| Far-reaching environmental legislation continues to | | | | canister, a chain-of-custody (COC) form |
| change the way Americans live, work, and run | | | | completed, and the canister is transported to a |
| their businesses. For the past decade and a half, | | | | laboratory for analysis.Upon receipt at the lab, the |
| companies have worked toward meeting the | | | | proper documentation is completed and the |
| latest air quality standards set by the | | | | canister is attached to the analytical system. |
| Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).In 2005, | | | | Water vapor is reduced in the gas stream by a |
| regulations introduced by the Clean Air Act of | | | | dryer (if applicable), and the VOCs are then |
| 1990 came into full effect with the goal of | | | | concentrated by collection in a cryogenically cooled |
| reducing harmful emissions by 57-billion pounds per | | | | trap. The refrigerant, typically liquid nitrogen or |
| year. The act continues to have a huge impact | | | | liquid argon, is then removed and the temperature |
| both economically and environmentally as it | | | | of the trap is raised. The VOCs originally collected |
| targets the sources of urban air pollution, acid rain, | | | | in the trap are revolatilized, separated on a GC |
| and stratospheric ozone depletion.Air pollution is | | | | column, and then run through one or more |
| not a new problem in the United States. During | | | | detectors to identify the components and |
| the 1940s, a series of pollution-related disasters | | | | concentrations in each sample. Findings are |
| forced Americans to acknowledge the need for | | | | thoroughly documented in a written report which |
| clean air standards. The worst of those incidents | | | | is presented to the client.The qualitative and |
| took place during a five day period in 1948, when | | | | quantitative accuracy of these analyses is of the |
| smog caused by industrial emissions and | | | | utmost importance. Difficulty arises in part |
| coal-burning furnaces killed 20 people and sickened | | | | because of the wide variety of TO substances |
| nearly 7,000 others in the small town of Donora, | | | | and the lack of standardized sampling and analysis |
| Pennsylvania.The tragedy spurred the federal | | | | procedures.To facilitate the improvement of |
| government to take control of air quality | | | | laboratory air quality testing and analysis, one |
| management. In 1955, the Air Pollution Control Act | | | | proactive company, Scott Specialty Gases, offers |
| was introduced to mandate the national | | | | a cross-reference program for labs. Now |
| investigation of air pollution. More stringent air | | | | laboratories can evaluate their own proficiency by |
| quality controls were later established with the | | | | comparing their results against Scott Specialty |
| creation of the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the | | | | Gases' as well as the blind results from other |
| formation of the EPA. In 1990, the Clean Air Act | | | | participating labs. By employing the highly accurate |
| was revised to include the following amendments:- | | | | and stable gas mixtures manufactured by Scott |
| Title I - strengthens measures for attaining | | | | Specialty Gases, laboratories can also calibrate |
| national air quality standards | | | | their GC/MS instruments to achieve more precise |
| - Title II - sets forth provisions relating to mobile | | | | readings of samples.Chemical manufacturing plants, |
| sources | | | | oil refineries, toxic waste sites or land fills, and |
| - Title III - expands the regulation of hazardous | | | | solid waste incinerators are just a few of the |
| air pollutants | | | | many sources of hazardous air pollutants. The |
| - Title IV - requires substantial reductions in | | | | financial cost to install state-of-the-art controls is |
| emissions for control of acid rain | | | | great.Thanks to the services offered by |
| - Title V - establishes operating permits for all | | | | companies like Scott Specialty Gases and to the |
| major sources of air pollution | | | | more stringent requirements of the Clean Air Act |
| - Title VI - establishes provisions for | | | | of 1990, the environment is on the mend. The |
| stratospheric ozone protection | | | | impact of industry compliance with the Clean Air |
| - Title VII - expands enforcement powers and | | | | Act of 1990 has been astounding. Careful testing |
| penaltiesThe legislation not only provides the EPA | | | | has already shown a significant improvement in |
| with innovative regulatory procedures, but allows | | | | national air quality thanks to anti-pollution efforts. |
| for a variety of supportive research and | | | | According to studies conducted by the Foundation |
| enforcement measures. Individuals may face fines | | | | for Clean Air Progress, exposure levels for ozone |
| up to $250,000 and imprisonment up to 15 years, | | | | and particulates have decreased and four of the |
| with each day of violation counted as a separate | | | | six most serious pollutants identified by the Clean |
| offense. Businesses may face fines of up to | | | | Air Act of 1970 are no longer being released into |
| $500,000 for each negligent violation and up to $1 | | | | the air at unhealthy levels. These improvements |
| million per day for knowing endangerment. Many | | | | fly in the face of data that shows increased |
| corporations must apply for national operating | | | | population growth and energy usage in the United |
| permits because of the emissions released by | | | | States. Regulatory vigilance and technological |
| their processes.Current industrial air quality testing | | | | advances in environmental monitoring have made |
| is driven by the latest amendments. A major | | | | cleaner air a reality.This article is provided by |
| focus for manufacturers under the new provisions | | | | Scott Specialty Gases. Scott Specialty Gases, a |
| can be found in Title III, which identifies and lists | | | | leading global manufacturer of specialty gases |
| 189 HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants) to be | | | | located in Plumsteadville, PA. More information on |
| reduced within a ten-year period. This is a | | | | the company can be found at article is |
| tremendous increase since the EPA had previously | | | | copyrighted by Scott Gases. It may not be |
| established standards for only seven HAPs out of | | | | reproduced in whole or in part and may not be |
| only eight listed. These pollutants can result in | | | | posted on other websites, without the express |
| serious health effects, such as cancer, birth | | | | written permission of the author who may be |
| defects, immediate death, or catastrophic | | | | contacted via email at Sources:"Clean Air Act." Jan. |
| accidents.Among the air pollutants the act | | | | 25, 1996. DOE Environmental Policy and Guidance. |
| pinpoints for monitoring are VOCs (volatile organic | | | | US Department of Energy. John S. "1990 Clean Air |
| compounds). These chemicals are identified as | | | | Act Amendments - Impact on Small Businesses." |
| organic because of the presence of carbon, but | | | | March 1994. Illinois Municipal Review. Illinois |
| many are synthetically created. VOCs include | | | | Periodicals Online (IPO). of the Clean Air Act." |
| gasoline, industrial chemicals such as benzene, | | | | Environmental Resources for Teachers. Foundation |
| solvents such as toluene and xylene, and | | | | for Clean Air Progress. 2002-2004. Hugh. "Catching |
| tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene, the | | | | Up on the Clean Air Act." August 1993. |
| principal dry cleaning solvent). Many VOCs, such as | | | | Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 101, No. 3. |
| benzene, are present on the HAP list because of | | | | Sept. 11, 1998. of Methods for the Determination |
| the threat they pose to human health. These | | | | of Toxic Organic Chemicals in Ambient Air." |
| pollutants may cause death, disease, or birth | | | | Cincinnati, OH: 1999. US Environmental Protection |
| defects in organisms that ingest or absorb | | | | Agency. Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act." |
| them.There are a variety of methods for the | | | | April 1993. Air Quality Planning and Standards. |
| determination of TO (toxic organic) compounds in | | | | Updated: May 13, 2002. US Environmental |
| ambient air at parts-per-million (ppm) and | | | | Protection Agency. Specialty Gases. "Toxic |
| parts-per-billion (ppb) concentration levels. Following | | | | Organic mixtures come in returnable cylander." |
| the EPA's TO-14, TO-14A, or TO-15 Methods, | | | | Feb. 12, 2004. Managing Automation. 2004. Fielding |
| VOCs in air are collected in specially prepared | | | | has been a freelance writer for 10 years, offering |
| canisters and analyzed by gas chromatography | | | | her expertise and skills to a variety of major |
| mass spectrometry (GC/MS) instruments.To test | | | | organizations in the education, pharmaceuticals and |
| air quality using these methods, a sample of | | | | healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing |
| ambient air from a source must be drawn into a | | | | industries. She lives in New Jersey with her dog |
| pre-evacuated specially prepared canister. After | | | | and two cats and enjoys rock climbing and |
| the sample is collected, the canister valve is | | | | ornamental gardening. |
| closed, an identification tag is attached to the | | | | |