Industrial Emission Control Using Lidar Techniques

A mobile DIAL (differential absorption lidar) remote sensing system has been employed in the monitoring of industrial pollutant emissions. Measurements of sulfur dioxide and mercury vapor were performed at nine different Swedish industrial plants within the framework of a control program commissioned by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Total atmospheric fluxes of these species could be determined by combining wind data with a mapping of the concentration distribution downwind from the sources. The emission values obtained were compared with in situ measurements made by the companies themselves. The values from single point sources correlate well, whereas the DIAL system normally measures a higher total flux from several distributed sources including diffuse emissions. The results are used to discuss the applicability and limitation of the DIAL technique for remote surveillance of industrial emissions.