Pollution control volatile organic compounds

In 1966, the Los Angeles Air Pollution Control Board designated trichloroethylene as a photochemically reactive solvent that decomposes in the lower atmosphere, contributing to air pollution. In 1970 all states were requited to submit pollution control plans to EPA to meet national air quaUty standards. These plans, known as State Implementation Plans (SIPS), controlled trichloroethylene as a volatile organic compound (VOC). They were designed to have each state achieve the National Ambient Air QuaUty Standard (NAAQS) for ozone. The regulations were estabUshed to control the emission of precursors for ozone, of which trichloroethylene is one. 

Hundreds of chemical species are present in urban atmospheres. The gaseous air pollutants most commonly monitored are CO, O3, NO2, SO2, and nonmethane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), Measurement of specific hydrocarbon compounds is becoming routine in the United States for two reasons (1) their potential role as air toxics and (2) the need for detailed hydrocarbon data for control of urban ozone concentrations. Hydrochloric acid (HCl), ammonia (NH3), and hydrogen fluoride (HF) are occasionally measured. Calibration standards and procedures are available for all of these analytic techniques, ensuring the quality of the analytical results... 

Applicable pollutants for this equipment are Particulate Matter (PM), including particulate matter less than or equal to 10 micrometers (/im) in aerodynamic diameter (PM,q), particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 /im in aerodynamic diameter (PMj,), and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that are in particulate form, such as most metals (mercury is the notable exception, as a significant portion of emissions are in the form of elemental vapor). Wet ESPs are often used to control acid mists and can provide incidental control of volatile organic compounds. 

Good indoor air quality, critical for a healthy home, requires effective control of pollutants and moisture. To some extent this can be accomplished by thoughtfully selecting materials that contain low levels of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde. In addition, hard surfaces that can be easily... 

Methane and the Nonmethane Hydrocarbons. It is traditional to distinguish CH4 from all other atmospheric hydrocarbons. Methane is by far the most abundant atmospheric hydrocarbon and has very large natural emissions. Its abundance in auto exhaust but low atmospheric reactivity has led air pollution scientists to enact controls on nonmethane hydrocarbons NMHC (also called VOC for volatile organic compounds, which include oxygenated hydrocarbons). 

Harkov R, Kebbekus B, Bozzelli JW, et al. 1983. Measurement of selected volatile organic compounds at three locations in New Jersey during the summer season. J Air Pollut Control Assoc 33 1177-1183. 

Namkung E, Rittmann BE. 1987. Estimating volatile organic compound emissions from publicly owned treatment works. J Water Pollut Control Fed 59 670-678. 

There are six primary in-plant control methods for removal of priority pollutants and pesticides in pesticide manufacturing plants. These methods include steam-stripping, activated carbon adsorption, chemical oxidation, resin adsorption, hydrolysis, and heavy metals separation. Steam-stripping can remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) activated carbon can remove semi volatile organic compounds and many pesticides and resin adsorption, chemical oxidation, and hydrolysis can treat selected pesticides [7]. Heavy metals separation can reduce toxicity to downstream biological treatment systems. Discussion of each of these methods follows. 

Ozone is produced in the atmosphere when oxides of nitrogen react with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight. Control of ozone production is achieved, therefore, by use of systems designed to reduce the emissions of and VOCs, such as those described in the sections on these two pollutants. 

ECETOC (1986) Joint Assessment of Commodity Chemicals, No. 7, Ethylbenzene, Brassels, European Chemical Industry Ecology Toxicology Centre Edgerton, S.A., Holdren, M.W., Smith, D.L. Shah, J.J. (1989) Inter-rrrban comparison of ambient volatile organic compound concentrations in US cities. J. Am. Pollut Control Assoc., 39, 729-732... 

UNECE (1991) Protocol to the 1979 Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes, http //www.unece.org/env/lrtap/vola hl. html... 

The Japanese Air Pollution Control Law dates back to 1968 and was designed to promote comprehensive air pollution control measures. Subsequent revisions have included extensions of regulatory objects, nationwide regulation and enforced standards, e.g. those for specific dust (asbestos) in 1989, vehicle fuel in 1995, harmful air pollutants in 1996 and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in 2004. Article 1 of the recent Japanese Air Pollution Control Law [16] states ... 

Cohen, M., Ryan, P., Yanagisawa, Y., Spengler, J., Ozkaynak, H. and Epstein, P. (1989) Indoor/outdoor measurements of volatile organic compounds in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association, 39, 1086-93. 

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide (C02) are two major indicators of indoor air pollution in air-conditioned office buildings. Indoor air quality assessments would include VOCs and C02 measurements and attempt to identify their sources so that strategies for effective control may be implemented. Options for control may be source control and ventilation. Source control is the more effective while ventilation is potentially expensive, given the unpredictable (and usually rising) cost of energy. 

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