Offset Ratio Assessment for Volatile Organic Compounds in Cap and Trade Zone

Abstract:

Kaohsiung and Pintung are the first regions were set into action of total quantity control zones for air quality in Taiwan. Cap and trade programs have built for the particle matters (PM10), sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in 2010. The offset ratio was designed as 1.0 or 1.2 various on the offset sources. The fixed offset ratio setting is suitable for PM10, SOx, and NOx since their characters are unitary. However, VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- or long-term adverse health effects. Even the same pollutant trading amount cannot guarantee the same health risk or environmental impacts. It would induced the highly uncertainty of air quality for the fixed offset ratio system. This study therefore tried to create a new methodology based on the pollutant impact strength of health and environment for determining the offset ratio of VOCs. An equation for calculating the offset ratio of VOCs was proposed and evaluated by case study. The elasticity of weighting determination was remained to the decision makers for confronting the various environmental improving targets.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 518-523)
• Pages: 2612-2616
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.518-523.2612
• Online since: May 2012
• Authors: Shu Kuang Ning, Chia Hung Wang
• Keywords: Cap-and-Trade System, Health Risk, Offset Ratio, Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)

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