Investigation of VOC emissions in synthetic resin and plastic manufacturing through speciation at fenceline locations

This study investigates the concentrations and compositional profiles of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) measured at the fencelines of two synthetic resin and plastic manufacturing facilities in the Republic of Korea. Fenceline monitoring was conducted using both passive diffusion samplers and active pump-driven sampling, allowing characterization of VOCs over different temporal scales. All collected samples were analyzed using thermal desorption–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) and HPLC for carbonyl compounds, enabling quantitative speciation of major VOCs. At Facility A, passive sampling showed that styrene, toluene, and ethylbenzene accounted for 54.29%, 23.74%, and 11.51% of the total quantified VOC mass, while active sampling indicated that 1,3-butadiene, acrylonitrile, and styrene contributed 29.27%, 29.84%, and 18.06%, respectively. At Facility B, passive sampling identified toluene (32.4%), xylene (21.4%), and trichlorotrifluoroethane (17.1%) as the dominant species, whereas active sampling indicated toluene (18.5%), formaldehyde (13.4%), and xylene (11.3%) as major contributors. Benzene levels at both facilities were comparable to regional background concentrations, indicating relatively low risk in these production environments. Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP) analysis showed that at Facility A, styrene, ethylbenzene, and toluene were the dominant ozone-reactive VOCs, while xylene and toluene were most significant at Facility B. Although styrene accounted for a large fraction of the quantified VOCs, its low POCP value suggests that solvent-related compounds such as toluene and xylene should be prioritized for mitigation. Based on these findings, priority VOCs for management in the synthetic resin and plastic manufacturing sector include formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, styrene, acrylonitrile, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene. Active monitoring is recommended for formaldehyde due to its short-term variability, whereas a combined passive–active approach is suitable for long-term management of the remaining compounds.