HR: 14:40h
AN: A13I-05 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: Measurements of industrial emissions of VOCs, NH3, NO2 and SO2 in Texas using the Solar Occultation Flux method and mobile DOAS
AU: * Mellqvist, J
EM: johan.mellqvist@chalmers.se
AF: Chalmers University of Technology, Radio and Space Hoersalsvägen 11, Gothenburg, 41296, Sweden
AU: Samuelsson, J
EM: jerker.samuelsson@chalmers.se
AF: Chalmers University of Technology, Radio and Space Hoersalsvägen 11, Gothenburg, 41296, Sweden
AU: Rivera, C
EM: claudia.rivera@chalmers.se
AF: Chalmers University of Technology, Radio and Space Hoersalsvägen 11, Gothenburg, 41296, Sweden
AU: Lefer, B
EM: blefer@uh.edu
AF: University of Houston, Department of Geosciences 4800 Calhoun Road Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
AU: Patel, M
EM: monica.patel@mail.uh.edu
AF: University of Houston, Department of Geosciences 4800 Calhoun Road Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
AB: Solar Occultation Flux (SOF) measurements of olefines and alkanes have been conducted to pin-point and quantify the largest sources of olefines and alkanes in the vicinity of Houston and in south eastern Texas during September 2006. The SOF measurements were part of the extensive summer campaign TexAQS 2006, included in the Second Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS II). The SOF technique is an optical method utilizing the absorption of direct solar infrared radiation in the 1.8-14 micrometer range for retrieval of total columns of various species such as ethylene, propylene, ammonia and alkanes. The instrument is carried on a mobile platform, making it possible to conduct transects of the emission plume downwind an industry, and thus integrate all the molecules of the plume cross section in real time. By multiplying with the plume wind speed, the total flux emerging from the source is obtained. Flux estimates with SOF were obtained for the large petrochemical and refining complexes around the Houston area. This was done in parallell with airborne plume studies by other parties. The primary research goal was to supply a data set for emission inventory comparisons and for input to models looking at the strong ozone production in Texas. The SOF measurements show that the hourly gas emissions from the Houston Ship channel area correspond to about 1 metric ton of ethylene, 1.5 tons of propylene, 12 tons of alkanes, 1/4 ton of NH3 and about 5 tons of SO2 and NO2. For the VOCs this is an order of magnitude or greater than reported VOC emissions in the 2004 inventory.
DE: 0345 Pollution: urban and regional (0305, 0478, 4251)
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting