Evaluation of interactions between Benzene and Toluene Species in the Air Basin of a Nigerian Petroleum Products Depot
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Date
2020-12-03
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Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ilorin
Abstract
Benzene and Toluene species concentrations relationship and interaction were
determined in the air basin of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company
Mosimi Depot, Sagamu, Nigeria .This study evaluates the status level of these
air pollutants emitted from Mosimi Petroleum depot industrial area using
active sampling and gas chromatography fitted with flame ionization detector
; Model : HP 6890. Air samples were collected over granular activated
charcoal with 10-18 mesh using a low volume air sampler. The Model:
Negretti 1000 tm sampler was placed at human breathing height of 1.5m for a
sampling period of eight hours at different sampling location. Desorption
process was carried out on the used activated charcoal using solvent extraction
method with carbondisulphide as the solvent. The extracted solutions were
subjected to gas chromatography fitted with flame ionization analysis. The gas
chromatography was powered with chem-station REV A09.01 [1206]
software to determine the concentration of each of the benzene and toluene
species present. The concentrations of benzene ranged between 0.0104 and
0.0711 mg/m3 while that of toluene ranged between 0.0019 and 0.0998
mg/m3 within Pipelines and Products Marketing Company in Mosimi depot
and host environment. The Pearson‟s correlation of benzene and toluene is
0.998 while concentrations ratios ranged between 1.32 and 1.77 which
indicate both species are have a relationship and are of multiple similar
sources
Description
Benzene and Toluene in the air are major components and most abundant
species of aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (Muhibbu-din,
2017). They significantly affect the chemistry of the atmosphere and human
health. They played important roles in photo-oxidation and promote the
formation of toxic secondary pollutants (tropospheric ozone and peroxy acetyl
nitrate) and enhance greenhouse effects (Finlayson-pitts and Pitts, 2000). The
reaction of benzene and toluene in ambient air with Hydroxyl (OH) and nitrate
(NO3-) radicals serves as dominant degradation processes for aromatic VOCs
in the atmosphere which result to products that contribute to the formation of
secondary organic aerosol (SOA) by nucleation and condensation (Muhibbudin, 2017; Brocco et al., 1997).
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Citation
Muhibbudin E.I. (2020): Evaluation of interactions between Benzene and Toluene Species in the Air Basin of a Nigerian Petroleum Products Depot. Journal of Research Information in Civil Engineering.17 (3); 4060-4076