EXPERIMENTAL

INVESTIGATION OF
ATMOSPHERIC DIFFUSION OF
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH BUTT

SUPERVISOR
QAISAR NADEEM
OBJECTIVE

If toxic or radioactive air pollutants are released into the atmosphere they can be devastating in routine or
during an accident if not regulated. Such pollutants need atmospheric dispersion modelling for regulatory
purposes as well as emergency planning and alertness. It could aid in the decision making process for
emergency evacuation of people from disaster stricken areas.

The use of such models is required to be validated against some experimental observations. Field tracer
tests are such experimental observations. A tracer is released into the air for a specific period of time and
then air is sampled at predetermined locations to find out concentration values and check if they match
with the model’s result.

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METHODOLOGY

The Field Tracer Test is scheduled to be conducted at 6th May 2023 and the tracer gas which will be used is
SF6 because of its stability and very less concentration in atmosphere and has only anthropogenic sources.
Release will be made through the stack outside HAPs Lab from a height of 100ft. Time slot that has been
found suitable is 9a.m. to 12p.m. where concentrations are forecasted to be found at maximum receptor
locations.

The Field Tracer Test mainly has two phases:

1. Planning
2. Execution

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PLANNING

• Weather Forecasting using WRF

• Plume Dispersion Prediction using CALPUFF
• Selection of potential sampling points
• Sampling arcs
• Instruments availability
• Manpower availability
• Reece of sampling area

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FORECAST

8 am to 9 am 9 am to 10 am

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FORECAST CONTD…

10 am to 11 am 11 am to 12 pm

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FORECAST CONTD…

12 pm to 1 pm 1 pm to 2 pm

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FORECAST CONTD…

2 pm to 3 pm 3 pm to 4 pm

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FORECAST CONTD…

9 am to 12pm
INSTRUMENT AVAILABILITY

The experimental setup for the Field Tracer Test comprises of the following equipment:
1. Air Samplers
2. Sampling Bags
3. SF6 cylinders
4. Measuring Balance
5. Mass Flow Controller
6. Weather Station

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INSTRUMENT AVAILABILITY CONTD…
Air samplers available at HAPs lab are total 64pcs out of which 37pcs are properly working 11pcs have minor
issues and 16pcs have dead batteries.
Sampling bags available at HAPs lab are 2L Tedlar Bags which are total of 264pcs plus new inventory of 1000pcs
SF6 Cylinders available at HAPs lab are 3pcs with about 45kg of gas each
Measuring Balance available at HAPs lab is the KERN DS150K1 with a least count of 1g and maximum capacity
150kg with digital interface and PC connectivity
Mass Flow Controller available at HAPs lab is the Dawyer Mass Flow Controller with Aalborg TIO calibrated for
SF6 gas with digital interface and PC connectivity
Weather Station is to be procured which is the Military Meteorological Sensor MAWS6056HCGPS capable of
measuring the wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity.

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MANPOWER AVAILABILITY AND REECE

• Checking for manpower availability is still in works

• Reece of the sampling area is soon to be performed

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EXECUTION

• Release of SF6
• Air Sampling
• Release rate data logging
• Monitoring weather data
• Logging of weather data
• Sampling at predetermined locations
• Analysis with GC-ECD

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THANK YOU!

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AIR SAMPLING

Some substances present in workplaces can be harmful to health, so levels of exposure to these hazardous
substances must be monitored to protect workers therefore the need for measurement of their
concentrations is necessary to keep them under allowable limits.
Air sampling is capturing the contaminant from a known volume of air, measuring the amount of
contaminant captured, and expressing it as a concentration. This means that an air sample requires three
basic measurements:
1. The flow rate of air through the collection medium
2. The sample run time
3. The amount of contaminant collected

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SAMPLING BAGS

Sample bags are a convenient means of sampling gases and vapors when the
concentration is higher than the detection limits of common analytical
instruments. Air sampling using bags is usually performed for short periods of
time to give an indication of peak airborne concentrations, and is often
referred to as a ‘grab sample’. The simplest method of taking a sample into a
bag is to use a pump which has both inlet (suction) and outlet (pressure)
ports, so that the pump can draw air from the atmosphere and ‘push’ it into
the bag. When taking a grab sample the flow rate is not important, however
too high a flow rate could lead to over-filling of the sample bag. When taking
a bag sample according to an analytical method that specifies a flow rate,
calibrate the pump flow rate before and after sampling as you would with any
other sample media, using a flowmeter or a rotameter.
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PROCEDURE
1. Set up the sample pump per the operating instructions, calibrating the
pump to the required flow rate if the sample method employed
specifies this.
2. Flush the bag before use with purified air or nitrogen.
3. Attach PTFE tubing to the hose/valve fitting of the sample bag, and
connect the other end to the outlet port of the pump.
4. To begin sampling, open the valve on the bag fitting (refer to bag
operating instructions), then turn on the pump. Avoid filling the bag
more than 80% of its maximum volume.
5. After sampling, turn off the pump and close the valve on the bag
fitting, ensuring it is sealed securely. Disconnect the bag from the
pump and record any pertinent sampling information.
6. Ship the bag to a laboratory for analysis, making sure the bag is packed 17
loosely and padded to minimize the risk of puncture.
CALCULATIONS
Example:

Volume of air sampled = Sample flow rate x sample time

Flow rate = 2 liter/min

Sample time = 8 hours = 8 x 60 = 480 minutes
Volume of air = 2 liter/min x 480 min = 960 liters
Volume of air = 960 / 1000 = 0.96 m³ (cubic meters)

Conversion of ppm (parts per million) to mg/m³ (milligrams per cubic meter):
mg/m³ = ppm x (molecular weight* / 24)
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EQUIPMENT AVAILABILITY
The equipment available at HAP’s lab PIEAS has been checked for proper
performance. The available units were counted to a number of 47 units.
Then a their health was checked by confirming whether the batteries are
operational and by ascertaining the flowrate knob is present and working. A
detailed account has been maintained which will be used as a reference to
identify the faulty instruments and check how many of the faulty
instruments can be made operational again.
42 samplers have their batteries intact and have operating periods more
2hrs on a single charge. 22 samplers amongst these are those with minor
issues e.g. flowrate control knob missing or not working, time control board
loose, charged batteries but sampler not working.
13 samplers showed zero performance with all kinds of issues mainly dead
batteries and missing flowrate control knobs.
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TWA 300 LOW FLOW AIR SAMPLER

The TWA-300A Atmospheric Sampler is a common instrument

used to capture atmospheric conditions and gas on the shop
floor. It is widely used in atmospheric environmental monitoring,
health and epidemic prevention, labor protection, scientific
research and other units, and can also be used in conjunction
with related instruments. By analyzing the sampled gas, we can
understand the degree of pollution of the environment by
harmful gases, and provide the relevant authorities with the
actual situation of pollution to take measures to ensure that
people have a healthy living environment.

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INSTRUMENT STRUCTURE

• Diaphragm Pump the advanced technology of its structure and assembly makes the small
pump compact, high efficiency, large suction pressure, strong load capacity, stable flow,
low power consumption, and low noise. With a load capacity of 100 mmHg, about 1 L/min
can still be obtained. The pump valve piece is made of special rubber, with acid and alkali
resistant gas, anti-aging, and long life. After a long time test, the performance is still good.
The pump power motor adopts electronic speed regulation, and it can still ensure the
stable operation of the motor under the condition that the voltage fluctuation and dry
battery voltage change greatly. In the sampling process, when the load changes within a
certain range, the electronic circuit can adjust the power to stabilize the flow of the
diaphragm pump.

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INSTRUMENT STRUCTURE

• 2. Time control mechanism The machine adopts a fixed 8-speed timing structure. It does
not need to be set before each sampling, and it cannot be checked because of mistakes in
setting. When the 8-speed switch is selected, the switch can be selected according to the
requirements of the conditions as shown in the table. The switch can be stopped by simply
turning the small switch of a certain file to “ON” (open). When two or more gears are
turned to "ON" at the same time, an error will occur at the timing. The 8-position switch is
in the off position and the instrument does not work. Considering that the operator's
selected time has different requirements, set the manual file in the “1” position, and the
user can turn off the power according to his own time.

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INSTRUMENT STRUCTURE

• Work instructions and under-voltage indications To ensure the operator's work efficiency, the instrument is
more practical. TWA-300A small sampler is equipped with work instructions and undervoltage indication. It
can clearly tell the operator when to replace the dry battery. The normal working red light is on. When the
voltage is as low as 6V, the red light will automatically extinguish, indicating that the battery is under voltage.
This is also an essential protection function for nickel-isolated batteries.

• Power Supply The instrument is equipped with a “charge-regulator” dual-purpose power supply. The power
switch position is normally at “regulatory” position when sampling. At this time, the output voltage is 8V DC.
For charging, the power switch is in the “charge” position. At the same time, the sampler switch is turned off
and it can be charged automatically. When the sampler's battery voltage is charged to the rated value, the
charger indicator light goes out on its own, indicating the end of charging. It is very convenient to use a dry
battery in the absence of AC power. 6 Section 5 # dry batteries are generally used for about 4.5 hours, and
nickel batteries can be used for about 8 hours. If the light of the sampler is off, it means undervoltage, you
need to replace the dry battery. If the nickel battery is under voltage, it needs to be charged.

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SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

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