Correlation between SO2 emissions rate and S contained in fuel used in a power plant, Noumea, New Caledonia

SO2 emissions from fossil fuel power plants can have significant impacts on human health and ecosystems. Consequently, numerous techniques are in use to monitor these emissions, in order to comply with environmental legislations. Here we highlight the correlation between SO2 emissions rate and the S contained in fuel used in power plant. We obtained a maximum of 1.3 kg.s-1 of SO2 emissions rate and a minimum of 0.4 kg.s-1 corresponding respectively to 2.9 % and 1.2 % of S contained in fuel. Measurements also indicate that high concentration of SO2 released from the Noumea 121 MW power plant is rapidly diluted in the first 10 minutes, corresponding to 3-4 km distance from the source downwind. Thus inhabitants living within the 3-4 km radius are potentially exposed to power plant emissions.

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