outdoor investigation of air quality around bandar abbas - iran oil refinery

Aims: This study has been conducted to assess air pollution, with respect to particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter (PM 10 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), and the Air Quality Index (AQI), in a location at close proximity to the Bandar Abbas-Iran oil refinery. Materials and Methods: In this study, a location with close proximity to Bandar Abbas oil refinery was selected as the sampling station. The Air Sampling period was from June to September 2010. In order to assess PM 10 concentrations, the samples were collected using a high volume sampler with fiberglass filters. To measure the concentrations of other air pollutants, including, SO 2 , CO, H 2 S, and NO 2 , real-time instruments were used. With regard to air pollutant concentrations, the AQI values were calculated and for the wind rose, the effect of the oil refinery on Bandar Abbas was evaluated. Results: According to the results from the present study, PM 10 , SO 2 , nd NO 2 concentrations were higher than the recommended values of the national ambient air standards. The maximum PM 10 and SO 2 concentrations and their resultant AQI values were observed in August and September, respectively. Other air pollutants had their highest concentrations in July and September, but in no case did they exceed the standard values. Conclusion: The three most significant outdoor problems with the air quality around Bandar Abbas oil refinery were the NO 2 , SO 2 , and PM 10 levels.