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Various impacts of direct venting of natural gas into the environment, both in the upstream and downstream petroleum operations, often compel the chemical engineer to specify air pollution control equipment for installation on new and existing platforms/facilities. Flares, a special class of such equipment, are considered in this paper. The major types of flares used in the oil industry are reviewed and the principles guiding their operation and performance discussed. Information which would aid the choice of flare system for new applications is also discussed.

The aim of this paper is to better understand the impact of petroleum production facilities on ambient air quality of host airshed.

Field measurements were taken daily for four consecutive months around petroleum production facilities in the Niger Delta area, of Nigeria, one of the world's important petroleum producing areas. Statistical analysis tool and air quality analytical tool known as the air quality index (AQI) were applied on the field data obtained.

The mean measured daily concentrations of both carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) between distances 50 and 500 m of petroleum flow stations were of the range 140 – 3400 μg/m3 and 23 – 1250 μg/m3 respectively. The AQI from measured CO concentrations in the study area ranged between 1 and 44, an indication of good AQI category with no known health effects but a need for cautionary statement. Similarly, over 97 percent of the measured concentrations of NO₂ were below 0.60 ppm which implies that the AQI of the host environment of the flow stations were below 200 with respect to NO₂ thus indicating a good category of air with no health alarm. However, at the 60 m distance around a flow station, the AQI was 210 thus the quality of available air at this point could be described as very unhealthy. Generally the concentrations of CO were higher than NO₂ in all the distances from the flow stations and were corroborated with their significant T‐test values. The T‐test results of the relationship between the concentrations of the air pollutants per time of the day, showed that their T‐test values were not significant, indicating that concentrations of these air pollutants were independent of the sampling time. A strong and positive correlation existed between the two air pollutants signifying common sources.

The paper highlights that at 60 m distance around petroleum production facilities, people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should be prevented from gaining access in the morning without taking necessary precautionary measures against the inhalation of air pollutants.

The study investigated the heavy metal flux around the vicinity of a steel recycling factory using passive biomonitoring technique with several pollution indices to assess the quality of the ambient environment.

The vegetation around the facility was identified, and the most abundant species were selected for analysis. The collected samples were dried, milled, sieved and analyzed for elemental composition using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF). Pollution indices were used to quantitatively assess the data.

Results show that maximum contamination occurs at the vicinity of factory. Generally, the deterioration of the ambient air around the vicinity of the steel recycling plant decreases with increasing distance from the steel recycling plant. However, for the radius considered in this study – 1 km, the ambient air at 1 km of the steel recycling facility is quickly deteriorating, and there is an urgent need for measures to mitigate the air quality impact of the steel recycling facility.

The study shows that the metal recycling process emits high levels of heavy metals to the environment, and there is an urgent need for personal protective equipment for the human population working in and around the close proximity of the recycling plant.

Recent developments in the electricity generation sector of Nigeria necessitated the re-assessment of its contribution to air emission level in the country as information provided by previous inventory is nearly out-of-date. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions generated from existing thermal power plants in the country.

Thermal power plants in Nigeria and their installed capacities were identified, and estimation of CO₂ emission from each of the plants was carried out using the emission factor method. In addition to the direct emissions generated through the combustion operation of the power plants, indirect emissions resulting from upstream activities such as extraction, production, and transportation of fuels consumed by the thermal power plant was determined using the same method.

In total, 40 thermal power plants are currently operational in Nigeria. Additional 18 thermal plants are at different stages of completion. The operational thermal plants have average generation output of 40 percent of their installed capacity and produce 87.3 million metric tonne (mmt)/annum CO₂ emissions. In total, 66.9 percent of the estimated emissions are direct emissions, i.e. fuel combustion emissions; the rest are indirect emissions. Additional 67.9 mmt was estimated as expected overall emissions from the thermal power plants under construction. Considering the global warming potential of CO₂, proactive measures must be taken to regulate its emissions from the country’s thermal power plants.

This paper bridged the information gap existing in the emission inventory from the Nigeria electricity sector by providing up-to-date data on the contribution of the sector to greenhouse gas emission level in the country.

The purpose of this paper is to show impacts of household wastes handling on some physicochemical parameters of surface water, soil, sediments and borehole water samples in Port Harcourt. Waste generated from the households are indiscriminately dumped on roads, stream channels, bush lands and open spaces thus defacing the landscape of the city, flooding and spreading vector-borne diseases. As a result there is unsustainable and wasteful utilisation of resources which gives rise to pollution of the environment. The research determines the pollution profile of some dumpsites, surface water bodies that act as recipients of household waste from result of analysis of physicochemical parameters.

Major dumpsites in the city were selected for sampling. Three sampling stations at upstream, discharge point and downstream were selected for water and sediments. Water samples were collected in one-litre plastic containers, and then labelled and transported to laboratory for analysis. Sediment samples were collected at a depth of 5-10 m under water and preservation, handling and analysis were based on standard principles and procedures. Soil samples were dug with auger at both top (0-15 cm) and bottom (15-30 cm) in radial coordinates. The soil and sediment samples were first digested using the wet oxidation method before analysis with atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

The physicochemical analysis of surface water samples showed that conductivity, salinity, turbidity, sulphate, phosphate, magnesium, total hardness and lead exceeded the World Health Organization and Nigerian Industrial Standard limits for drinking water qualities at the sampled areas. The same parameters in addition to pH and manganese also exceeded the limits for sediment samples. The soil pH showed acidity at the sampling stations for both top and bottom depths. Conductivity, sulphate, iron, manganese, phosphate and lead also exceeded the FMEnv Guidelines and standards for soil quality. The continuous discharge of household wastes on water and soil resulted in elevated levels of some measured parameters.

The research was limited by funds. The cost of sampling and analysis was enormous and limited the study to parameters that available funds could carry. This factor also stretched the period of study. The non-availability of sponsorship made it difficult to extend the research to soil particle size distribution and the underground water movement of the study areas. Another limitation was logistics as the study covered vast areas of the metropolis demanding steady means of mobility that was not available. Epileptic supply of power delayed the timely delivery of result of analysis.

The results of the analysed physicochemical parameters of water, sediments, soil and borehole water samples indicated spatial variations in their values at the study area, with higher values at the discharge points and downstream than the upstream, while for the borehole water analysis, the effect was more pronounced at stations with appreciable quantity of degradable household wastes. The levels of some physicochemical variables exceeded standard limits as a result of continuous discharge of household wastes .The implication is that household waste handling influenced the physicochemical variables negatively and constant monitoring serves as a useful tool of abatement.

This work is original and has not been published before in any book or journal article locally or internationally. The research related waste handling lifestyles with concentrations of measurable parameters, which is an additional work to what other authors have done. The value is that data generated will be a reference material to other researchers, city planners, government agencies and institutions that are involved with environmental management. Furthermore it has added a new dimension to the discipline of waste management in terms of scope and contribution to knowledge.

Bangladesh is one of the leading countries that has been facing serious air pollution issues, with an exponentially higher death rate attributed to it than other environmental pollution. This study aims to identify the sources and dynamics of particulate matter (PM) pollution across different micro-environments in Rajshahi City.

PMs’ concentration data were collected from 60 sampling stations, located across the six micro-environments of the study area, throughout the year using “HT 9600 Particle Counter.” To assess the level of pollution, the air quality index (AQI) was calculated, and different methods, including observation, group discussion, interview and questionnaire survey, were used to identify the pollution sources.

Both PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ exhibit varied concentrations in different micro-environments, and the area covered by different AQI classes differs considerably throughout the year. The monthly average concentration of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ was highest in January, 200 and 400 µg/m³ and was lowest in September, 46 and 99 µg/m³, respectively. Among the total 1,440 observations, 853 observations (59.24%) exceeded the national standard. Based on the pollution level, different months and micro-environments in the city have been ranked in descending order as January > December > February > March > April > November > October > May > June > July > August > September and traffic > commercial > industrial > residential > green cover > riverine environment.

Although numerous research has been conducted on air pollution in Bangladesh, the authors are certain that no attempt has been made to address the issue from a multi- micro-environmental perspective. This makes the methodology and findings truly unique and significant in the context of air pollution research in Bangladesh.

This paper aims to present a systematic scoping review of the influences of some situational factors on the energy consumption behaviour of households. Household’s energy choice and manner of utilization define its energy consumption behaviour; it is a key factor in determining the energy efficiency of households. Despite the energy-efficient technological innovations and awareness on environmental/health implications of using certain energy sources and technologies, households still use inefficient, traditional energy sources and technologies. Some researchers have attempted to use economic and psychological theories to explain the situation with the hope of achieving a change in behaviour towards sustainable energy utilization but to no avail. This is because the theories fail to consider situations beyond individuals or households. A clear understanding of situational factors and how they influence household energy behaviour will provide information that will aid deeper research and policy formulation towards sustainable energy behaviour of households.

A scoping systematic review of available literature regarding real-life cases in both developed and developing countries was carried out to determine the possibility of situational factors affecting household energy choices and utilization.

The result of the review showed that situational factors have a significant influence on household’s energy consumption. The main policy implications observed are the need for laws that will encourage energy-saving renovations in houses, make compulsory the provision of recreational facilities in residential areas to reduce in-home energy consumption. The need for increased access to electricity and other efficient energy sources and cooking technologies has also been observed. Intensive awareness campaigns are required to disabuse the minds of people about cultural issues that mitigate improved cook stove adoption.

The paper provides information on the influence of some of the factors, which affect energy consumption in households, which fluctuate depending on the current situation of the consumer and are time-bound (situational factors). The information will help policymakers and regulators to understand the influence of situational factors on household energy consumption, thereby enabling them to make policies that will enhance sustainable energy consumption.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the indoor and outdoor air quality in Kuwait due to vehicular traffic.

About 700 VOCs samples were collected from randomly selected residences within Kuwait. For simplicity, the study was divided into three areas: area A between the first and third ring roads, area B between the third and fifth ring roads and area C between the fifth and sixth ring roads. Hazardous Air Pollutants on Site (HAPSITE), a portable Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS), was used to gather air samples inside and outside of the residences selected in the study area for a period of three months during 2008.

Median indoor air quality levels in the study area were similar to the outdoor levels. Indoor/outdoor ratios varied from 0.5 to 8 for most compounds, suggesting that the indoor air quality was less than the outdoor air quality. It was found that none of the indoor VOC concentrations measured exceeded the upper limits of the indoor air quality set by the Kuwait Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA), with the exception of only one residence where the benzene concentration was observed to be in excess of 17 per cent of the KEPA limit. Moreover, the indoor air quality for the study areas was found to be in accordance with level 1 set by KEPA, indicative of very good air quality.

This is the first study conducted in Kuwait to collect VOCs samples and to explore the air quality inside and outside of residential buildings.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impacts of the noise from the diesel engine power generators used for production activities in an urban environment.

This study has used the Enterprise Edition of NoiseMap 2000 Version 2.7.1 to investigate the impacts of the noise from the diesel engines electric power generators used in a factory in Ikorodu, an urban environment in Lagos, Nigeria. Five sections of the factory with diesel engines electric power generators were considered. The immediate and distant environments covering about 10 km of the factory host environment were considered as receptors to the noise for this study.

It was found out that when all the generators operate simultaneously in the factory, the ambient noise was 30.0-152.5 dB(A) with the minimum contribution within the factory being 70.0-84.4 dB(A) and the maximum contribution of 57.2-70.8 dB(A) outside the factory fence line. Though the maximum noise is 152.5 dB(A), the maximum noise of 70.8 dB(A) beyond the fence line shows a compliance with 70 dB(A) industrial and commercial area limit but breaches the 45 dB(A) and 55 dB(A) residential area limit of the World Bank.

As much as it would be desirable ambient noise level could not be measured in all the receptors’ locations covered by the modeling. However, the capability of the modeling software adopted makes this to have no negative impact on the quality of the findings of this study.

The study will assist the public to determine the noise level safe region around diesel engine electric power generators.

The paper highlights the challenges in which ambient noise from the use of off-grid generators used for industrial purposes could pose to the neighboring receptor environments.

Air quality and its assessment in urban areas has become a necessity. This is attributed to the increasing air pollution in urban landscape from anthropogenic activities necessary for economic growth and development. This study investigates air quality and potential health risk posed from nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) to the residents of low town of Mohammedia city, Morocco.

The NO₂ concentration was measured on an hourly basis for the winter season of the year 2014, 2015 and 2016. The air quality was assessed in terms of Air Quality Index (AQI). Noncarcinogenic risk assessment was done to evaluate possible health risk to the inhabitant of low town from NO₂ exposure.

The maximum concentration reached 85–96 µg/m³ (at 6 p.m., 2014), 96–104 µg/m³ (7–9 p.m., 2015) and 102–117 (8–11 p.m., 2016). The AQI during maximum NO₂ levels (peak hours) ranged between 0–50 µg/m³ (good) to 51–100 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive group). The risk quotient (RQ) was calculated for average daily intake and average hourly intake of NO₂. RQ was found to be less than 1 (no potential health risk, lifetime and hourly) for all three years. However, increase in RQ value from 0.84 (2014) to 0.98 (2016) indicates increase in potential health risk. Hence, policy and measures should be adopted to reduce the potential health risk.

This study is very first of its kind for the area and hence can serve as reference study for future works. Further studies are required to assess air pollution in other seasons (summer, spring, autumn), impact of climatic condition and parameters on air quality. Also, for direct impact assessment number of cases attributed to air pollution needs to be investigated.