Air dispersion modelling study of a cement plant in Rajasthan

The present study was undertaken to determine the maximum ground level concentrations (GLC's) for various air pollutants through air dispersion modelling technique. This information of maximum GLC's would then be utilized to assess the relative contributions of emissions due to the operation of the cement production unit. The information would also support in the assessment of the viability of the existing ambient air monitoring network in and around the cement plant. The cement company produces Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Pozzolona Portland Cement (PPC) at their unit in Rajasthan, India. The plant is ISO-9001, ISO-14001, and OHSAS-18001 certified and maintains very high level standards in Quality, Environment and Safety fields. It was found that in the study area, the maximum predicted average contribution to ambient PM10, PM
_2.5
, SO
₂
and NO
_x
due to the operation of cement plant, were 13.6%, 8.2%, 10%, and 17% respectively, as compared to the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS, 2009) value. The existing ambient air quality monitoring network was also found to be satisfactory with regards to the representativeness of the data being collected.