Emerging Concerns for air pollutants from chemical laboratories: Emission Characteristics, Diffusion Effects, and Ozone Formation Potential

Abstract

Abstract Although laboratories play a key role in scientific research at academic institutions, they pose an environmental threat because they discharge pollutants to the atmosphere. Typically, when laboratory experiments are conducted, harmful gases are generated, which pose a safety hazard. To ensure safe operation in laboratories, fume hoods or gas collection hoods are used to collect toxic and harmful pollutants and expel them through ventilation ducts. However, these pollutants lead to a series of environmental problems. According to preliminary tests, these pollutants primarily contain volatile organic compounds, such as esters, aromatic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are resistant to degradation. In this study, long-term and periodic field monitoring was conducted to measure the concentrations and determine the chemical composition spectra of air pollutants discharged by three typical chemical laboratories located in Beijing, China. The results revealed 47 stable atmospheric pollutants exceeding the detection limit. Although the concentrations of these pollutants were characterized by an intermittent low peak and a low mean value, they were observed only for a short duration, and they tended to normalize after approximately 10 min. In summary, limiting the concentration of highly active substances is regarded as a key mechanism of air pollutant control in chemical laboratories. Overall, this study provides insights into the prevention and control of air pollutant discharge by chemical laboratories in academic institutions.