VIETNAM NATIONAL STANDARD

TCVN 6991:2001

AIR QUALITY

STANDARDS FOR INORGANIC SUBSTANCES

HANOI – 2001
1. Applicable scope

This standard is applied to control the component concentration of emissions released from
stationary sources of emission in operation and/or is applied to calculate, appraise emission level(s)
of a newly built or upgraded industrial manufacturing facility.
This standard specifies in detail standard TCVN 5939:1995 taking into account the discharge rate
(emission) of industrial emission containing inorganic substances released into ambient air in industrial
zones, technological level and operation area of the concerned manufacturing facilities.

2. Referenced standards
TCVN 5939:1995 Air quality - Industrial emission standard for dusts and inorganic substances
TCVN 5940:1995 Air quality - Industrial emission standard for organic substances
TCVN 6994:2001 Air quality - Standards for organic substances in industrial emission released in
industrial zones

3. Emission standards

3.1. Names and limitation values of concentration for inorganic substances in industrial emission gas
before discharged to ambient air of industrial zones, depending on their respective emission rate,
technological level of their sources are listed in Table 1, when factor KV = 1.
3.2. In case the environment authority requires a more detailed specific zoning in the industrial zone
of concern (KV ≠ 1), a KV as a series of values can be applied for calculating of emission
concentration in accordance to formula given in Appendix A of TCVN 6994:2001, with KQ, KCN
factors corresponding to each source of emission.
 Table 1: Permissible concentration of inorganic substances in industrial gas emission
corresponding to emission rate and technological level released into industrial zones (KV = 1)
Unit: milligram per cubic metre of emission at normal conditions (mg/Nm3)
Level A Technology, KCN = 0.6 Level B Technology, KCN = 0.75 Level C Technology, KCN = 1
No. Name of substance Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3
KQ = 1 KQ = 0.75 KQ = 0.5 KQ = 1 KQ = 0.75 KQ = 0.5 KQ = 1 KQ = 0.75 KQ = 0.5
1 Antimony 15 11.25 7.5 18.75 14.0625 9.375 25 18.75 12.5
2 Arsenic 6 4.5 3 7.5 5.625 3.75 10 7.5 5
3 Cadmium 0.6 0.45 0.3 0.75 0.5625 0.375 1 0.75 0.5
4 Lead 6 4.5 3 7.5 5.625 3.75 10 7.5 5
5 Copper 12 9 6 15 11.25 7.5 20 15 10
6 Zinc 18 13.5 9 22.5 16.875 11.25 30 22.5 15
7 Chlorine 12 9 6 15 11.25 7.5 20 15 10
8 HCl 120 90 60 150 112.5 75 200 150 100
9 Fluorine, HF acid (all sources) 6 4.5 3 7.5 5.625 3.75 10 7.5 5
10 H2S 1.2 0.9 0.6 1.5 1.125 0.75 2 1.5 1
11 CO 300 225 150 375 281.25 187.5 500 375 250
12 SO2 300 225 150 375 281.25 187.5 500 375 250
13 NOx (all sources) 600 450 300 750 562.5 375 1000 750 500
14 NOx (acid production) 600 450 300 750 562.5 375 1000 750 500
15 H2SO4 21 15.75 10.5 26.25 19.6875 13.125 35 26.25 17.5
16 HNO3 42 31.5 21 52.5 39.375 26.25 70 52.5 35
17 Ammoniac 60 45 30 75 56.25 37.5 100 75 50
Notes:
• Q1 corresponds to emission sources of emission rate lower than 5000 m3/h (Q < 5000 m3/h).
• Q2 corresponds to emission sources of emission rate equal or higher than 5000 m3/h up to 20000
m3/h
(5000 m3/h ≤ Q < 20000 m3/h).
• Q3 corresponds to emission sources of emission rate equal or higher than 20000 m3/h
(Q ≥ 20000 m3/h).
• Level A Technology: is applied for industrial production facilities with modern and latest equipment
equivalent to prevailing up-todate technology in the world.
• Level B Technology: is applied for industrial facilities in operation (level C) after rehabilitation and
ugrading of the equipment upon request by environment managing authority in accordance with
discharge standards, or after equipment rehabilitatione and technology improvement required by
operation needs; or level A technology equipment which have been put in operation in the period
between the dates of coming-into-force of environment protection law and this standard.
• Level C Technology: is applied in industrial production facilities in operation but the installation and
commissioning dated on January 1994 upward (constructed before the coming into force of the law
on environment protection)
• KCN: factor of equipment technology level
• KQ: factor of emission sources size
• KV: locality (zoning) factor
• KCN , KQ, KV factors are subject to any changes upon request, purpose to control the pollution by
competent environment managing authority (see Appendix A in TCVN 6994: 2001).
 Appendix A
(for reference)

Calculation of pollution concentration of emissions released into ambient air equivalent to

A.1. Formula for calculating pollution concentration:

In which:

- C: maximal allowable pollution level in emission discharged in ambient air calculated in milligram
par cubic meter emission discharged in standardized conditions (mg/Nm3)
- TCth: maximal allowable pollution value (mg/Nm3) according to TCVN 5939: 1995 (for
inorganic substances emission) and TCVN 5940: 1995 (for organic substances emission).
- KQ: volume (amount) factor of production facilities corresponding to emission discharged in
ambient air
- KCN: factor on technological level of production facilities
- KV: locality (zoning) factor.

A.2. Factors:
A.2.1. Locality factor (KV):

TCth value is allowable level of polluted factor in ambient air (mg/m3) gained after processing but this
is not allowed to go over limit the concentration values higher or lesser the value considered as more
or less security. Depending on policy and pollution controlling purposes (for example considering
community health security as the most important purpose), as well as encouraging or discouraging
industrial investment in a given zone/region, we can evaluate air quality in zone/region as “very pure”,
“pure” and “less pure” ...etc. This helps to allow polluting factors concentration in ambient air lesser
or higher security rate (according to the surrounding air quality). In order to do this, KV factor must
be used for each zone/region where industrial production facilities are in operation. We can take
Kv=1 as value factor of concentrated industrial zone where polluted factors concentration has been
processed accordingly as per request on emission standards of emission rate released from industrial
facilities after discharging into ambient air with a concentration rate not higher than the air quality
standards. On this basis, factor Kv can pass over 1 (as for example Kv = 1,2 for giving priority or
encouraging investment in case emission sources in mountainous and rural areas remain modest and
scarce) and Kv can be under 1 (as for example Kv = 0.8 for highly density-inhabited city with lots of
cultural and architectural monuments needing protecting) or other values of factor Kv for zone/region
can be given on the basis of the real management demand). Thus, concentration of every polluted
component released into ambient air in a given industrial base will be equivalent to the permissible
level given by the environment managing authority but once diffused into ambient air, the
concentration of that substance can not be over the permissible concentration value as described in
surrounding air quality standards.

A.2.2. KQ factor corresponding to emission source size:

In reality, air emission (m3/h) can be used as specific quantity for emission source size and it is
admissible that these emission sources with low emission rate releasing polluted air under
concentration different from big emission source (however, taking into account of pollution bearing of
the zone is a must). Temporarily, it is possible to divide into 3 emission discharges equivalent to 3
values KQ (representing emission source scales) as follows:
- if discharge Q has a value lower than 5000 m3/h (Q<5000 m3/h), we will choose KQ = 1
- if discharge Q has a value equivalent to or higher than 5000 m3/h and lower than 20,000 m3/h
(5000m3/h ≤ Q<20,000 m3/h), we will choose KQ = 0.75
- if discharge Q has a value equivalent to or higher than 20,000 m3/h (Q ≥ 20,000 m3/h, we will
choose KQ = 0.5
The competent authority in charge of managing environment can divide KQ factor in more details
upon request of controlling pollution.

A.2.3. KCN factor according to equipment technological level and upgrading:

According to technological level, all equipments with modern technology have a pollution factor
lower than the old ones. Thus, setting up standard for emission released into ambient air according to
discharges can be divided into 3 technological levels equivalent to 3 values of KCN (factor equivalent
to technological level) as follows:
• Level A Technology: is applied for industrial production facilities with modern and latest
equipment equivalent to prevailing technology in the world, KCN =0.6
• Level B Technology: is applied for industrial facilities in operation (level C) after having
investment, innovation, equipment maintenance and upgrading upon request by environment
managing authority in accordance with waste standards, or after equipment maintenance and
technological improvement upon request by manufacturer; or level A productive equipment but
having been put in operation right after the coming into force of environment protection law until
this standard is applied, KCN = 0.75
• Level C Technology: is applied in industrial production facilities in operation but the installation
and commissioning dated on January 1994 upward (constructed before the coming into force of
the law on environment protection), KCN = 1.
The competent authority in charge of managing environment can divide KCN factor in more details in
conformity to environment controlling request.