Analysis and pollution sources speculations of toxic gases in a secondary fiber paper mill

ABSTRACT

This paper quantitatively investigates the compositions of the gaseous pollutants in the ambient air of a secondary fiber paper mill. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde (HCHO), sulfur compounds (H₂S), and hydrocarbon compounds (C_xH_y) were analyzed on six sampling sites with photo-ionisation detector, acetylacetone spectrophotometric method, and gas detector. The results revealed that, the high levels of TVOC and C_xH_y were detected at the wet end of paper machine and the office area, respectively; all the H₂S contents on the six sites exceeded the limit (0.06 mg m⁻³) seriously; the HCHO concentrations at other five sites were out of the limit (0.10 mg m⁻³) except for the wastewater treatment plant. Furthermore, the necessary discussions about the possible pollution sources were considered on the process flow, the chemical agents used, and the ambient conditions in the paper mill. For the sake of air pollution control in paper mills, these remarkable results and analysis lay some technical basis in the following researches that should attract more attentions.

KEYWORDS:

• Analysis
• gaseous pollutant
• paper mill
• pollution source

Acknowledgments

Field sampling in Guangzhou Paper Mill and the help of engineers are gratefully acknowledged.

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial supports of the State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, the South China University of Technology (No. 2015C07), and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (No. 2016A030313478).