Introduction of the 1st domestic VOCs Online Monitoring Guide

Date: 1^st-12-2017

Source of information: China Electric Power Newspaper

 

The Clean Air Innovation Center, jointly with Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center and 

Shenzhen Institute of Environmental Sciences issued the first Online Monitoring System 

Assessment Guide for VOCs in China, (hereinafter referred to as the " Guide ") in Beijing on 

November 21^st. This Guide summarizes some experiences in the online assessment of VOCs 

in Shanghai, Shenzhen and other cities as well as forms the evaluation framework and basic 

method of online monitoring system of VOCs. It is the first framework and guidance document 

in the field of VOCs online monitoring. It will carry out online monitoring and management of 

VOCs in provinces and cities, improve the system of urban atmospheric VOCs monitoring 

technology and promote the standardization development of the industry.

 

VOCs Monitoring Increasing

VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are all organic compounds emitted into the air at room 

temperature in the form of gaseous molecules. They are important precursors of ozone and 

PM2.5. VOCs play an important role in atmospheric complex pollution and its secondary

pollutants also have negative effects on human health.

" VOCs, seemingly unrelated to the six pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and 

PM2.5, which we are currently focusing on, are in fact not only precursors of PM2.5, but also 

precursors of ozone. VOCs can enhance the oxidation of the atmosphere and promote the 

generation of ozone, says by Mr. Xie Hongxing the dean of Clean Air Innovation Center. 

Throughout the world, Europe and USA have experienced VOCs control for several decades. 

It is for the first time VOCs binding index system will be included in our nation’s "13th Five-Year" 

plan. The Ministry of environmental protection issued a series of VOCs monitoring standards 

and treatment plans, so as local governments quickly follow up, undertake VOCs pollution 

prevention and control work of different degrees. "VOCs monitoring is still an emerging field, will 

be a rapidly growing market in the near future. It is predicted that there will be tens of billions 

market share in the future."

  

Monitoring management is a world - class problem

" 17 provinces and cities in China have issued VOCs emission Fee rules, and more than 40 

cities have introduced or implemented VOCs related regulation programs, according to the 

information we obtained by the end of 2016.

 With the continuous improvement of VOCs pollution prevention and control, VOCs online 

monitoring has become an important means of management of pollution sources in Shanghai, 

Tianjin, Shenzhen and other cities. However, the monitoring and management of VOCs is 

very challenging, even internationally. " said by Senior Project Manager Ling Xuan of Clean 

Air Innovation Center.

 

With the VOCs pollution control steadily, atmospheric clearly requires on-line monitoring. But 

the monitoring and management of VOCs is challenging, even in the world is also a problem. "

he added.

He concluded that there are two major difficulties in VOCs monitoring and management: one 

is the wide range of sources, including natural and man-made sources. In most cities of China, 

emissions of VOCs are much higher than that of natural sources, mainly from fixed source 

combustion, road traffic, solvent product use and petrochemical process, chemical industry 

and other industrial processes.

Secondly, VOCs are complex, not like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants are 

individual substances, whose physical and chemical properties are single. VOCs are a type 

of substance, including alkanes, alkenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, 

oxygenated hydrocarbons, nitrogen hydrocarbons, sulfur hydrocarbons, low boiling point 

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. According to the current identification of the WHO, the 

types of VOCs are more than 300, so complex components are very difficult to monitor.

 

Provision of support for VOCs monitoring data

Because of the difficulty of monitoring, there are a variety of monitoring products and means on 

the market, good and bad. "There are numerous brands of VOCs online monitoring equipment 

in the market. In order to figure out which monitoring instrument is accurate, we put 10 monitoring

 instruments in the same place and tested it according to the same standard," said Lin Changqing, 

an expert on organic analysis at the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center. “The results are 

quite different according to the same standard test. The results are quite different, and the 

numerical difference is huge. "

 "A framework document that can guide the selection of VOCs instruments is imminent. 

Shanghai and Shenzhen have advanced awareness in this respect and have a certain basis 

for practice."

 

Shanghai took an early step in the field of on-line monitoring of VOCs. Based on the construction 

and application of air characteristic pollution monitoring network in air superstations and 

industrial areas, Shanghai has explored the VOCs on-line monitoring technology and system in 

recent years, and applied on-line chromatography and mass spectrometry. The main methods, 

such as spectrum and sensor, have established a new model of air pollution supervision, which 

improves the monitoring ability of VOCs to a certain extent.

 

Shenzhen launched the VOCs online monitoring pilot in 2016, and selected enterprises and 

equipment to conduct online device performance evaluation. Based on the pilot project, we 

will gradually promote online monitoring of key enterprises of volatile organic compounds.

In order to strengthen the emission control of VOCs pollution, the Quality Improvement Plan 

for Atmospheric Environment in Shenzhen (2017 - 2020) is put forward. By the end of 2019, 

all the key supervisory enterprises with volatile organic compounds generated more than 200 

tons will be fully supported on - line monitoring system.

 

The main technical parameters of the selection of VOCs on-line monitoring equipment and 

the main evaluation parameters of site construction are presented, on the basis of 

summarizing some experiences in the on-line monitoring and evaluation of VOCs in Shanghai 

and Shenzhen. and the evaluation methods for reference are also put forward. It not only 

provides important support for the improvement of urban VOCs online monitoring technology 

system, but also provides an important support for obtaining accurate, reliable, scientific and 

effective monitoring data. The establishment of relevant control policies and the development 

of scientific research in related fields provide a guarantee.