lefer, and James Flynn (2014) , Formaldehyde Quantitative Measurements and Modeling of Industrial Formaldehyde Emissions in the Greater Houston Area during Campaigns in 2009 and 2011, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 119, DOI: 10.1002/2013JD020159 Johansson, J. K. E., J. Mellqvist, J. Samuelsson, B. Offerle, B. Lefer, B. Rappenglück, J. Flynn, and G. Yarwood(2014), Emission measurements of alkenes, alkanes, SO2, and NO2 from stationary sources in Southeast Texas over a 5 year period using SOF and mobile DOAS, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 119, doi:10.1002/2013JD020485.
