A study on the hierarchical control of VOCs industrial enterprises based on the AHP methodology

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are key precursors of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and ozone (O₃). The VOCs pollution control effectiveness in industrial enterprises has significantly improved, progressing into a phase of graded and precise management. Utilizing the  Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique, a hierarchical framework was constructued for VOCs-emitting industrial enterprises to differentiate between O₃ and PM_2.5 pollution periods. The model compromised four major criteria: geographical location, emissions and reactivity, governace level, and economic benefits, with seven evaluation indicators. Experts and environmental management professionals assigned scores to quantify the weight of these indicators. The model was applied to 27 VOCs-emitting enterprises in Suqian City, where actual measurements and literature reviews were used to obtain VOCs source profiles, allowing for the calculation of accurate reactivity data. The results indicated that the top three indicators in terms of weight are the reactivity(0.42), theorientation relative to national monitoring stations(0.32) and the distance from these stations(0.10). A total of 20 enterprises’ VOCs source profiles were collected through sampling, and the results were consistent with findings from other studies. During O₃ pollution period, enterprises 20#, 19#, 25#,17 #, and 8# were identified as key targets for management, while during the PM_2.5 pollution period, enterprises 9#, 20#, 19#, 27#, and 25# were highlighted. Due to variations in reactivity and wind direction across different pollution periods, the results of enterprise grading and control varied. Enterprise 27# and 9# shifted by 20 and 18 positions, respectively, with their control levels crossing two or more tiers.