This research paper discusses various air pollution problems and solutions from petrochemical refineries and their environmental impact assessment (EIA). High levels of carcinogens have been determined from petroleum and chemical refinery air emissions. Unsafe emissions may be due to improper production process, poor maintenance practices and internal operational process problems. Many of the chemicals discharged in to the atmosphere during the leakage periods were found particularly sever to children. It was observed that the concentration of discharge might be varying 150-to 300-mg/m(3) that is discharged during the production process petrochemicals. High volume air sampler with cascade impactors have been used for measurements and sampling indoor and atmospheric air quality. National ambient air quality monitoring standard (NAAQMS) and American Public health Association standard (APHA) have been applied for the determination of air pollution levels. Petrochemical air sampling measurement reports show that during the course of gas leak there were about thirty toxic chemicals get discharged into atmosphere. These are common refinery chemicals such as benzene and bromo methane, which have been identified and monitored by using high volume air samplers after the gas leakages. Chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulphide, bromo methane, Methyl Ethyl Ketene, Benzene, Toluene, h-Hexane, Methylbenzene, m, p-xylene and n-Nonane were found above safe limits. Benzene and hydrogen sulfide were 36 times and 33 times higher than safer levels prescribed by the pollution control standards of about 5000 mu g/m(3). A specific case study on air emission and its EIA conducted in a Petrochemical plant at Chennai, India have been presented below. As per EIA carried out, it is recommended that air pollution control systems must be adopted in all petrochemical industries to mitigate petrochemical emissions [3].
Petrochemical air pollution effects severe health problems to the public who are exposed in the vicinity particularly children. They suffer from chemical based chronic/acute diseases such as ulcer, allergic dermatitis, lung cancer, lever necrosis, brain damage, and premature death, lever and kidney problems. The clinical symptoms of acute toxicity are vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss into the gastrointestinal tract causing cardiovascular diseases. Toxic effects are produced by prolonged contact with airborne or solid or liquid petrochemical carcinogenic compounds even in small quantities. Prolonged exposure causes ulcers, skin irritation and allergic dermatitis. Exposure to chemical dust emissions may cause perforation of nasal septum, corrosion of bronchopulmonary tract and lung cancers. In the kidneys, it causes tubular necrosis and may also damage the liver. These carcinogenic substances produce adverse health effects on the workers and result occupational heath hazards. Public get affected non-occupational heath hazards especially, those people who are exposed in the vicinity. Several countries have initiated regulatory measures to control chemical pollution. Indian Government and companies do not have even database on EIA nor they take actions. It is essential to evolve control and preventive measures which are to be taken at the planning stages in these industries as prevention is better than cure, very little or nothing can be done if the toxic chemicals reaches the air, water and soil environment. Workers must be provided personal protection equipments, adequate safety guards and machine guard protection devices. It is to be ensured that worker's compensation law and occupational disease law must be enacted. The enactment of worker's compensation and occupational-disease laws will increase materially the cost of insurance to industry. The increased cost and the certainty with which it is applied have put a premium on accident-prevention work. This cost can be materially reduced by the installation of safety devices. EIA has shown that by implementing proactive measures approximately 80% of all environmental disasters are preventable [9]. Several countries have initiated regulatory measures. For example, the Federal Republic of Germany has enacted an emission protection law and a technical guidance for clean air (TA-Luft). As per TA-Luft, the mass of carcinogenic substances, in respiratory form is restricted to 1 mg/m(3) (class II) [1000 mu g/m(3)]. The total dust concentration in emissions is limited to 20 mg/m(3) [20000 mu g/m(3)] and other inorganic material in dust form (Class III) to 5 mg/m(3) [5000 mu g/m(3)]. The maximum allowable concentration (MAK) of carcinogens in air of workplace is 0.1 mg/m(3) [100 mu g/m(3)]. Databases and EIA reports that consider all sources of petrochemical carcinogens in the environment, the likelihood of its exposure to humans and post consequences to man and lower organisms from its absorption are reported and presented in this paper.
Zaharim, A; Sopian, K; Perlovsky, L; Dionysiou, DD; Zadeh, LA; Kostic, MM; GonzalesConcepcion, C; Jaberg, H; Mastorakis, NE;
3rd WSEAS International Conference on Energy Planning, Energy Saving, Environmental Education/3rd WSEAS RES 2009/3rd WSEAS WWAI 2009