High-spatial-resolution VOCs emission from the petrochemical industries and its differential regional effect on soil in typical economic zones of China.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic to the ecological environment. The emission of VOCs into the atmosphere has already caused attention. However, few studies focus on their regional effects on soil. As a major VOCs source in China, research on the effect of petrochemical industry on the environment is urgent and essential for regional control and industrial layout. This study established national VOCs emission inventory of five petrochemical sub-industries and spatial distribution based on consumption of raw material or products' yield and 28,888 factories. The VOCs emissions showed continuously increasing trend from 2008 to 2019, with cumulative 1.83 × 107 t, wherein these from rapid economic development zones accounted for 66.10%. The detected concentrations of VOCs in various industries combined with meteorological parameters were used in Resistance Model to quantify regional dry deposition. Higher concentrations of 111 VOC species were 238.27, 260.01, 207.54 µg·m-3 from large-scale enterprises for crude oil and natural gas extraction, oil processing, synthetic rubber and resin, leading to higher deposition ratios of 0.81%-0.94%, 0.70%-0.81%, 1.50%-1.75% in rapid economic development zones, respectively. The regional climate condition played a dominant role. Annual VOCs dry deposition amount in rapid economic development zones was calculated to be totally 6.38 × 103 t using obtained deposition ratios and emissions, with 3.21 × 103 t in Bohai Economic Rim (BER), 2.42 × 103 t in Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), 748.43 t in Pearl River Delta (PRD). Generally, crude oil and natural gas extraction, oil processing, synthetic rubber and resin contributed 13.09%, 57.77% and 29.14%, respectively. The proportion of synthetic rubber and resin for dry deposition increased by 5.04%-18.81% compared with VOCs emissions in BER and YREB. In contrast, it declined from 45.52% for emission to 29.86% for deposition due to absolute dominance of small-scale enterprises in PRD. Overall, VOCs control from oil processing was significant, especially in BER.

Investigation of the decomposition mechanism of hexachlorobenzene on gamma-Al2O3.

Decomposition of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) on high surface area y-alumina was comprehensively studied using in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ion chromatography. Monitoring of the temperature-dependent decomposition by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that HCB decomposed as the temperature increased and phenolate species and other decomposition products formed. Pentachlorophenol (PeCP) and pentachlorobenzene were identified as the main decomposition products by GC-MS, and the time dependence of the formation of PeCP and pentachlorobenzene suggested that PeCP was the main intermediate. A trace analytical method based on derivatization and GC-MS revealed the presence of 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzenediol and tetrachloro-hydroquinone. A small amount of inorganic chlorine ions produced by dechlorination of HCB was detected by ion chromatography. PeCP was the main intermediate and was transformed to 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzenediol and tetrachloro-hydroquinone on the alumina surface. These compounds then decomposed to small molecules via cracking of their aromatic rings.

A method for decomposition of hexachlorobenzene by gamma-alumina.

A method of decomposing hexachlorobenzene (HCB) by gamma-alumina was investigated at low temperature of 300 degrees C. It was found that HCB was rather quickly decomposed under such a condition. Decomposition efficiency (DE) increases with increasing the surface area of gamma-alumina. Pretreated gamma-alumina has a better performance for the decomposition reaction. A high decomposition efficiency within the short reactive time of 60 min was achieved to be 94.2%, which was obtained by preheating gamma-alumina with the surface area of 220 m(2)g(-1) at 450 degrees C for 2 h. High surface area and appropriate pretreatment temperature probably provide more reactive sites such as the isolated OH groups and Al(3+) sites surrounded by O(2-) sites. These sites may induce the decomposition of HCB via a main ring-cracking process. The present study, hopefully, holds the promise for the eliminating of HCB contained hazardous materials in industrial application.

Decomposition of hexachlorobenzene over Al2O3 supported metal oxide catalysts.

Decomposition of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was investigated over several metal oxides (i.e., MgO, CaO, BaO, La2O3, CeO2, MnO2, Fe2O3, and Co3O4) supported on Al2O3, which was achieved in closed system at a temperature of 300 degrees C. Catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation with different metal oxides loading and impregnating solvents. The decomposition efficiency of different catalysts for this reaction depends on the nature of the metal oxide used, and Al2O3 supported La2O3 was found to be the most active one. Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), and all tetrachlorobenzene (TeCB), trichlorobenzene (TrCB), and dichlorobenzene (DCB) isomers were detected after the decomposition reaction, indicating that the decomposition was mainly a dechlorination process. The detection of all lower chlorinated benzenes suggested the complexity of decomposition and the presence of more than one dechlorination pathway.