Jindamanee Kanisorn, Keawboonchu Jutarat, Pinthong Nattaporn, Meeyai Aronrag, Inchai Puchong, Thepanondh Sarawut
Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Siam Technology College, Bangkok, Thailand.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 3;15(1):15509. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-99932-7.
This study evaluates the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from petroleum refinery operations, focusing on quantifying the VOCs emission inventory, analyzing their spatial distribution, and assessing their environmental impacts. Emission measurements identified storage tanks as the primary source of VOCs, with pentane, cyclopentane, and cyclohexane being the dominant species. The total VOCs emissions were estimated at 1132.1 tons per year. Spatial dispersion modeling revealed that storage tanks contributed significantly to VOCs concentrations at receptor sites, accounting for 64.5-88.1% of the total VOCs emissions, followed by contributions from the wastewater treatment unit and marketing terminal. Ambient VOCs concentrations were then used to calculate secondary organic aerosol (SOA) levels, with toluene identified as the primary contributor to SOA formation in the surrounding environment. This study underscores the critical importance of targeting VOCs emissions, particularly from storage tanks, as a strategy to mitigate both VOCs and SOA concentrations. The findings highlight the potential for improved management and control strategies to reduce the environmental and public health risks associated with these emissions.
本研究评估了炼油厂运营过程中挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）的排放情况，重点是量化VOCs排放清单、分析其空间分布并评估其环境影响。排放测量确定储罐是VOCs的主要来源，戊烷、环戊烷和环己烷是主要成分。估计每年的VOCs总排放量为1132.1吨。空间扩散模型显示，储罐对受体站点的VOCs浓度贡献显著，占VOCs总排放量的64.5-88.1%，其次是废水处理单元和营销终端的贡献。然后利用环境VOCs浓度计算二次有机气溶胶（SOA）水平，甲苯被确定为周围环境中SOA形成的主要贡献者。本研究强调了将VOCs排放（特别是来自储罐的排放）作为降低VOCs和SOA浓度的策略的至关重要性。研究结果突出了改进管理和控制策略以降低与这些排放相关的环境和公共健康风险的潜力。
