Emissions from Beehive Coke Ovens and Their Impact on Ambient Air Quality

Beehive coke ovens are characterized as the air polluting industries. Their pollution potential and impact on the ambient air quality were assessed in the present work. The coke oven emission monitoring was conducted in respect of particulate matter and the gaseous pollutants at eleven representative plants located in the different zones of India. While selecting the representative ovens, types, sizes, technologies adopted, locations and the provisions of pollution control devices were considered. The stack emission monitoring results of beehive coke ovens shown the average concentration of particulate matter as 237 mg/Nm³. The sulphur oxides emissions were observed as 120 to 598 mg/Nm³ with average 391 mg/Nm³. The emission levels of nitrogen oxides were found in the range of 283 to 513 mg/Nm³ with an average of 378 mg/Nm³. The emissions of carbon monoxide were noticed varying from 123 to 412 mg/Nm³ giving an average of 227 mg/Nm³. The impacts of emissions from the beehive coke ovens were assessed by measuring the ambient air quality at upwind and downwind locations at the boundary of each oven. The ambient air quality parameters include PM₁₀, PM_2.5, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Based on the air quality monitoring results, an air quality index was calculated using the linear segmented principle for cove ovens at upwind and downwind location. It was noticed that the emissions enhanced the air quality index values at downwind locations of coke oven plants. The beehive coke oven emissions impacted 3.36 to 62.13% deterioration in the ambient air quality. The deterioration in air quality is mainly attributed to the fugitive emissions.