Organized and Fugitive VOC Emissions from Typical Industrial Parks and Their Impact on Secondary Pollution

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Authors: Tao Liu, Xiaoning Li, Weidong Wu, Min Yan, Yanxin He, Xudong Quan, Peng Liu, Hongmei Xu, Zhenxing Shen
Cited by: 2
References: 45

Abstract

Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from industrial parks are a crucial source of urban air pollution. This study assessed VOC emissions and their impact on secondary pollution from three key industries—packaging and printing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and furniture manufacturing—in a typical industrial park in the Guanzhong region of China. The results revealed considerable variation in organized outlet VOC concentrations between the different industries, with the highest level observed in furniture manufacturing (3449.9 ± 437.6 µg/m3) and the lowest level discovered for pharmaceutical manufacturing (410.9 ± 205.5 μg/m3). The VOCs were mainly aromatics (40.7%) and alkanes (21.8%), with pentane, isopentane, xylene, and ethylbenzene the most abundant species. Although organized emissions (1151.6 t/y) constituted the primary source of emissions, fugitive emissions (358.1 t/y) remained a major contributor and primarily contributed aromatics and alkanes. Critically, reactivity-based assessment demonstrated that alkenes and aromatics were the principal contributors to the ozone formation potential (>80%). With regard to the secondary organic aerosol formation potential, aromatics were overwhelmingly dominant, accounting for approximately 87% of the total potential, with xylene and ethylbenzene in furniture manufacturing alone contributing 72.9%. The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing controls on highly reactive alkenes and aromatics. Fugitive emission management during storage, mixing, and curing stages should be enhanced and solvents should be substituted to effectively control VOC emissions in industrial parks.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols Air Quality and Health Impacts

Publication details

Journal / source
Toxics
Publisher
MDPI AG
Volume
14
Issue
3
Pages
242–242
Publication date
10 March 2026
Language
EN