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Modeling the environmental, health, and safety aspects of xylene isomer emission from storage tanks in petrochemical industries, Iran

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Abstract

The release of xylene isomers from storage tanks poses a significant threat to petrochemical industries, and their safe transportation and storage is a widely researched topic. This paper focused on modeling the environmental, health, and safety effects of P-xylene and O-xylene leakage from storage tanks via Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA) and Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders (WISER). The meteorological data of the area, characteristics of the tanks, and the roughness of the land surrounding the tanks were used to run the ALOHA model. The dispersion distances of P-xylene and O-xylene toxic and flammable vapor clouds were estimated according to the Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) and lower explosive limit (LEL) criteria. Also, the levels of thermal radiation due to the burning of P-xylene and O-xylene were estimated. The results showed that in the cold seasons, the IDLH was a maximum distance of 62 m and 45 m for P-xylene and O-xylene, respectively. The LEL criteria were 10% with a magnitude of 1100 ppm for a maximum distance of 54 m and 35 m for P-xylene and O-xylene, respectively. The maximum distance of 20 m for O-xylene based on the results of the LEL criteria of 60% (6600 ppm) was attained in the warm seasons. They are potentially lethal within 60 s at 21 m (10.0 kW/m2) when burned. The WISER software predicted the protective distance for xylene isomers to be about 300 m. The results show that creating a protective zone around the P-xylene and O-xylene tanks with a radius of 54 m is necessary to reduce hazards.

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Fig. 1
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Source strength graph of O-xylene for opening diameters of 2.5, 5, and 10 cm in warm and cold seasons

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Source strength graph of O-xylene for opening diameters of 2.5, 5, and 10 cm in warm and cold seasons

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Code availability

WISER and ALOHA Programs.

Abbreviations

O-xylene:

Ortho-xylene

P-xylene:

Para-xylene

ALOHA:

Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres

WISER:

Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders

IDLH:

Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health

LEL:

Lower explosive limit

ERPG:

Emergency Response Planning Guideline

KORA:

Korea Off-Site Risk Assessment Supporting Tool

PHAST:

Process Hazard Analysis Software Tool

LC50:

Median lethal concentration

LSVI:

Local Social Vulnerability Index

CITMA:

Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment in Cuba

AQI:

Air Quality Index

LOCs:

Level of concerns

NIOSH:

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

OSHA:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

BTXE:

Benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene

THDA:

Thermal dydro de alkylation

DIPPR-AIChE:

Design Institute for Physical Property Data-American Institute of Chemical Engineers

NFPA:

National Fire Protection Association

CHEMM:

Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management

WMD:

Weapons of mass destruction

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the office of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) as well as the office of education and develop of studied petrochemical plant for their support of this research project. The authors would also like to thank Mr. Dehbashi for his support in this research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental, School of Natural Resources and Desert Studies, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

    Saeed Shojaee Barjoee, Amir Hossein Dashtian & Seyed Saeed Keykhosravi

  2. Department of Forestry, School of Natural Resources and Desert Studies, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

    Mohammad Javad Abbasi Saryazdi

  3. Department of Rangeland and Watershed, School of Natural Resources and Desert Studies, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

    Mohammad Javad Afrough

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  1. Saeed Shojaee Barjoee
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Shojaee Barjoee, S., Dashtian, A.H., Keykhosravi, S.S. et al. Modeling the environmental, health, and safety aspects of xylene isomer emission from storage tanks in petrochemical industries, Iran. Environ Monit Assess 193, 783 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09569-y

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