Spatiotemporal distribution and hotspot positioning of odors in an industrial area: A case study on identifying potential emission sources using a mobile micro-sensing vehicle

Abstract

This study utilized a micro-sensing device to identify the spatiotemporal distribution of sulfide (H₂S), ammonia (NH₃), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in an industrial park located at southern Taiwan. These devices were installed on a mobile vehicle and integrated with geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) for real-time environmental monitoring. The monitoring data were used to plot concentration contours with a SURFER mapping software for tracking emission sources. There was a composting facility to the northwest and two livestock farms to the north of the industrial park, which were estimated to be the sources of the high concentrations of H₂S (360–600 ppb) and NH₃ (840–1500 ppb) in the northeastern region of the industrial area. Additionally, two large solvent recovery treatment factories in the northwest are emitting VOCs (180–1200 ppb), contributing to the odorous source of organic pollutants. The results successfully confirmed that the locations of odor complaints were highly correlated with the odor detection hotspots. Therefore, the mobile intelligent vehicle equipped with micro-sensing device can accurately position the locations of odor pollution and further assist environmental inspection agencies for pollution prevention.