By : ARM
Everyday, thousands of industrial chimneys release various air pollutants into the air. It’s ranging from carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. Malaysia Environmental Quality Report 2007, reported there were increases on pollutant gaseous in our environment. It is 30 % CO, 43% NOx and 30% PM (particulate matter). In the year 2007, the numbers of industrial that potentially contribute to air pollution in Malaysia about 13,443. Emission from industrial chimney must be governed and controlled consistently to protect our air quality.
Emission from industrial chimney usually attributable from two key factor firstly; fuel combustion process (biomass, natural gas, petroleum oils) for electricity generation and secondly; unit operation which involves ‘heating’ and ‘condensate’ process. Black smoke emitted superfluously caused by incomplete combustion process.
In our country mechanism to control air pollution from industrial chimney are through Environmental Quality Act 1974. Its allocate protection on smoke emission from industrial chimney under Clean Air Regulation 1978. The increases on the numbers of industrial, was give big challenge to environmental officer in order to monitor emissions. In this matter, two big challenges will be faced by environmental officer there are:-
Some industries are located far way in the rural area. For example oil palm factory, rubber, and wood mill.
Emission from the industrial would occur in long period and largely depend on operation time. Certain industry carrying out operation exceeds 8 hours a day (up to night time). Sometimes the industries will exploit this situation by releasing superfluously air pollutants to the air.
To overcome this problem a systematic monitoring program has been developed which combine environmental engineering technology and ICT. This system is known as Continues Emission Monitor Systems-CEMS. This system has long in practiced in developed countries. Among the country is US, United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. McIlvaine Company's company states that revenue for CEMS market in US as much as US 200 millions in year 2002.
CEMS actually referring a system package gather some tools namely gas analyst, gaseous sampling systems, temperature detector, flowrate detector and smoke concentration monitor (opacity). All this combined with data acquisition system. It involves in measures gas process, smoke and particle concentration emitted to the air. This system also could give information on air pollution control systems performance and determine compliance on legislation of smoke emission. CEMS now designs to measure a few important parameters which highly prejudicial as air pollutant to mankind and ozone layer. Its comprising carbon dioxide gas (CO2), carbon monoxide gas (CO), sulphur dioxide gas (SO2), dioxin, furan and suspended particles (PM10). The installation of CEMS sensor probe located directly to the chimney. Special sensors are use for every parameter that would identify.
Nowadays most of the sensor used is from electrochemistry types. Sensors are function to detect air pollutant. Sensors probes connected to the chimney to analyze smoke emission on the air. The sensor will change the chemical signal to electrical signal up to interpret data in analogue or digital form.
All the data resulted are continuously sent to environment server centre. This information is delivering directly by using a few systems which are fixed telephone, GSM or broadband. Information will be accepted by user interface system at server centre. This gave many advantages to environmental officer to monitor continuously smoke emission from the factory without go to site. Follow-up action would be made only if any factory found release the air pollutant with exceeding the limits.
