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Environmental impact assesment

EIA is the evaluation of the possible impacts of the plant operations on the environment.
This assessment is aimed to make sure all plant equipment are running in such a way
that they do not harm environment. There are following objectives of EIA.

To ensure that the best environmental friendly route has been taken to achieve
the project and all the adverse effects on the environment have been minimized.
To ensure that project advocates take the responsibility for the protection of the
environment.
To ensure that during the assessment of the proposals public attendance has
been taken into consideration.
As technology changes every day, proponents must always think of new
possibilities to improve the equipment and to implement newer versions in order
to make the process more ecofriendly.
To ensure that pollution level into the environment is not exceeding the limit of
the legislation.

For every 1 tone of urea roughly 1 kg of ammonia is released as waste product. But
ammonia is not only threat for the environment in urea plant. Not only ammonia, but
also carbon dioxide and urea is released from urea plant have negative impact on the
environment. Moreover, inefficient use of energy is negative from both environmental
and economic point of view as well. Following types of the emissions are present in
urea plant.
Emission from the process of urea production can be summarized as shown in the table
below.
Emission to
Emission

Atmosphere

Ammonia
Formaldehyde
Organic products (volatile)
CO2
Nitrogen
Table 1 Emissions from the urea plant.

Land

Water

Emissions to Air
Air emissions may be categorized as either fugitive or point source emissions.
Fugitive Emissions
These are emissions that are not released through a vent or stack. Examples of fugitive
emissions include dust from stockpiles, volatilization of vapor from vats, open vessels,
or spills and materials handling.
Point Source Emissions
These are the type of emissions emitted through the single point as name implies.
These emissions are exhausted into stack and emitted through a single point source
into the atmosphere
Emissions to Water
Emissions to water can be classified for the place it is discharged. Usually it is surface
waters (lakes, rivers etc.). Discharges to the sea or to the ocean is also very common.
There is high risk for the living organisms living in this waters, thats why the emission
shown above the table have to be inspected and the amount of the contamination must
be monitored. It can be in two ways either
Because of the significant environmental hazards posed by emitting toxic substances to
water, most facilities emitting substances to waterways are required by the relevant
environment authority to closely monitor and measure these emissions. Waste
discharging to water is usually to lakes, rivers or ponds. The existing sampling data can
be used to calculate annual emissions. In case no wastewater data exists, emissions to
water can be calculated approximately using mass balance or using emission factors.
Emissions to Land
Solid wastes, slurries and sediments from the process are emitted to land which causes
contamination. Some emissions to land are not intentional these emissions can be from
leaks, spills or any other damages occur to equipment. In general, there are four types
of emission estimation techniques (EETs) that may be used to estimate emissions from
the facility:
Sampling or direct measurement;
Mass balance;
Fuel analysis or other engineering calculations; and
Emission factors
4.3.6 Elimination Methods
Urea plant waste water treatment section
The process water in urea plants contains ammonia, carbon dioxide and urea. The
concentrations of these components vary within a range depending on the operating
conditions. On average, the concentrations in the process water are about 6 wt.%
ammonia, 4 wt.% carbon dioxide and 1 wt.% urea.
Sources of the ammonia and urea are
Condensate from the evaporators.

Off-gases from the recirculation section, which are absorbed in the process
water.
Off-gases from the synthesis section, which are absorbed in the process water.
Flush and purge water for pumps.
Liquid drains.
With water treatment ammonia, carbon dioxide and urea is removed from the
condensate. Producing a tone of urea, produces 0.3 ton water which is usually
discharged from the urea concentration and evaporation section of the plant. The
removal of the ammonia and urea from wastewater is done with the hydrolysis process.
Treated waters then can be used in different areas such as cooling water. Recovered
ammonia and carbon dioxide can be recycled into the process to be converted into urea
again.

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