Transboundary Pollutant Measures

Question 1

How does mitigation of trans boundary pollutants work ?

Answer 1

It begins International agreement ( which generally main drivers for change). These international agreements lead to national legislations which are the drivers for change on a national level.

Question 2

What are the main features of the Swedish strategy for SO2 reduction.?

Answer 2

Legislation was the main feature: in the beginning the legislation set a maximum allowable sulphur percentage in oils at 2.5% as time went on the limit got smaller and smaller as the legislation got stricter. Then eventually the legislation changed to tax on any small amounts of S in oils.

Sweden also regulated permits for companies and standards for diesel and petrol.

Question 3

What are the main features of the Swedish strategy for NOx reduction.?

Answer 3

The country setup a NOx fee system , which while not a tax on emissions created an economic incentive for energy companies to reduce their NOx output .

Question 4

Why is NOx troublesome ?

Answer 4

Because it is very hard to get rid of and it normally formed from incineration conditions ( the temperature and other conditions have to be just right to prevent this )

Question 5

WHat is the full meaning for the acronym IPPC

Answer 5

Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control.

Question 6

What is IPPC?

Answer 6

This is an EU directive that provides a framework designed to regulate all industrial activities to minimize environmental impacts. The goal is to shift from monitoring individual substances to a ,ore holistic approach that considers all environmental media (air , water !soil) and assesses the potential for cross-media pollution

Question 7

What is BAT?

Answer 7

This is known as Best Available Technology.

Where industries are expected to adapt and use the best new technologies to reduce emissions and environmental impact.
The BAT standard evolves constantly and it does so as t technology and scientific knowledge improves.

Question 8

What are the three main things considered in BAT

Answer 8

The environment: the technology has to ensure the industries activities is editing its environmental impacts.
It also considers economic viability : how affordable it will be for companies to implement it .
It also considers social impacts such as noise, odour and visual intrusion.

Question 9

What is BREF?

Answer 9

Theses are the BAT reference documents that provide all information necessary on the BAT for specific industrial sectors.( can be accessed from the EIPPCB websites

Question 10

What are the other EU directives ?

Answer 10

LCPD(large combustion plant directive) & EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings )

Question 11

LCPD

Answer 11

Set up to monitor /regulate SO2, NOx and dust emissions from large combustion plants

Question 12

How many types of NOx emissions are there ?

Answer 12

There are two types :
Thermal NOx ( comes from high temperatures during combustion)
Fuel NOx which comes from high nitrogen content in fuels

Question 13

How to mitigate NOx

Answer 13

Staged combustion: reduces combustion temperature by adding O2 at two different stages of combustion lowering the formation of thermal NOx.

Low NOx Burners : controls airflow and combustion patterns which reduces temperature and eventually NOx formation.

Selective Catalytic Rduction: use of ammonia to convert NOx to nitrogen and water . They operate unde low temp and have 90% efficiency

Selective non catalytic reduction: injects urea in combustion chambers at specific temperature range (700-990c) which decomposes into ammonia and the reacts with NOx to form N2 and H2O.70% eff.

Inject water or steam into combustion chambers to reduce temp.

Question 14

How to mitigate SO2

Answer 14

Usages of scrubbers which are effective for removal SO2 from flue gas (power packing scrubber)

Switching to fuels with lower sulphuric content

Question 15

How to mitigate particles.

Answer 15

1. Electrostatic precipitators (esps): this is good for the removal of big particles . Here electrostatic energy is used to attract big particles to plates which are then cleaned regularly.
2. Bag fabric filters: this is when filters are placed in flue gas chambers and trap both big and small particles as the gas passes through. The efficiency of this can be further enhanced by doing lime or activated carbon to fluegas.

Question 16

What are the main pollutants from mobile sources

Answer 16

CO2,NOx , PM and CO(carbon monoxide)

Question 17

Technical measures for controlling emissions in mobile sources.1

Answer 17

1. Three way catalyst: this is dude in petrol engines to target NOx, HC and CO. It contains precious metals (eg. Palladium) which act as catalysts for reaction that convert NOx into N2 and O2, HC and CO are oxidized in to CO2 and water .
   It contains an lambda sensor (oxygen sensor) which monitors oxygen levels in the exhaust and adjusts air fuel mixture t otainn optimum conditions
   Wit filters to reduce PM

Question 18

Technical measures for controlling emissions in mobile sources.2 Diesel. Engines

Answer 18

This s uses oxidation catalysts similar to that’s used in petrol engines, however targets the oxidation of HC and CO into CO2 and water. They are so effective at reducing NOx. They have diesel Particulate filters to trap soot and PM.

Question 19

Trueee or false: petrol engines gently produce less PM than Diesel engines .

Answer 19

True

Question 20

How is NOX controlled in Diesel engines

Answer 20

1.Through selective catalytic reduction(the ammonia comes from urea in ad blue).
2. NOx STorage converter: store NOx under high oxygen conditions , when the storage capacity is reached the engine activates environment management and converts stored NOx into N2

Question 21

What can ships use

Answer 21

Scrubbers to remove SO2 and Selective Catalytic reduction

Question 22

What is liming ?

Answer 22

It is a mitigation strategy that uses lime to reduce S /acid content after it has been emitted and has reached the recipient . Which is e worse kind of miitigation strategy.