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Risk has different connotations but all agree it should be reduced as much as possible.

Purchasing Fume Scrubbing or Odour Abatement Equipment requires input from the client, gas extract volume flow rate, gas inlet concentration profile which includes composition of the pollutant gas species and of course scrubber outlet requirement for the pollutant species concentration. The pollutants in an exhaust gas stream can be in several forms namely gas, aerosols or particulates.

In the case of industrial processing the air volume required to be treated is generally easily identified. Many processes are well documented and so the scrubber inlet concentration of fumes such as HCl, HF, H₂SO₄, NH₃, H₃PO₄, HNO₃_, to name but a few, are relatively easy to measure and identify. There is lots of published data as to what can be discharged to atmosphere to comply with Environment Legislation so knowing the inlet concentration and discharge concentration to atmosphere means that the scrubber designer can design to fixed parameters and offer a process guarantee. In terms of risk the buyer can stipulate the information and then select a vendor based on the specifications and process guarantee. Hence, subject to normal commercial considerations the risk is completely manageable.

However, on research and development (R&D) projects, by their very nature it may be difficult to predict the extract gas flow rate required or even the composition of the fumes to be treated. Therefore, the risk is huge as it will be difficult to obtain a process guarantee from a vendor given the unknowns. This is particularly so on fumes being discharged from high temperature or furnace applications where not only is the composition unknown but high temperatures can produce changes in chemistry and physicochemical properties of the emissions. In some cases, constituents of fumes could be transformed into aerosols, which would require modification of the scrubber system which would otherwise be have been sufficient for a fume consisting of only gaseous compounds.

Parsons have had many challenges over the years and have used their range of Rental Plant to create tailor made packages of gas scrubbing equipment. This allows exhaust fumes to be treated and measured, and in the event that there are unforeseen changes in chemistry, adapt and modify the equipment so that the final discharge profile can meet the most stringent environment legislation, thus ensuring compliance and operation to prevent atmospheric pollution, something we are all striving to do to protect our planet.

Whilst fumes by their nature are highly toxic and can be very corrosive, odours are more abstract, for example, the odour from a chicken processing plant can be very objectionable to local residents and is detected as a smell from the site. The smell can change in intensity during the course of a production shift for a whole variety of reasons and so identifying the components within the “cocktail” of chemicals present that are odorous (such as H₂S and VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds) is extremely difficult and the fact that concentrations can change means specifying the inlet composition is difficult and so obtaining a meaningful vendor process guarantee can also be challenging which leads to high risk in purchasing such equipment.

The risk can be reduced or even eliminated by installing a rental plant for a period of time to enable the outlet gas concentration profile or odour level to be monitored or even measured. The gas concentration profile can be derived from the data on consumption of the scrubbing reagents. In the case of odours if the complaints stop then the required outcome has been achieved and then purchasing an identical piece of equipment is completely risk free because the buyer knows it works.

Parsons have a complete range of equipment in stock so that lead times are counted in days. Whilst the rental equipment is operating on site Parsons are responsible for all the plant maintenance, cleaning, spare parts and breakdowns. The equipment is available on extended rental agreements or if preferred, Parsons will supply identical equipment to the rental equipment and can provide a full service and maintenance service to ensure the equipment is maintained in optimal performance.

Parsons Rental systems are available ex stock.

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