@article{Apiwat Thawonkaew_Sarawut Thepanondh_Duanpen Sirithian_Lasita Jinawa_2021, title={ASSIMILATIVE CAPACITY OF AIR POLLUTANTS IN AN AREA OF THE LARGEST PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX IN THAILAND}, volume={11}, url={https://geomatejournal.com/geomate/article/view/2517}, abstractNote={<p>Assimilative capacities of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) in the largest <br>petrochemical industrial complex in Thailand were evaluated in this study. AERMOD dispersion model was <br>simulated to compute for ground level concentrations and spatial distributions of SO2 and nitrogen dioxide <br>(NO2) within a radius of 5 km from Maptaphut industrial area. Emission input consisted of 419 stacks which <br>total amount of 2,071.82 and 2,163.66 g/s of SO2 and NOx were used as baseline emissions. Maximum <br>hourly average and annual concentrations predicted at 8 ambient air quality monitoring stations in the study <br>domain were used to evaluate an assimilative capacity of these pollutants. Emissions of SO2 and NOx were <br>adjusted to the limit that predicted concentrations will not exceed their ambient air quality standards. Results <br>indicated that in order to achieve both hourly and annual standards, NOx emissions must be reduced by at <br>least 40% from its baseline value. As for SO2, emissions can be increased up to about 130% from current <br>level. Results of this study indicated that an existing regulation in controlling individual emission source by <br>using emission standard is insufficient. Analysis of air pollution as area-based approach by taking into <br>consideration entire emission sources can support for better planning and management of pollution.</p>}, number={23}, journal={GEOMATE Journal}, author={Apiwat Thawonkaew and Sarawut Thepanondh and Duanpen Sirithian and Lasita Jinawa}, year={2021}, month={Nov.}, pages={2162–2169} }