Industrial Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emission Inventory in China

An industrial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission inventory was developed in China in 2018. It was based on the emission factors method, using a revised and updated source classification system and emission factors of key industrial sources. Results showed that the total industrial VOCs emission in China in 2018 reached as high as 12698 kt. Processes using products containing VOCs were the largest contributors, accounting for 59% of the total emission. The industrial coating industry, printing, the basic organic chemical industry, gasoline storage and transport, and the oil refinery industry were the five largest emitters, accounting for 54% of the total emission. Guangdong, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu were the four largest emission contributors, contributing to 41% of the total emission. Hainan, Ningxia, Tibet, Heilongjiang, and Xinjiang showed the largest VOCs emission intensities, with more than 80 t·(100 million yuan)-1. Processes using products containing VOCs were the main emission contributors in most provinces. The uncertainty for the total industrial VOCs emission in 2018, based on a Monte Carlo simulation, was[-32%, 48%] at the 95% confidence interval.