Determination of Industrial Sulfur Dioxide Emissions and Mapping by Geographic Information System

Abstract

As the technology continuous to develop, air pollution has started to become more of a problem and it has started to threaten life in industrial regions. This study aims to calculate the sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission concentrations of industrial plants with the help of the Gauss Plume Model Equation, to map their distributions and, in regions where there is more than one industrial plant, to present the importance of total emissions. With this aim, in Sakarya city, three industrial plants that are close to each other and that use sulfur-containing fuels for energy were chosen, and the SO2 emission concentrations coming out of their stacks were calculated in defined points of 50 m intervals. Total concentration values were determined and emission distribution is mapped using the geographic information system (GIS). As a result, although the emissions of the plants were below the standards, in the intersection regions of the emission plumes of the three plants it was seen that the total concentrations were at dangerous levels as far as air quality is concerned. In conclusion, it was found that it is important to calculate the emission distributions with air quality models and to show them with GIS to determine the pollution concentrations and distributions in advance. It is also important to evaluate the industrial plants on their own and compare them with other plants to inform the decision makers with the necessary information and to determine the necessary precautions.