Implications of Ammonia Emissions from Post-Combustion Carbon Capture for Airborne Particulate Matter

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00550
• Publication Date: 2015-03-26T15:29:24Z
• Authors: Jinhyok Heo; Sean T. McCoy; Peter J. Adams
• Keywords: Data scrubbing; Tonne; Carbon fibers

Amine scrubbing, a mature post-combustion carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, could increase ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) due to its ammonia emissions. To 2.0 Gt CO2/year, for example, it emit 32 Gg NH3/year in the United States given current design targets or 15 times higher (480 NH3/year) at rates typical pilot plants. Employing chemical transport model, we found that latter emission rate would cause an μg PM2.5/m3 nonattainment areas during wintertime, which be troublesome PM2.5-burdened areas, much lower increases other seasons. Wintertime PM2.5 were fairly linear 3.4 per 1 Tg NH3, allowing these results applied CCS emissions scenarios. The impacts are modestly uncertain (±20%) depending on future SO2, NOx, NH3. public health costs NH3 valued $31–68 tonne CO2 captured, comparable social cost itself. Because solvent loss operators than ammonia, there is regulatory interest limit from CCS.