Assimilative capacity-based emission load management in a critically polluted industrial cluster

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Atmospheric Chemistry
• Industrial Ecology

Background:

• Assessing industrial pollution is crucial for environmental protection.
• Manali industrial cluster faces significant air quality challenges.
• Understanding pollutant load capacity is key for sustainable industrial operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the assimilative capacity of the Manali industrial cluster.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of current air pollution control measures.
• To provide data for developing effective air pollution abatement strategies.

Main Methods:

• A modified approach was used to quantify assimilative capacity.
• A bottom-up approach generated a fine-resolution emission inventory for SO2, NO2, and PM10.
• The AERMOD model was employed for assimilative capacity estimation.

Main Results:

• Current SO2 emissions (22.8 tonnes/day) exceed the estimated safe load (16.05 tonnes/day) by 6.7 tonnes/day.
• NO2 (7.8 tonnes/day) and PM10 (7.1 tonnes/day) emissions are within estimated safe limits (17.36 and 19.78 tonnes/day, respectively).
• Post-monsoon season exhibits the lowest air quality load-carrying capacity, with allowable SO2 emissions 35% lower than in the monsoon season.

Conclusions:

• Manali's industrial operations currently exceed safe SO2 emission limits.
• Air pollution control measures need enhancement, particularly for SO2.
• Seasonal variations significantly impact the industrial cluster's capacity to absorb pollutants, necessitating adaptive management strategies.