Assessment the impact of different fuels used in cement industry on pollutant emissions and ambient air quality: a case study in Egypt

Tarek Sayad; Fawzia Ibrahim Moursy; Attia M El-Tantawi; Mohamed Saad; Mostafa Morsy

doi:10.1007/s40201-022-00844-9

Assessment the impact of different fuels used in cement industry on pollutant emissions and ambient air quality: a case study in Egypt

J Environ Health Sci Eng. 2022 Nov 30;21(1):107-121. doi: 10.1007/s40201-022-00844-9. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Authors

Tarek Sayad¹, Fawzia Ibrahim Moursy², Attia M El-Tantawi², Mohamed Saad³, Mostafa Morsy¹

Affiliations

¹ Astronomy and Meteorology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, 11884 Cairo, Egypt.
² Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies, Cairo University, 12613 Giza, Egypt.
³ Air Quality and Noise Department, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Ministry of Environment, Maadi, Cairo, 11728 Egypt.

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of using different fuels in Egyptian Titan Alexandria Portland Cement Company on emissions and concentrations of pollutants (Total suspended particles (TSP), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂‎), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)) and their influence on ambient air quality during the period 2014-2020 using AERMOD dispersion model. The results showed that changing the fuel from natural gas in 2014 to coal mixed with alternative fuels (Tire-Derived Fuel (TDF), Dried Sewage Sludge (DSS), and Refuse Derived Fuels (RDF)) in 2015-2020 caused fluctuating variations in pollutant emissions and concentrations. The highest and lowest maximum concentrations of TSP occurred in 2017 and 2014 respectively, where the TSP is positively correlated with coal, RDF, and DSS and negatively correlated with natural gas, diesel, and TDF. Also, the lowest and highest maximum NO₂ concentrations were detected in 2020 and 2016 followed by 2017 respectively, where NO₂ is positively correlated with DSS and negatively correlated with TDF and varies with diesel, coal, and RDF. Moreover, the maximum concentrations of SO₂ were the lowest in 2018 and highest in 2016 followed by 2017 because of its considerable positive correlation with natural gas and DSS and negative correlation with RDF, TDF, and coal. Generally, it was found that increasing the percentage of TDF and RDF with decreasing the percentage of DSS, diesel, and coal will reduce pollutant emissions and concentrations and enhance ambient air quality.

Keywords: AERMOD dispersion model; Air quality; Different fuel types; Egypt; Impact assessment; Pollutants; Titan Cement Company.