Removal of gaseous air pollutants using chemically impregnated activated carbon | |
| Author | Sukanya Kiatphuangchai |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-08-35 |
| Subject(s) | Air--Pollution--Thailand--Bangkok Automobiles--Motors--Exhaust gas--Thaiand--Bangkok |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) and NOx are mainly emitted from traffic. These pollutants have significant effects to human health. Since the number of vehicles in Bangkok is rapidly increased nowadays, BTEX and NOx become major air pollutants on many roads in the city. This study intends to develop an air cleaner system that can be suitable to apply to remove BTEX and NO₂ from intake air for passenger vehicles. First, simultaneous measurements of gaseous pollutant concentrations were made for both in-car and out-car air along a cleaner route (Paholyothin road) and a high polluted route (Din-Deang road). The results show that in-vehicle concentrations of N0₂, SO₂ and BTEX on the two routes were high but still lower than out car levels. The 2 hour average in-car concentrations of benzene in the cleaner and polluted roads were 14.9 ppb and 11.8 ppb, respectively. NO₂, SO₂ and BTEX concentrations measured in out-car air along the polluted route were higher than those along the cleaner route mainly due to lower driving speed (traffic congestion) and higher traffic density in the former. Lab-scale activated carbon filters (ACF) were designed and tested for removal efficiency of benzene and NO₂. Virgin granule activated carbon (GAC) and KOH impregnated activated carbon (K-IAC) were used for the tests using synthetic gases of benzene alone and of the mixed BTEXNOX. At 25-35°C, benzene removal efficiency by virgin AC is above 92% which is significantly higher than that of K-IAC (58%). The opposite was observed for NO₂ removal which was higher for K-IAC (74.7%) as compared to virgin AC (3.3%). The high NO₂ removal in the K-IAC bed should be attributed to chemisorption. The breakthrough test was performed at 25-35°C for benzene which shows adsorption capacity of virgin AC of 7.57 ug benzene/g AC while that of K-IAC of 7.50 ug/g. Virgin AC impregnated with KOH shows a good distribution of KOH on the surface as seen from SEM/EDX analysis. |
| Year | 2008 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Nguyen, Thi Kim Oanh; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Nowarat Coowanitwong;Visvanathan, C.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | RTG Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2008 |