Dispersion Modelling of Air Pollutants from Industrial Point Sources

Background Industrial point sources emit a wide range of air pollutants, posing significant risks to human health and the environment. Existing studies often focus on single pollutants or a limited number of sources, limiting the generalizability of their findings. Objective This study aims to bridge this gap by characterizing multiple air pollutants, including gaseous emissions, particulate matter, and heavy metals across a diverse range of industrial point sources and modelling their dispersion to assess spatial impacts on air quality. Methods Gaseous pollutants were analysed using an E8500 combustion analyser, while airborne particulate matter was captured using a high-volume air sampler. Heavy metals were quantified using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and gravimetric analysis. Emissions were collected from six major industrial facilities, encompassing boilers, furnaces, kilns, and generators. Air dispersion modelling was conducted using the AERMOD software across five operational scenarios and ten pollutants. Results In Scenario 1 (boiler-only operation), high concentrations of hazardous heavy metals were predicted: Pb (147.292 µg/m 3 ), As (30.476 µg/m 3 ), and Cd (30.474 µg/m 3 ), while NOx and CO recorded lower levels at 0.010 µg/m 3 and 0.019 µg/m 3 , respectively. These results reveal the heterogeneous nature of emissions and their spatial dispersion across varying operational scenarios. Conclusion Unlike prior studies focusing on limited sources or pollutants, this study presents a comprehensive emission inventory and dispersion modelling of a wide pollutant spectrum across multiple industries. The findings underscore the critical contribution of diverse industrial point sources to local and regional air quality degradation and provide a stronger scientific basis for targeted mitigation strategies.