Trace element emissions from some cement plants in Turkey

The cement industry has been one of the major sources of air pollution in the past and the Turkish Air Quality Protection Regulation has issued limits also to trace element emissions to minimise the polluting effects of this industrial sector. In the present study, dust samples were obtained isokinetically from 18 main stacks of 10 cement plants located in different geographical areas of Turkey. The samples were analysed for trace elements Hg, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Se, Te, Tl, V, Sb, Ba, Zn, Co, Sr, Cu, Bi, Mo, Be, and As. The results are presented both as concentration in the dust samples as well as emissions per unit production, and concentration in the stack gas. The trace element emissions of the main stacks agree to great extent with the values given in the literature. On the other hand, the trace element emissions of the plants considered are well below the limits set in the Turkish Air Quality Protection Regulation.