Air Pollution Modeling for the Optimal Location of Air Quality Monitoring Stations in the Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in MAHSHAHR (Iran)
摘要
As a key sector of modern industry, the petrochemical industry provides substantial benefits to society. However, it also generates significant gaseous and aerosol pollutants that adversely impact the environment and pose risks to human health, necessitating continuous monitoring. Effective air quality assessment and pollution control require optimally designed air monitoring networks. This study presents an optimized design for an industrial air quality monitoring network. The air quality monitoring network was optimized using the AERMOD dispersion model and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to improve the accuracy of air pollution monitoring within the Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Economic Zone (PSEZ). Therefore, emissions of key air pollutants (CO, SO₂, NO₂, and PM2.5) from 26 industrial facilities within a 50-km radius of the PSEZ were modeled. The results indicated that SO₂ concentrations exceeded standard ambient air quality limits, reaching 381 ppb. In contrast, CO, PM2.5, and NO₂ levels remained within regulatory thresholds across all simulations, with peak concentrations of 4.41 ppm, 29 μg/m3, and 123 ppb, respectively. Based on the air pollution results and other key criteria, the location of air quality monitoring stations was further optimized using the AHP multi-criteria decision-making method. Ultimately, based on monitoring objectives and eliminating redundant stations, three fixed monitoring stations and one mobile station were recommended to cover seven key locations within the study area.