Process-based VOCs source profiles and contributions to ozone formation and carcinogenic risk in a typical chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry in China

The chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry plays an important role in VOCs emissions from industrial sources, which has caused increasing concern. In this study, the process-based pollution characteristics of VOCs from the chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry were investigated in the Yangtze River Delta, China. A total of 16 samples were collected from 12 process units (including 5 production lines and 2 postprocessing units) and 2 factory boundary sites. 116 VOCs species were analyzed and sorted into 6 classes, including alkanes, alkenes, acetylene, aromatics, halocarbons and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs). The concentration of stack VOCs was 3.37 x 10(4) mu g.m(-3), while the concentration of fugitive VOCs from other process units ranged from 827 mu g.m(-3) to 2.11 x 10(4) mu g.m(-3). Aromatics, halocarbons and OVOCs accounted for a relatively high proportion in all process units. Process-based source profiles of each process unit were compiled. Generally, toluene, dichloromethane, ethanol, methanol and acetone were the most abundant species in all process units. Furthermore, the process-based ozone formation potentials (OFPs) and carcinogenic risk potentials (CRPs) were calculated, suggesting that toluene, methanol, ethanol and m/p-xylene should be preferentially controlled to reduce the OFPs, while acetaldehyde and chloroform were the priority control species to reduce the CRPs. Further discussion showed that ambient VOCs pollution at the factory boundary was affected by both stack and fugitive sources from the production process. The source profiles built in this study are necessary addition to the current profiles and are a good reference to study VOCs emission characteristics from the perspective of the process procedure. The results obtained from this work provide a guidance for effective VOCs abatement strategies and further lay a foundation for related research on VOCs in the chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study investigated the process-based pollution characteristics of VOCs from the chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Aromatics, halocarbons, and oxygenated VOCs were found to be dominant in all process units, with toluene, dichloromethane, ethanol, methanol, and acetone being the most abundant species. The source profiles compiled in this study are necessary additions to current profiles and provide a good reference for studying VOCs emission characteristics.