What is the best type of environmental samples that can be used to detect the pollutants released by industry?
Most of the rare earths originate in the catalyst cracker, and they're pretty well controlled because the catalyst is very valuable. See the attached bibliography for some of the emission profile measurements. Not many.
SO2 is often co-emitted, so you can look for plume touchdowns with a high-time resolution SO2 monitor. Flares may also have a short-duration black carbon strike (measurable with an aethalometer. See Watson, J.G.; Chow, J.C. (2001). Estimating middle-, neighborhood-, and urban-scale contributions to elemental carbon in Mexico City with a rapid response aethalometer. J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc., 51(11):1522-1528. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10473289.2001.10464379. on researchgate for an example tied to diesel exhaust).
If the indicator is heavy metal, excluding Hg you have to cope with aerosol. It is easy to do WOS search with keywords aerosol, elements, or metals and indicator. You will end up for instance with V as oil burning ind., and so on. It is also aerosol size and locality specific. Be careful not blindly apply all indicators regardless continent.
Good luck
Thanks for a valuble suggestion and answer regarding my question. I'm sorry to add some information about my question. What is the best or the important indicator to show the particles or pollution originated or emitted by rare-earth refinery industry? Sory for the question.
Hi Mohd
The marker for industrial air pollution will depend on the type of industrial activity in the area, which will vary from region to region around the world. In Connecticut, Vanadium and Nickel are reasonable markers for industrial emissions. Take a look at this: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969711001744
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In your particular case I think that the rare earths themselves could give you some informations, if the natural background osignal f the area is different from the one of the materiel imported.
Concerning the samples, you can collect surface soils around the industrial area. It's quite different from aerosols because you will integrate the signal, but it is also very more easy to obtain. Have a look also at fine sediment if there is any river (probably).
Hi Mohd,
I think the article Pallavi mentioned will give your answer.
As suggested you can compare the rare earth elemental ratio in PM from the refinery with that of the pristine crustal ratio. ...The rare earth ratios seem to change and can be good indicators: "ratio of lanthanum to samarium is often greater than 20 compared to a crustal ratio less than 6" as indicated in the abstract.
All the Best.
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