Investigation on the near-field evolution of industrial plumes from metalworking activities

Ari Setyan; Pascal Flament; Nadine Locoge; Karine Deboudt; Véronique Riffault; Laurent Y Alleman; Coralie Schoemaecker; Jovanna Arndt; Patrick Augustin; Robert M Healy; John C Wenger; Fabrice Cazier; Hervé Delbarre; Dorothée Dewaele; Pascale Dewalle; Marc Fourmentin; Paul Genevray; Cyril Gengembre; Thierry Leonardis; Hélène Marris; Saliou Mbengue

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.399

Investigation on the near-field evolution of industrial plumes from metalworking activities

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Jun 10:668:443-456. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.399. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Authors

Ari Setyan¹, Pascal Flament², Nadine Locoge³, Karine Deboudt⁴, Véronique Riffault³, Laurent Y Alleman³, Coralie Schoemaecker⁵, Jovanna Arndt⁶, Patrick Augustin⁴, Robert M Healy⁶, John C Wenger⁶, Fabrice Cazier⁷, Hervé Delbarre⁴, Dorothée Dewaele⁷, Pascale Dewalle⁵, Marc Fourmentin⁴, Paul Genevray⁷, Cyril Gengembre⁴, Thierry Leonardis³, Hélène Marris⁴, Saliou Mbengue³

Affiliations

¹ Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie de l'Atmosphère, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, EA 4493-CNRS, 59140 Dunkerque, France. Electronic address: ari.setyan@gmail.com.
² Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie de l'Atmosphère, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, EA 4493-CNRS, 59140 Dunkerque, France. Electronic address: pascal.flament@univ-littoral.fr.
³ Département Sciences de l'Atmosphère et Génie de l'Environnement - SAGE, IMT Lille Douai, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France.
⁴ Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie de l'Atmosphère, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, EA 4493-CNRS, 59140 Dunkerque, France.
⁵ Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Processus de Combustion et de l'Atmosphère, Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS-Université Lille1 Sciences et Technologies (UMR 8522), 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
⁶ School of Chemistry and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
⁷ Centre Commun de Mesures, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, 59140 Dunkerque, France.

PMID: 30852220
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.399

Abstract

In a context where a significant fraction of the population lives near industrial areas, the main objectives of this study are to provide (a) new data on PM_2.5 chemical compositions, heavy-metal concentrations and trace gases released by metalworking activities and (b) new information on the near-field evolution (up to about a thousand meters) of such industrial plumes in terms of particle chemical composition and size distribution. For that purpose, a one-month field campaign was performed in an industrial area near the city of Dunkirk (Northern France), combining measurements of atmospheric dynamics and physico-chemical characterization of air masses. Comparisons between several elemental ratios (mainly Mn/Fe), particle size distributions and volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations at the stacks and at a near-field site suggest that plumes of a ferromanganese alloy plant were quickly mixed with pollutants emitted by other sources (mainly other industries, possibly traffic and sea spray), in particular a neighboring steelworks, before reaching the sampling site. This led to the emergence of secondary particles related to condensation and/or aggregation phenomena inside the plumes. Metalworking emissions were also identified as a source of new particle formation, formed through the emission of gaseous precursors and their fast transformation and condensation, over a timescale of minutes before reaching the near-field site 800 m downwind. Ultrafine particles emitted at the stacks also quickly agglomerated to form larger particles before reaching the near-field site. These results show that, even over short distances, the chemical composition and size distribution of metalworking plumes may evolve rapidly and the characteristics of particles at the boundary of an industrial area (especially in contiguous urban areas) may differ from those emitted directly at the stacks.

Keywords: Atmospheric dynamics; Fine particles; Industrial emissions; Plume evolution; Volatile organic compounds.