Sources of volatile organic compounds at urban and rural Kütahya atmosphere

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Mühendislik Fakültesi, Çevre Mühendisliği Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2015

Öğrenci: TUĞÇE BEK

Danışman: SÜLEYMAN GÜRDAL TUNCEL

Özet:

This study is a part of a fairly extensive study to investigate contributions of the two thermal power plants, Tunçbilek and Seyitömer, on air quality at Kütahya atmosphere. VOCs were measured at two sampling stations, one was established in the down-town of Kütahya and the other one in the Northeast of the Kütahya. Samples were collected using canisters and they were analyzed using GC-FID system. Average concentrations of VOCs varied between 0.12 g/m3 and 23 g/m3 at urban station and 0.06 g/m3 and 33 g/m3 at rural station. VOC concentrations measured in this study were comparable to corresponding concentrations measured in other cities in Turkey, but lower than VOC data reported for other cities around the world. The effect of wind direction was very important, as such dependence may reveal the effectiveness of thermal power plants on measured VOC concentrations. Concentrations of some of the VOCs were high in wind sectors that includes Seyitömer and Tunçbilek power plants, but the evidence was not strong enough to be conclusive. Finally, source apportionment study was conducted using PMF and eight different factors were identified in both stations. These factors were grouped under the following 4 components: (1) traffic related sources (31.3% of the ∑VOC), (2) Kütahya urban plume (15.3% of the ∑VOC), (3) solvent usage (38% of the ∑VOC and (4) Tavşanlı-urban plume (15.4% of the ∑VOC). While in urban station factors were grouped under the following 3 components : (1) traffic related sources (58.6% of the ∑VOC), (2) solvent use (37.6% of the ∑VOC), and asphalt operations (3.8% of the ∑VOC).