Intervention assessments in the control of PM10 emissions from an urban waste transfer station

Abstract

While vehicle emissions present the most widespread cause of breaches of EU air quality standards in urban areas of the UK, the greatest PM₁₀ concentrations are often recorded close to small industrial sites with significant and long-term public exposure within close proximity. This is particularly the case in London, where monitoring in densely populated locations, adjacent to waste transfer stations (WTS), routinely report the highest PM₁₀ concentrations in the city. This study aims to assess the impact of dust abatement measures taken at a WTS in west London and, in so doing, develop analysis techniques transferrable to other similar industrial situations. The study was performed in a ‘blinded fashion’, i.e., no details of operating times, activities or remediation measures were provided prior to the analysis. The study established that PM₁₀ concentrations were strongly related to the industrial area's working hours and atmospheric humidity. The primary source of local particulate matter during working hours was found to be from the industrial area itself, not from the adjacent road serving the site. CUSUM analysis revealed a strong, sustained change point coinciding with a number of modifications at the WTS. Analysis suggested that introducing a vehicle washer bay, leading to a less dry and dusty yard, and ceasing stock piling and waste handling activities outside of the open shed had the greatest effect on PM₁₀ concentrations. The techniques developed in this study should empower licensing authorities to more effectively characterise and mitigate particulate matter generated by urban industrial activities, thereby improving the health and quality of life of the local population.