Study on health risk assessment due to emissions from diesel power plant using AERMOD modeling / Ibrahim Afrah
Diesel engines are the most efficient and reliable power plant among all internal combustion engines. While the diesel engine offers an efficient and reliable power source which brings a lot of benefits to the power industry it also contributes harmful emissions to air pollution. In this resea...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
2022
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/14322/1/Ibrahim_Afrah.jpg http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/14322/3/ibrahim.pdf http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/14322/ |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Diesel engines are the most efficient and reliable power plant among all internal
combustion engines. While the diesel engine offers an efficient and reliable power source
which brings a lot of benefits to the power industry it also contributes harmful emissions
to air pollution. In this research, the studied diesel power plant for electricity generation
is located in the capital city of Maldives which is among the highest densely populated
city to land ratio. Due to the lack of land available in Male’ City the power plant cannot
be relocated away from the residential area hence the emissions from the diesel power
plant are exposed to the population and the environment. This study aims to identify the
pollutants contained in the diesel stack emissions and its concentrations levels. Also, to
analyze the predicted short-term and long-term ground concentrations levels. Finally, to
conduct a health risk assessment (HRA) and identify short-term and long-term health risk
effects.
In this study, five pollutants (CO, SO2, NO2, PM10 and PM2.5) were assessed for health
risk assessment. The stack emission concentration levels of the pollutant were measured
using portable flue gas analyzer and particulate matter analyzer. The results obtained were
compared with Malaysian Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulations 2014. All the
pollutant concentration levels were found to be below the mentioned limit in the
guideline. Predicted ground concentration levels were calculated within 3 x 3 km domain
of the point source by utilizing AERMOD dispersion model simulation for short-term and
long-term dispersion. The results show that for pollutants CO, SO2, NO2, PM10 and PM2.5
the short-term concentrations are 29.91, 59.84, 16.93, 6.05, 4.76 (μg/m3
) and for long-term 19.99, 2.11, 0.60, 0.65, 0.51 (μg/m3
) respectively. All the values were compared
with Malaysian Ambient Air Quality guidelines and was found be below the critical values. In addition, risk characterization was conducted by utilizing Hazard Quotient
(HQ). For all the pollutants, HQ value obtained for short-term and long-term dispersions
was less than 1 (HQ<1) hence predicted pollutant concentration levels are below RfC
value and considered safe with no potential to cause adverse health effects. Although the
study calculated pollutant concentration levels are in acceptable range, the accuracy of
the outcome highly depends on the stack emission reading and meteorological data.
|
|---|