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