Atmospheric halogenated hydrocarbons emitted from a flame retardant production base and the influence on ozone formation potential and health risks

The flame retardant industrial park is a significant source of atmospheric volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. A flame retardant factory is generally associated with abundant salt pans, which facilitate brine raw materials for flame retardant production. However, the concentrations and compositions of these VOCs from the factories and the surrounding salt pans are still unclear. Therefore, this study characterized the VOCs from various production areas in a flame retardants factory and its surrounding salt pans. We investigated five VOC types: alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs), halogenated hydrocarbons (HHs), halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, and halogenated olefin. AHs (41.0 ± 26.3 µg/m³) were the dominant VOC type in the factory, followed by HHs (7.64 ± 6.52 µg/m³). As for the surrounding salt pans, HHs (89.6 ± 55.9 µg/m³), followed by AHs (20.9 ± 13.8 µg/m³). Generally, HHs and AHs were found to be potential cancer risks, especially 1,2-dichlorothane, 1,2-trichlorothane, and benzene. Furthermore, the diffusion of AHs or HHs from the study areas may affect the local residential area and school. AHs were the study region's most significant contributor to ozone formation potential. Consequently, this study provides detailed characteristics of VOCs in flame retardant industrial parks and contributes to developing targeted control strategies.