Assessment of industrial and urban atmospheric pollution from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant GL1K Skikda Algeria

The atmospheric pollution is caused by industrial activities has been recognized as an important factor affecting the air quality. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant emit plenty pollutants such as methane (CH4), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen monoxides (NO), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). The Skikda LNG plant is the major provider of LNG in East of Algeria and it contributes to national economy.This study seeks to assessthe concentration of gases: CH4, SO2, NO, NO2 and CO generated by LNG plant of Skikda in Algeria GL1K.Six regions have been considered in this study. Atmospheric pollutants were analysed in each site and compared to the Algerian permissible limits. Results indicate that the mean concentration of CH4 in LNG plant was 2775.88 mg/Nm³ and significantly higher than Algerian permissible limits at 150 mg/Nm³. However, the average concentration of CO detected in LNG plant was 200.01 mg/Nm³ and exceed the limit which is 150 mg/Nm³. The measurement of SO2, NO, NO2 has shown an acceptable mean concentrationin all sites which were within the Algerian permissible standards. This study highlights that LNG plants constitute a major source of air pollution, presenting substantial environmental hazards and detrimentally affecting human well-being. Consequently, it is crucial for authorities to implement significant initiatives, including waste minimization, robust recycling practices, and the integration of continuous emissions monitoring systems to protect the environment from the detrimental impacts of air pollution in petrochemical plants.