STACK EMISSION MONITORING
Emissions testing, otherwise referred to as “Stack Sampling” or “Stack Monitoring", is the experimental process for evaluating the characteristics of industrial waste gas stream emissions into the atmosphere. Materials emitted to the air from these sources can be solid, liquid, or gas; organic or inorganic.
The UAE Federal Law has set Maximum Allowable Emission Limits of Air Pollutants Emitted from Stationary Sources and Hydrocarbon Fuel Combustion Sources (Stack Emission Monitoring), particularly:
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
- Total Suspended Particles (TSP)
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Heavy Metals
CORE Laboratory maintains a number of instruments and devices to monitor stack emission that consists of the following constituents:
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
- Nitrogen Monoxide (NO)
- Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Oxygen (O2)
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Total Suspended Particles (TSP)
- Stack Temperature
- Stack Volume Flow
- Heavy Metals
- Ambient Temperature
Emissions from Stationary Sources
A stationary source in air quality terminology is any fixed emitter of air pollutants, such as fossil fuel burning power plants, petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, food processing plants and other heavy industrial sources.
Purpose of Stack Emission Monitoring
- Collect data and information from the regulated stationary source to demonstrate adherence to applicable regulatory requirements related to air quality and emissions standards.
- Provide performance information to the facility operator to facilitate timely corrective action, ensuring that emission control systems are functioning effectively and minimizing environmental impact.
Control of Air Emission
The following items are commonly used as pollution control devices in industry and transportation. They can either destroy contaminants or remove them from an exhaust stream before it is emitted into the atmosphere, and are as follows:
A. Particulate Control
- Mechanical collectors (dust cyclones, multicyclones).
- An electrostatic precipitator (ESP), or electrostatic air cleaner is a particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas (such as air), using the force of an induced electrostatic charge.
- Wet Scrubber for particulate matter is a form of pollution control technology. In a wet scrubber, the polluted gas stream is brought into contact with the scrubbing liquid, by spraying it with the liquid, by forcing it through a pool of liquid, or by some other contact method, so as to remove the pollutants.
B. NOx Control
Low NOx burners, selective catalytic reduction (SCR), selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), NOx scrubbers, exhaust gas recirculation, catalytic converter (also for VOC control).
C. VOC Abatement
Adsorption systems using activated carbon such as Fluidized Bed Concentrator, flares, thermal oxidizers, catalytic converters, biofilters, absorption (scrubbing), cryogenic condensers, vapor recovery systems.
D. Acid Gas/SO2 Control
Wet scrubbers, dry scrubbers, Flue-gas desulfurization.