Assessing CO۲ Emission Dynamics and Dispersion Patterns from Turbines in a Petrochemical Facility in Southwest Iran

Background & Aims: The emission of greenhouse gases presents a daunting challenge in today's world. Among these gases, carbon dioxide (CO۲) stands out as the most significant, affecting the environment on regional, global, and local scales by contributing to some phenomena, such as the heat island effect. The present study aimed to assess the emission rate and model the dispersion of CO۲ from the chimneys of turbines in a petrochemical complex located in southwest Iran in ۲۰۲۳. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, we first calculated the CO۲ emission factor using the DCCEE ۲۰۰۹ method. We then estimated its dispersion model based on the Domino and Gaussian methods. In addition, field measurements of CO۲ concentrations were conducted to validate the accuracy of these models. Results: The results indicated that the average Global Warming Potential (GWP) attributable to CO۲ emissions from turbine chimneys in the petrochemical complex is approximately ۱۰,۷۱۸.۸۵ tons of CO۲ equivalents per month. Dispersion modeling using the Domino method revealed a rapid decrease in CO۲ concentrations with increasing distance from the emission source, with levels dropping from ۱۰۰۰ ppm at the emission point to ۶۰.۶۵ ppm at ۱۰۰ meters away, illustrating the effectiveness of distance in mitigating exposure. The Gaussian method results pointed out that CO۲ concentrations increase under conditions of greater atmospheric instability from more than ۱۰۰۰ ppm decreases to ۱.۱ ppm, suggesting an interaction between environmental factors and pollutant dispersion. A comparative accuracy assessment demonstrated that the Gaussian model provided a more reliable estimation of CO۲ concentrations at varying distances from the chimneys, yielding R² values of ۰.۹۹۶۲ and ۰.۹۷۲۸ for the Gaussian and Domino methods, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the substantial contribution of turbine chimneys in the petrochemical complex to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO۲, posing significant environmental challenges.

کلیدواژه ها:

Biodegradable plastics ، Carbon ، Emission ، Emission control ، Gaussian model ، Greenhouse effect