Dichloromethane emissions from automotive manufacturing industry in Iran: case study of the SAIPA automotive manufacturing company

Abstract

The primary data about the role of automotive manufacturing industry in emitting dichloromethane (DCM) to the environment in Iran are provided by a case study of SAIPA Automotive Manufacturing Company in 2012. The average emission rate and emission factor of DCM in the stack exhaust air streams of the solvent-based automotive painting plant were 6.8 kg·d⁻¹ and 19.5 g per car, respectively. The spray booths had the highest portion (about 85%) of DCM emission in the stack exhaust air streams. The average concentration of DCM (± standard deviation) in the generated wastewater of the factory was 64 ± 12 μg·L⁻¹, but in the effluent of the factory wastewater treatment plant, it was reduced to a nondetectable level. DCM was also observed in three groundwater wells out of five monitored water resources. To control DCM emission and prevent pollution, the replacement of solvent-based paints with water-based paints is highly recommended.

Keywords:

• automotive industry
• dichloromethane
• air pollution
• wastewater
• water resources

Acknowledgements

This research has been supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences grant No. 15905. The authors are most grateful to the laboratory staff of the Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, for their collaboration in this research.