EPA Regulations Raise the Bar for Industrial Air Quality Testing
Far-reaching environmental legislation continues to change the
way Americans live, work, and run their businesses. For the past
decade and a half, companies have worked toward meeting the
latest air quality standards set by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
In 2005, regulations introduced by the Clean Air Act of 1990
came into full effect with the goal of reducing harmful
emissions by 57-billion pounds per year. The act continues to
have a huge impact both economically and environmentally as it
targets the sources of urban air pollution, acid rain, and
stratospheric ozone depletion.
Air pollution is not a new problem in the United States. During
the 1940s, a series of pollution-related disasters forced
Americans to acknowledge the need for clean air standards. The
worst of those incidents took place during a five day period in
1948, when smog caused by industrial emissions and coal-burning
furnaces killed 20 people and sickened nearly 7,000 others in
the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania.
The tragedy spurred the federal government to take control of
air quality management. In 1955, the Air Pollution Control Act
was introduced to mandate the national investigation of air
pollution. More stringent air quality controls were later
established with the creation of the Clean Air Act of 1970 and
the formation of the EPA. In 1990, the Clean Air Act was revised
to include the following amendments:
* Title I - strengthens measures for attaining national air
quality standards
* Title II - sets forth provisions relating to mobile sources
* Title III - expands the regulation of hazardous air pollutants
* Title IV - requires substantial reductions in emissions for
control of acid rain
* Title V - establishes operating permits for all major sources
of air pollution
* Title VI - establishes provisions for stratospheric ozone
protection * Title VII - expands enforcement powers and penalties
The legislation not only provides the EPA with innovative
regulatory procedures, but allows for a variety of supportive
research and enforcement measures. Individuals may face fines up
to $250,000 and imprisonment up to 15 years, with each day of
violation counted as a separate offense. Businesses may face
fines of up to $500,000 for each negligent violation and up to
$1 million per day for knowing endangerment. Many corporations
must apply for national operating permits because of the
emissions released by their processes.
Current industrial air quality
testing is driven by the latest amendments. A major
focus for manufacturers under the new provisions can be found in
Title III, which identifies and lists 189 HAPs (Hazardous Air
Pollutants) to be reduced within a ten-year period. This is a
tremendous increase since the EPA had previously established
standards for only seven HAPs out of only eight listed. These
pollutants can result in serious health effects, such as cancer,
birth defects, immediate death, or catastrophic accidents.
Among the air pollutants the act pinpoints for monitoring are
VOCs (volatile organic compounds). These chemicals are
identified as organic because of the presence of carbon, but
many are synthetically created. VOCs include gasoline,
industrial chemicals such as benzene, solvents such as toluene
and xylene, and tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene, the
principal dry cleaning solvent). Many VOCs, such as benzene, are
present on the HAP list because of the threat they pose to human
health. These pollutants may cause death, disease, or birth
defects in organisms that ingest or absorb them.
There are a variety of methods for the determination of TO
(toxic organic) compounds in ambient air at parts-per-million
(ppm) and parts-per-billion (ppb) concentration levels.
Following the EPA's TO-14, TO-14A, or TO-15 Methods, VOCs in air
are collected in specially prepared canisters and analyzed by
gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) instruments.
To test air quality using these methods, a sample of ambient air
from a source must be drawn into a pre-evacuated specially
prepared canister. After the sample is collected, the canister
valve is closed, an identification tag is attached to the
canister, a chain-of-custody (COC) form completed, and the
canister is transported to a laboratory for analysis.
Upon receipt at the lab, the proper documentation is completed
and the canister is attached to the analytical system. Water
vapor is reduced in the gas stream by a dryer (if applicable),
and the VOCs are then concentrated by collection in a
cryogenically cooled trap. The refrigerant, typically liquid
nitrogen or liquid argon, is then removed and the temperature of
the trap is raised. The VOCs originally collected in the trap
are revolatilized, separated on a GC column, and then run
through one or more detectors to identify the components and
concentrations in each sample. Findings are thoroughly
documented in a written report which is presented to the client.
The qualitative and quantitative accuracy of these analyses is
of the utmost importance. Difficulty arises in part because of
the wide variety of TO substances and the lack of standardized
sampling and analysis procedures.
To facilitate the improvement of laboratory air quality
testing and analysis, one proactive company, Scott
Specialty Gases, offers a cross-reference program for labs. Now
laboratories can evaluate their own proficiency by comparing
their results against Scott Specialty Gases' as well as the
blind results from other participating labs. By employing the
highly accurate and stable gas mixtures manufactured by Scott
Specialty Gases, laboratories can also calibrate their GC/MS
instruments to achieve more precise readings of samples.
Chemical manufacturing plants, oil refineries, toxic waste sites
or land fills, and solid waste incinerators are just a few of
the many sources of hazardous air pollutants. The financial cost
to install state-of-the-art controls is great.
Thanks to the services offered by companies like Scott Specialty
Gases and to the more stringent requirements of the Clean Air
Act of 1990, the environment is on the mend. The impact of
industry compliance with the Clean Air Act of 1990 has been
astounding. Careful testing has already shown a significant
improvement in national air quality thanks to anti-pollution
efforts. According to studies conducted by the Foundation for
Clean Air Progress, exposure levels for ozone and particulates
have decreased and four of the six most serious pollutants
identified by the Clean Air Act of 1970 are no longer being
released into the air at unhealthy levels. These improvements
fly in the face of data that shows increased population growth
and energy usage in the United States. Regulatory vigilance and
technological advances in environmental monitoring have made
cleaner air a reality.
This article is provided by Scott Specialty Gases. Scott
Specialty Gases, a leading global manufacturer of specialty
gases located in Plumsteadville, PA. More information on the
company can be found at http://www.scottgas.com.
This article is copyrighted by Scott Gases. It may not be
reproduced in whole or in part and may not be posted on other
websites, without the express written permission of the author
who may be contacted via email at
scottgas@digitalbrandexpressions.com.
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"Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic
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Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/peg_caa/pegcaain.html
Scott Specialty Gases. "Toxic Organic mixtures come in
returnable cylander." Feb. 12, 2004. Managing Automation. 2004.
http://news.managingautomation.com/fullstory/30553