Dispersion Effects of Particulate Lead (Pb) from the Stack of a Lead Battery Recycling Plant

Dimitra Karali; Alexandros Stavridis; Glykeria Loupa; Spyridon Rapsomanikis

doi:10.3390/en13215690

Energies (Oct 2020)

Dispersion Effects of Particulate Lead (Pb) from the Stack of a Lead Battery Recycling Plant

Dimitra Karali,
Alexandros Stavridis,
Glykeria Loupa,
Spyridon Rapsomanikis

Affiliations

Dimitra Karali: Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution and Pollution Control Engineering of Atmospheric Pollutants, Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece
Alexandros Stavridis: Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution and Pollution Control Engineering of Atmospheric Pollutants, Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece
Glykeria Loupa: Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution and Pollution Control Engineering of Atmospheric Pollutants, Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece
Spyridon Rapsomanikis: Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution and Pollution Control Engineering of Atmospheric Pollutants, Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en13215690
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 21
p. 5690

Abstract

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The contribution of emissions from the stack of a lead battery recycling plant to atmospheric lead concentrations and, eventually, to the topsoil of the surrounding area, were studied. A Gaussian dispersion model, of the American Meteorological Society/United States Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model, (AERMOD) was used to determine atmospheric total suspended particulate lead dispersion, which originated from stack emissions, over the wider study area. Stack emission parameters were obtained from online measurements of the industry control sensors. AERMOD simulated two scenarios for four calendar years, 2015 to 2018, one for the typical stack measured operating conditions and one for the legal limit operating conditions (emissions from the stack set by legislation to 0.5 mg m−3). Deposition fluxes modeled the input of atmospheric total suspended particulate Pb to the topsoil of the area. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were used to determine lead concentrations in the topsoil. The modeling results were compared with topsoil of six inhabited locations downwind from the stack in the direction of the prevailing winds to estimate the influence of lead deposition on topsoil near the industrial area.

Published in Energies

ISSN: 1996-1073 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies

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