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Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site

Background & aim: Unconventional natural gas (UNG) extraction activities have considerable potential to affect air quality. However, there are few published quantitative observations of the magnitude of such impacts. To provide context, we compared measured exposures to diesel engine exhaust clo...

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Main Authors: Ezani, Eliani, Masey, Nicola, Gillespie, Jonathan, Beattie, Tara K., Shipton, Zoe Kai, Beverland, Lain J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2018
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74914/1/Measurement%20of%20diesel.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74914/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231018304151
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spelling my.upm.eprints.749142020-10-17T19:52:01Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74914/ Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site Ezani, Eliani Masey, Nicola Gillespie, Jonathan Beattie, Tara K. Shipton, Zoe Kai Beverland, Lain J. Background & aim: Unconventional natural gas (UNG) extraction activities have considerable potential to affect air quality. However, there are few published quantitative observations of the magnitude of such impacts. To provide context, we compared measured exposures to diesel engine exhaust close to industrial fracking equipment at an UNG training simulation site in Łowicz, Poland to pedestrian exposures to traffic-related air pollution in the city centre of Glasgow, UK. Methods: We made mobile and static measurements at varying distances from sources in both of the above locations with a portable aethalometer (Aethlabs AE51) for black carbon (BC) and portable monitors (Aeroqual Series-500) for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃). Duplicate BC measurements were compared with NO₂ observations, after correction of the NO₂ sensor response for O₃ interference effects. Results: Duplicate BC instruments provided similar real-time measurements (r = 0.92), which in turn were relatively highly correlated with NO₂ observations at 5-min temporal resolution at the UNG experimental site (r = 0.75) and on the walking route in Glasgow city centre (r = 0.64) suggesting common diesel sources for NO₂ and BC in both locations. Average BC and NO₂ concentrations measured approximately 10 m downwind of diesel fracking pumps were 11 and 113 μg/mᶟ respectively. These concentrations were approximately 37 times and 4 times higher than upwind background BC and NO₂ concentrations at the site; and approximately 3 times higher than average BC and NO₂ concentrations measured in traffic influenced areas in Glasgow. Conclusions: Marked elevations of BC and NO₂ concentrations were observed in downwind proximity to industrial fracking equipment and traffic sources. This suggests that exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions from fracking equipment may present a significant risk to people working on UNG sites over extended time periods. The short time resolution of the portable instruments used enabled identification of likely sources of occupational and environmental exposure to combustion-related air pollutants. Elsevier 2018-06 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74914/1/Measurement%20of%20diesel.pdf Ezani, Eliani and Masey, Nicola and Gillespie, Jonathan and Beattie, Tara K. and Shipton, Zoe Kai and Beverland, Lain J. (2018) Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site. Atmospheric Environment, 189. 30 - 40. ISSN 1352-2310; ESSN: 1873-2844 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231018304151 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.06.032
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
building UPM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Putra Malaysia
content_source UPM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://psasir.upm.edu.my/
language English
description Background & aim: Unconventional natural gas (UNG) extraction activities have considerable potential to affect air quality. However, there are few published quantitative observations of the magnitude of such impacts. To provide context, we compared measured exposures to diesel engine exhaust close to industrial fracking equipment at an UNG training simulation site in Łowicz, Poland to pedestrian exposures to traffic-related air pollution in the city centre of Glasgow, UK. Methods: We made mobile and static measurements at varying distances from sources in both of the above locations with a portable aethalometer (Aethlabs AE51) for black carbon (BC) and portable monitors (Aeroqual Series-500) for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃). Duplicate BC measurements were compared with NO₂ observations, after correction of the NO₂ sensor response for O₃ interference effects. Results: Duplicate BC instruments provided similar real-time measurements (r = 0.92), which in turn were relatively highly correlated with NO₂ observations at 5-min temporal resolution at the UNG experimental site (r = 0.75) and on the walking route in Glasgow city centre (r = 0.64) suggesting common diesel sources for NO₂ and BC in both locations. Average BC and NO₂ concentrations measured approximately 10 m downwind of diesel fracking pumps were 11 and 113 μg/mᶟ respectively. These concentrations were approximately 37 times and 4 times higher than upwind background BC and NO₂ concentrations at the site; and approximately 3 times higher than average BC and NO₂ concentrations measured in traffic influenced areas in Glasgow. Conclusions: Marked elevations of BC and NO₂ concentrations were observed in downwind proximity to industrial fracking equipment and traffic sources. This suggests that exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions from fracking equipment may present a significant risk to people working on UNG sites over extended time periods. The short time resolution of the portable instruments used enabled identification of likely sources of occupational and environmental exposure to combustion-related air pollutants.
format Article
author Ezani, Eliani
Masey, Nicola
Gillespie, Jonathan
Beattie, Tara K.
Shipton, Zoe Kai
Beverland, Lain J.
spellingShingle Ezani, Eliani
Masey, Nicola
Gillespie, Jonathan
Beattie, Tara K.
Shipton, Zoe Kai
Beverland, Lain J.
Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site
author_facet Ezani, Eliani
Masey, Nicola
Gillespie, Jonathan
Beattie, Tara K.
Shipton, Zoe Kai
Beverland, Lain J.
author_sort Ezani, Eliani
title Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site
title_short Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site
title_full Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site
title_fullStr Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site
title_full_unstemmed Measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site
title_sort measurement of diesel combustion-related air pollution downwind of an experimental unconventional natural gas operations site
publisher Elsevier
publishDate 2018
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74914/1/Measurement%20of%20diesel.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74914/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231018304151
_version_ 1681490802477367296
score 13.211869

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