Pollution prevention identification

The identification of pollution prevention options has become a maintenance requirement. In addition to these requirements, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) performed its first investigation of indoor air quahty. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has also begun to research air quahty. 

B. Smith, "Identification and Reduction of Pollution Souices on Textile West Piocessing," A WorkbookforPollution Prevention by Source Reduction in Textile Wet Processing Pollution Prevention Piogiam, Noith Caiolina Depaitment of Enviionment, Health, and Natuial Resouices, Raleigh, N.C., 1986,1988. 

Assessment Phase The assessment phase aims to collect data needed to identify and analyze pollution-prevention opportunities. Assessment of the facility s waste-reduction needs includes the examination of hazardous waste streams, process operations, and the identification of techniques that often promise the reduction of waste generation. Information is often derived from obsei vations made during a facihty walk-through, interviews with employees (e.g., operators, line workers), and review of site or regulatory records. One professional organization suggests the following information sources be reviewed, as available (Ref. 7) ... 

NovontnyV,Olem H (1994) Water quality prevention, identification and management of diffuse pollution. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, p 817... 

A major aspect of research and development in industrial catalysis is the identification of catalytic materials and reaction conditions that lead to effective catalytic processes. The need for efficient approaches to facilitate the discovery of new solid catalysts is particularly timely in view of the growing need to expand the applications of catalytic technologies beyond the current chemical and petrochemical industries. For example, new catalysts are needed for environmental applications such as treatment of noxious emissions or for pollution prevention. Improved catalysts are needed for new fuel cell applications. The production of high-value specialty chemicals requires the development of new catalytic materials. Furthermore, new catalysts may be combined with biochemical processes for the production of chemicals from renewable resources. The catalysts required for these new applications may be different from those in current use in the chemical and petrochemical industries. 

Accurate and precise identifications and measurements of specific chemical substances are fundamental to environmental studies and protection programs. Determinations are required to understand natural background concentrations of chemicals in the environment, the nature and extent of environmental pollution by anthropogenic chemicals, trends in concentrations of these substances, the transport and fate of chemical substances, and the causes of variations of concentrations intime and space. Accurate and precise determinations are also required to assess human health and ecological risks caused by exposure to natural and anthropogenic substances, establish air and water quality standards, develop pollution control strategies, evaluate the effectiveness of pollution prevention and treatment technologies, and monitor compliance with and the effectiveness... 

The data collected is then used to prioritize waste streams and operations for assessment. Each waste stream is assigned a priority based on corporate pollution-prevention goals and objectives. Once waste origins are identified and ranked, potential methods to reduce the waste stream are evaluated. The identification of alternatives is generally based on discussions with the facility staff review of technical literature and contacts with suppliers, trade organizations, and regulatory agencies. 

Another area of unmet need is in the identification of surfactants in textile wastewater. The effects of surfactants can be readily measured in terms of reduction of surface energy, foaming, aquatic toxicity, turbidity, and the like. However, it is often desirable to identify the exact concentration and identity of surfactants in wastewater. This is helpful, for example, in efforts to evaluate waste treatment system removal efficiency, or to reduce the detrimental effects of surfactants on the environment by pollution prevention (or cleaner production as it is called outside the USA). At present, there is no reasonable scheme for surfactant identification in textile wastewater. 

Following the flow of materials in our industrial economy, from raw material acquisition to product and waste disposal, provides perspective that is essential for pollution prevention. Such studies can help to identify whether materials currently regarded as wastes in one industrial sector could be viewed as raw materials by another sector. These studies also reveal what types of processes and products are responsible for waste generation, and identification of the source of a waste is the first step toward prevention. 

The previous section described how the flows of individual materials can be tracked from their initial acquisition to their final disposition in a product or a waste stream. Even relatively simple materials generally have a multitude of uses, which creates interesting opportunities for recycling. While the identification of such pollution prevention opportunities is most readily done by tracking individual materials, an alternative approach that is gaining considerable popularity considers an individual product and maps the flows of energy and raw materials that were required to create the product. These studies, commonly referred to as life cycles analyses, follow a basic framework, which is summarized in Fig. 12. 

A key theme of this chapter is the reutilization of chemicals via available disposition routes. Any surplus chemicals still remaining at the end of the disposition cycle may re-enter it or be subject to final disposal as solid waste. Exceptions include chemicals that qualify for recycling and recovery (e.g., precious metals, ethylene glycol, anti-ffeeze solutions) or can be classified as Universal waste (see def.) under applicable environmental regulations. These pollution prevention and waste-minimization activities are covered in Chapter 7 ( Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization ). However, requirements related to waste operations, such as the identification, storage, handling, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste fall outside the scope of the present chapter on chemical disposition. 

Smith, B. 1986. Identification and reduction of pollution sources in textile wet processing. North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, Pollution Prevention Pays Program, Raleigh, NC. 

Novotny, Vladimir and Harvey Olem, Water Quality Prevention, Identification, and Management of Diffuse Pollution, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1994. 

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