ABSTRACT
Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from petrochemical complexes are highly variable and difficult to quantify using conventional monitoring. We conducted a month-long, on-site measurement campaign within the Daesan Petrochemical Complex in South Korea using PTR-ToF-MS, enabling real-time characterization of 85 VOC species with minimal atmospheric dilution. VOC concentrations were dominated by episodic, process-driven releases rather than diurnal or
meteorological patterns. Oxygenated VOCs accounted for 81% of total mass, with extreme methanol and acetone levels reflecting process-specific emissions. Positive
Matrix Factorization resolved seven major industrial sources, including catalyst production, plastics manufacturing, chlorinated chemical production, hightemperature pyrolysis, and refinery operations. Combining PMF with CPF and reactivity metrics showed that catalytic and pyrolysis-related sources contributed
disproportionately to ozone formation, while TPA production dominated SOA formation potential.
These results demonstrate that short-term industrial emission spikes strongly influence local atmospheric reactivity, underscoring the need for near-source, highresolution monitoring. The findings provide a framework for identifying uncontrolled emissions and support targeted mitigation strategies within industrial
complexes.