Seasonal variation of gaseous and particulate fluorides in surroundings of the fiberglass production plant in Yunlin industrial estates, Taiwan

Abstract

An industrial process emits many pollutants. The fiberglass production process is one of the important processes to emit pollutants especially, fluorides. Fluorides were released in particulate matter and gaseous phase, and they can be damaged to humans, animals, or plants. The study area is located on the fiberglass process plant in the Douliu industrial area, Yunlin County, and the vicinity of the affected area. The samples were collected during the summer and autumn of 2020. Particulate Matter (PM) was collected using Personal Environmental Monitor (PEM) for PM2.5 and PM10. And Honeycomb Denuder System is using for hydrogen fluoride (HF). The chemical composition of PM2.5, PM10, and gaseous pollutants were characterized by Ion Chromatography System (Dionex ICS-5000 and ICS-1100). The main purpose of this study is to identify and classify the total fluoride concentration (particle and gaseous F) in the fiberglass process plant and vicinity of emission sources area. In summer 2020, the total fluoride concentration was 838.24 ± 346.78 ng/m3 at the fiberglass process plant and 427.36 to 631.55 ng/m3 in the vicinity area. And in autumn 2020, the total fluoride concentration was 895.54 ± 684.60 ng/m3 at the fiberglass process plant and 600.30 to 723.72 ng/m3 in the vicinity area. Fluoride concentration in the autumn was higher than in the summer due to industrial activities, wind condition, and meteorological conditions. Fluoride disperses into the gaseous phase accounted for 92% in the summer and 96% in the autumn. The episodic day was on daytime September 26 in the autumn. HF was extremely high with concentration 2,722.29 ng/m3 at the fiberglass process plant and 603.49 to 1,797.83 ng/m3 in the vicinity area. The concentration of HF in the episodic day is 2 more times the average HF concentration in non-episodic periods that caused by a fire event in the northward region. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a total fluoride concentration in the atmosphere be less than 1.0 µg/m3 to avoid adverse effects on livestock, plants, animals, and humans. Huanan School was the background site which total fluoride concentration was 214.64 ± 167.77 ng/m3 in the summer and 351.63 ± 156.67 ng/m3 in the autumn that was minor affected by industrial activities. Sulfate (in the summer) and nitrate (in the autumn) was the highest concentration of water-soluble inorganic species in PM2.5 and PM10 followed by ammonium due to traffic emission and photochemical reaction.