Factor Analysis for Estimating Source Contribution to Ambient Airborne Particles in and Around a Petroleum Refinery in India

Abstract

Airborne particles were collected and characterized for heavy metals and elemental carbon–organic carbon contribution. Sample collections were done at six sampling sites around a typical 12.5 million metric tonne per annum petroleum refinery on the Indian west coast during winter 2008. The total suspended particulate concentration was 131–269 µg m⁻³ near the source and 143–201 µg m⁻³ away from the source. The corresponding heavy metal and total carbon concentrations were 53.8–73.8 and 0.23–0.83 µg m⁻³ near the source and 51.4–75.42 and 0.250–0.33 µg m⁻³ away from the source, respectively. The elemental carbon and organic carbon were 0.04–0.18 and 0.19–0.65 µg m⁻³. The identification of sources through principal component analysis by VARIMAX rotation technique indicated refinery emission and flare as major sources of EC, OC, Cu, Co and Cr and soil dust as a major source of Zn, Cd, Fe and Cu.

Keywords:

• TSP
• Heavy metals
• Elemental and organic carbon
• Petroleum refinery

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Director NEERI, Nagpur for his kind permission to publish this work. The cooperation and support provided by the refinery staff during the course of the study are also gratefully acknowledged.