Air Pollution from the Small Foundry Industries to Nearby Communities

Abstract

Air Pollution from the Small Foundry Industries to Nearby Communities

Somkid       Buntatao MSc, (Environmental Engineering)

Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

Objective: To study air pollution condition of foundry factories and nearby communities.

Study design: Descriptive study.

Subjects: Five foundry factories in the community, two housess and one school in the vicinity, and the environmental ambient air on the street after office-hours in ten areas.

Methods: From 2004-2006, primary survey for the environment in the factories and community were conducted together with the determination of air pollution level in the factories, and air quality in the complaining houses and one public school. Secondary survey was conducted in 2008 for the level of air pollution in the factories, ambient air along the street after office-hour. All the results were compared to the standard levels.

Main outcome measures: Levels of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), large (total suspended particulate (TSP) and small (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < a nominal of 10 micron; PM10) dust.

Results: The primary survey from 2004-2006 showed that levels of CO in the two foundry factories were above upper standard control while NO₂ and SO₂ levels in all factories and in the complaining houses and school were within normal limits. Both small and large dust in the complaining houses and school were abnormally higher than the standard values. From the second survey in 2008, levels of CO, NO2, and SO2 in the five factories were all normal while the ambient air on the street after office-hour had abnormally high SO2 in 6 out of ten areas.

Conclusion: The air pollution in the communities is due to the dust emitted from the nearby foundry factories.

Vajira Med J 2009 ; 53 : 197-202