United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA-600/S2-84-194 Jan. 1985
Project Summary
Hazardous/Toxic Air Pollutant
Control Technology:
A Literature Review
Gunseli Sagun S ha reef, Andrew J. Miles, and Barbara K. Post
This report summarizes literature on
hazardous/toxic air pollutant (HAP)
sources and control techniques em-
ployed in their reduction and/or de-
struction. The information was ab-
stracted from an extensive computerized
and manual literature search and data
base development study. The primary
emphasis of the report is on HAP con-
trol technology. However, a brief sum-
mary of major source categories that
emit HAPs is also included.
About 70 hazardous/toxic com-
pounds or groups of compounds are
covered in this study; most are volatile
organic compounds.
In the HAP control technology data
base, most of the information is for the
Synthetic Organic Chemical Manu-
facturing Industry (SOCMI) source
category. However, data also are avail-
able for the combustion, solvent use,
and metal processing industries.
The major add-on control techniques
for volatile organic HAPs discussed in
this report are combustion, absorption,
adsorption, and condensation. Com-
bustion techniques include thermal and
catalytic incineration, flaring, and
disposal of waste streams in boilers and
process heaters. The add-on control
devices identified in the literature for
control of particulate HAP emissions
are electrostatic precipitators, bag-
houses, wet scrubbers, and cyclones.
A list of references identified during
this study, along with abstracts of those
references, is included in the Bibli-
ography section of the full report.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory, Research Tri-
angle Park, NC, to announce key find-
ings of the research project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
Introduction
The initial objective of this study was to
compile, organize, and review scientific
literature and Government publications
relating to: (a) hazardous air pollutant
(HAP) sources and (b) control techniques
used in reducing and destroying HAPs.
This objective was later narrowed: the
study focused on HAP control technology.
Table 1 lists the HAPs for which controls
were identified in the literature search.
In this study, the term HAPs is used to
designate noncriteria air pollutants that
are, or have the potential to be, hazardous
or toxic to humans. Since this definition is
very broad and can encompass hundreds
of specific compounds, a preliminary
screening of the literature resulted in a
very large number of references. Therefore,
EPA's list of 37 potentially toxic substances
was chosen as the basis for a compound-
specific literature search. From this list
(Table 2), 14 compounds/groups that are
not well characterized in the literature
were selected for further study. A
preliminary evaluation of the references
in the data base indicated that much of
the data and literature applies to control
technology, covering several pollutants in
addition to the 14 indicated in Table 2.
Following a review of the classification of
references by the Project Officer, the
decision was made to focus on evaluation
of control technology literature.
This project was not a definitive study
of HAP emissions or control techniques,
but rather an attempt to summarize the
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Table 1. HAPS Included in this Study
Compound
Acetaldehyde
Acetic acid
Acetic anhydride
Acetone
Acrolein
Acrylic acid
Acrylonitrile
Adipic acid
Ally/ alcohol
Ally/ chloride
Aniline
Benzene
Benzyl chloride11
1,3 Butadiene
Cadmium
Caprolactam
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene
Chloroform
Chloroprene
Chromium
Coke oven emissions
Copper
m-Cresol
o-Cresol
p-Cresol
Cumene
Cyclohexane
Cyclohexanol
Cyclohexanone
Diethanolamine
Dimethyl nitrosamine"
Dimethyl terephthalate
Epichlorohydrin
Ethylbenzene
Ethylene
Ethyl ene di chloride
Ethylene glycol
Ethylene oxide
Fluorocarbons
Formaldehyde
CAS No*
75-07-0
64-19-7
108-24-7
67-64-1
107-02-8
79-10-7
107-13-1
124-04-9
107-18-6
107-05-1
62-53-3
71-43-2
100-44-7
106-99-0
7440-43-9
105-60-2
56-23-5
108-90-7
67-66-3
126-99-8
7440-47-3
—
7440-50-8
108-39-4
95-48-7
106-44-5
98-82-8
110-82-7
108-93-0
108-94-1
111-42-2
62-75-9
62-75-9
106-89-8
100-41-4
74-85-1
107-06-2
107-21-1
75-21-8
—
50-00-0
Compound
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
Ma/eic anhydride
Methanol
Methyl chloride
Methyl chloroform
Methyl ethyl ketone
Methyl methacrylate
Methylene chloride
Nitrobenzene
Nitrosomorpholine
Perchloroethylene
Penol
Phosgene
Phthalic anhydride
Polychlorinated biphenyls
Propylene oxide
Styrene
Terephthalic acid
Toluene
Toluene disocyanate
Trichloroethylene
Trichlorofluoromethane
Trichlorotrifluoroethane
Vinyl acetate
Vinyl chloride
Vinylidene chloride
m-Xylene
o-Xylene
p-Xylene
Zinc
CAS No."
77-47-4
108-31-6
67-56-1
74-87-3
71-55-6
78-93-3
80-62-6
75-09-2
98-95-3
110-91-8
127-18-4
108-95-2
75-44-5
85-44-9
1336-36-3
75-56-9
100-42-5
100-21-0
108-88-3
91-08-7
79-01-6
75-69-4
76-13-1
108-05-4
75-01-4
75-35-4
108-38-3
95-47-6
106-42-3
7440-66-6
^Chemical Abstracts Service number.
b/Vo specific control information was identified for this compound.
readily available literature on HAP
emissions and controls for the compounds
studied. The full report should help
identify primary references for HAP
studies. It can also be used to indicate
significant gaps in the existing HAP
literature.
Literature Search
Initially, a general literature search for
HAPs was conducted. By definition, HAPs
can potentially encompass hundreds of
specific compounds. For this reason, the
general HAP literature search produced
very many references relating to HAPs
and control technology. Therefore, 14
compounds from the EPA's list of 37
potentially toxic substances for which
Radian did not have in-house information
were selected for a compound-specific
literature search. These compounds are
listed in Table 2. EPA's list was chosen
because it is well-known, containing
pollutants that are being studied by
several organizations. Information on the
remaining 23 compounds was available
in in-house Radian project files from
earlier studies. The literature search was
later supplemented by in-house data and
on-going programs on the 23 compounds.
The data base generated from the
computerized and manual search contains
references that cover several HAPs in
addition to those in Table 2.
For the computerized literature search.
Radian screened the Compendex, Chemi-
cal Abstracts, and NTIS (National Techni-
cal Information Service) data bases. A
description of the search and the key
words used in each are summarized in
Table 3.
During the review process, the references
were organized and classified into six
broad classifications: (1) references that
provide data on the physical and chemica
properties of HAPs; (2) references that
contain data on manufacturers, production
rate, and plant locations; (3) reference
containing information on manufacturing
processes and/or reactions associated
with HAP emissions; (4) references that
contain HAP emission source information
and data on emission factors and emission
rates; (5) references containing information
on actual plant control practices and/or
applicable control techniques for several
HAPs (they contain data pertaining to
HAP controls for organic compounds);
and (6) general references; e.g., published
literature searches.
HAP Sources
Major source categories of HAP emis-
sions include the Synthetic Organic
Chemical Manufacturing Industry (SOCMI),
combustion, mobile sources, metal
processing, and solvent use. Much of the
emission source information reviewed
for this study lies in the SOCMI area; com-
bustion, metal processing, and solvent
use source categories are not covered as
extensively. For the combustion and
metal processing categories, information
was extracted from in-house Radian data
bases.
From the literature review, it appears
that point sources such as reactor vents
and furnace stacks in manufacturing
operations are well characterized with
respect to emissions. But there are little
data on process fugitive sources except in
the coating and metal processing industries.
Similarly, not much information is
available on area sources, except for
storage tanks, pump seals, and valves.
HAP Control Technology
In the HAP control technology data
base developed in this study, most of the
data are for SOCMI. However, information
on combustion, solvent use, and metal
processing is also available. A large
proportion of the control technology
information pertains to point sources
within the source categories; therefore,
add-on control technique applications are
covered extensively.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) add-
on control techniques identified in the
literature are absorption, adsorption,
combustion, and condensation. Combustion
techniques include catalytic and thermal
incineration, flaring, and disposal of
waste streams in boilers and process
heaters. Based on the literature review,
thermal incineration is applicable to a
wide variety of compounds and is not very
sensitive to HAP characteristics or waste
-------
Table 2. EPA's list of 37 Potentially Toxic
Substances
Acetaldehyde
Acrolein'
Acrylonitrile
Ally I Chloride
Benzyl Chloride*
Beryllium
Cadmium
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene'
Chloroform
Chloroprene"
Coke Oven Emissions'
o-, m-, p-Cresof*
p -Dichlorobenzene
Dimethyl Nitrosamine*
Dioxin
Epichlorohydrin
Ethylene Dichloride
Ethylene Oxide
Formaldehyde
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene'
Maleic Anhydride
Manganese
Methyl Chloroform (1,1,1, Trichloroethane)
Methylene Chloride
Nickel
Nitrobenzene
Nitrosomorpholine"
Perchloroethylene
Phenol
Phosgene"
Polychlorinated Bipheny/sa
Propylene Oxide
Toluene*
Trichloroethylene'
Vinyl/dene Chloride
o-, m-, p-Xylenea
"Included in compound-specific literature
search.
stream conditions. The other control
techniques, however, depend on HAP
characteristics and process parameters.
The add-on control devices used for
control of particulate HAP emissions are
electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), bag-
houses, cyclones, and wet scrubbers.
ESPs and baghouses have been widely
used to control metal emissions; very
high removal efficiencies are obtained
with these devices. Wet scrubbers have
been used for controlling both metal and
organic particulate emissions.
Except for the solvent use source
category, little data are available in the
references for control of process fugitive
and area sources. Except for SOCMI,
work practices, process modifications,
and material substitutions are not well
documented.
Table 3. Summary of Computerized Literature Search
Compendex CA (Chemical Abstracts)
Compendex
NTIS
Description of the
Search
General literature search for
HAPs
Compound-specific search
Compound-specific search
Compound-specific search
(Air Pollution and Control
and Pesticides Pollution and
Control Sections of the data
base were included. Biological
and medical sciences and Water
Pollution and Control Sections
were excluded The terms
monitor, measurement, analysis,
exposure, and occupational were
also excluded.)
Key Words Used
noncritena, toxic, hazard
chemical, gas, fume, emission
air pollution control,
effluent, manufacture,
source, plant, flare,
condensation, carbon
adsorption, thermal oxidation
incineration, hydrocarbon
(Several comb/nations were
used)
acro/em, chlorobenzene. cresols,
phosgene, coke oven emissions,
PCB, benzyl chloride, chloroprene
acrolein, chlorobenzene,
cresols, phosgene, toluene.
coke oven emissions
manufacture, plant,
effluent
acrolein, benzyl chloride,
chlorobenzene, cresol,
dimethyl nitrosamme,
hexachlorocyclopentadiene,
toluene, xylene. PCB,
trichloroethylene, coke
oven emissions, phosgene
chlorof>rene, nitrosomorpholme
-------
G. S. Shareef, A. J. Miles. andB. K. Post are with Radian Corporation, Research
Triangle Park, NC 27709.
Bruce A. Tichenor is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report. entitled"Hazardous/Toxic Air Pollutant Control Technology:
A Literature Review," (Order No. PB 85-137 107; Cost: $22.00, subject to
change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC27711
* U S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE; 1985 — 559-016/7893
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