>In 2016, the ExxonMobil refinery emitted no less than 28 times more carcinogenic benzene than it reported.
>In the shadows of the port of Antwerp lurks a disturbing reality: the petrochemical giants emit far more benzene and other volatile but harmful chemicals than they report. New European rules could be a turning point, but it remains very expensive to measure emissions. The fact that some companies have a quasi-monopoly on measuring instruments also throws a spanner in the works.
>The petrochemicals of the port of Antwerp are as leaky as a sieve and the Flemish government has been aware of this for a long time. In 2016, the then Environmental Inspection department commissioned the Swedish research agency FluxSense for the second time to measure how many so-called ‘volatile organic compounds’ actually escaped from the petrochemicals of Antwerp and Zwijndrecht.
>In 2016, a research agency found significantly more emissions of so-called ‘volatile organic compounds’ than the Antwerp petrochemical industry itself reported.
>Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that evaporate easily and are often harmful to health. They often cause odor nuisance, which can be accompanied by health problems such as headaches, fatigue and irritation of the nose, throat and eyes. In addition, they contribute to the formation of ozone, which is also harmful to health.
>FluxSense’s research showed that much more of these substances end up in the air than what petrochemical companies report. This observation confirmed the conclusions of a similar study from 2010 among companies in the port of Antwerp. Although a decrease in emissions of 24% was observed in the period 2010-2016.
>For the total emissions from the port of Antwerp and Zwijndrecht, the 2016 Swedish study resulted in NMVOC emissions of 4.75 tons per hour. On an annual basis, this amounted to 40,734 tons, more than double the total NMVOC emissions of all companies that are obliged to report this in Flanders. NMVOC stands for ‘Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds’. Methane is registered separately because it is an important greenhouse gas.
But hey, as long as you “believe” in the jobs the sector will create, while literally decimating your lung capacity, everything will be fine…
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>In 2016, the ExxonMobil refinery emitted no less than 28 times more carcinogenic benzene than it reported.
>In the shadows of the port of Antwerp lurks a disturbing reality: the petrochemical giants emit far more benzene and other volatile but harmful chemicals than they report. New European rules could be a turning point, but it remains very expensive to measure emissions. The fact that some companies have a quasi-monopoly on measuring instruments also throws a spanner in the works.
>The petrochemicals of the port of Antwerp are as leaky as a sieve and the Flemish government has been aware of this for a long time. In 2016, the then Environmental Inspection department commissioned the Swedish research agency FluxSense for the second time to measure how many so-called ‘volatile organic compounds’ actually escaped from the petrochemicals of Antwerp and Zwijndrecht.
>In 2016, a research agency found significantly more emissions of so-called ‘volatile organic compounds’ than the Antwerp petrochemical industry itself reported.
>Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that evaporate easily and are often harmful to health. They often cause odor nuisance, which can be accompanied by health problems such as headaches, fatigue and irritation of the nose, throat and eyes. In addition, they contribute to the formation of ozone, which is also harmful to health.
>FluxSense’s research showed that much more of these substances end up in the air than what petrochemical companies report. This observation confirmed the conclusions of a similar study from 2010 among companies in the port of Antwerp. Although a decrease in emissions of 24% was observed in the period 2010-2016.
>For the total emissions from the port of Antwerp and Zwijndrecht, the 2016 Swedish study resulted in NMVOC emissions of 4.75 tons per hour. On an annual basis, this amounted to 40,734 tons, more than double the total NMVOC emissions of all companies that are obliged to report this in Flanders. NMVOC stands for ‘Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds’. Methane is registered separately because it is an important greenhouse gas.
But hey, as long as you “believe” in the jobs the sector will create, while literally decimating your lung capacity, everything will be fine…