Investigating the amount of air pollutants produced by Ahvaz Oil and Gas Exploitation Complex No. 3

Oil and gas production units emit large amounts of air pollutants due to combustion processes and burning of oil and gas wastes and endanger the health of the environment and people. Considering the extent of the activity of this industry in Khuzestan province, in the current study, the range of influence of the flares of the flares of the West Ahvaz oil and gas exploitation complex (number 3) in the winter of 2018 has been investigated.

To carry out this study, NO2, CO2, SO2, CO gases were measured in four directions: north, south, west and east and at distances of 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 meters by direct reading devices.

NO2, O3, SO2, and CO gas were higher than the standard in the distances near the flare, and PM2.5 and PM10 suspended particles were more than the standard at a distance of 3000 meters from the roads. Regarding PM2.5 and PM10 particles, the results showed that 79.16% of the points were in unhealthy condition for the sensitive and unhealthy groups and 75% of the points were in healthy condition, respectively, more than 83.33% of the measured points in the case of two So2 gas and 75% of the points in CO gas, 66.66% in No2 gas were in very unhealthy condition.

According to AQI index values, O3 and PM10 were generally unhealthy to very unhealthy, and SO2 gas and PM2.5 particles were in worse condition compared to others.