Toxic Chemical Release Hazard Distance Determination Using Chemical Exposure Index (CEI) in a Gas Refinery

Events leading up to the release of toxic chemicals in the processing plants are one of the main hazards of chemical industries that can endanger employees and also people in neighborhood. In this study, DOW s Chemical Exposure Index (CEI) is used to determine hazard distances of possible toxic chemical releases in one of the South Pars gas refineries. To do this, 318 considerable release scenarios were identified and by process parameters and CEI equations, airborne quantity, chemical exposure index and hazard distances were calculated. In the worst case of a toxic chemical release, hazard distance of the studied refinery is 10000 meters. The Sludge Catcher unit is the most dangerous unit in terms of toxic chemical release. In addition to the advantages of the CEI observed in this study also some limitations were observed including sensitivity to process parameters, no consideration of the material inventory and the concentration in the CEI calculations.