SEFft United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development Washington DC 20460 EPA/600/N-94/003 March 1994 Vol. 15 ORD ENGINEERING HIGHLIGHTS A bimonthly compilation ofEPA's Office of Research and Development engineering research activities and results and related research activities in pollution prevention and mitigation. To discuss any of these activities, contact the ORD lead person listed below. For general information, contact Charlotte Bercegeay of the Office of Environmental Engineering and Technology Demonstration, Phone: 919- 94 t"£ * $Ei8lProv|d^>Tgchnl0a{DistanceK>;§tafeof"" ^::kqNo-orfeM(anicipal ^ast€Htefeiner§y->Facllity N X'-,X\.,' <& ' ' " s Show TMai^«:^,. ; -v,^• / ;;\- x>-, t^v ^^t^--^"'^"*^ ** -vv--^- , - * -.-. Peslicide purifiers Source-of increased O^pne levels in, v > "TMouse ,----- - ~ .-~~. sntemmate^l CSrr Pollution Prevention Pollution Prevention Demonstrations Completed The Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory (AEERL) successfully completed demonstrations at two small facilities to reduce VOC and air toxic emissions from cleaning operations by pollution prevention. The demon- strations investigated the use of alternative cleaners, the consolidation of materials used for cleaning, the reduction in the quantity of material used for cleaning, and the standardization of cleaning practices. A report, "Improved Equipment Cleaning in Coated and Laminated Substrate Manufacturing Facilities (Phase II)," will document these demonstrations. ResultsVill be presented at two technical conferences during 1994: the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council's (PSTC's) 1994 Technical Meeting in Chicago on May 4-6,1994; and the Summer National American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Meeting in Denver on August 14-17,1994. (Michael Kosusko, AEERL, 919/541-2734; Wade Ponder, AEERL, 919/541-2818) Printed on Recycled Paper ------- ORD Engineering Highlights Bioremediation Tracer Study Conducted on Slaughter Beach, Dover, DE A Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) researcb. team conducted an in-depth tracer study to determine the; nutrients needed for the proposed bioremediation study to be conducted in the summer of 1994 at Slaughter Beach, [ Dover, DE. Detailed beach surveys were also conducted to determine the elevation of the beach and how it has ; changed over time. The State of Delaware is applying for a permit to release small quantities of oil on the beach so a controlled study can be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the organisms in anticipation of any future needs. (Albert D. Venosa, RREL, 513/569-7668) Regional or State Assistance AEERL Provides Technical Assistance to State of Ohio on Municipal Waste-to- Energy Facility A municipal waste-to-energy facility in Columbus, OH, is the focus of public attention after it was found to be emitting approximately 13,000 ng/dscm of chlorinated dioxins and furans (CDD/CDF). While new EPA regula- tions will require the facility to comply with CDD/CDF emission limits of approximately 30 ng/dscm in 3 or 4 years, it is desirable to substantially reduce emissions over the interim period. In January, officials from EPA Region V, EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, and AEERL met with representatives of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, who own and operate the facility. AEERL's municipal waste combustion expert presented research results on the control of CDD/CDF emissions, and technical strategies for interim control of emissions were discussed. (James D. Kilgroe, AEERL, 919/541-2854) \ Hazardous Waste New Storage Tank System Increases Operation of Incineration Research Facility | On January 24,1994, the U.S. EPA Incineration Research Facility (IRF) in Jefferson, AR, was given permission to begin using a storage tank system for hazardous scrubber water generated during _ IRF tests. The system provides total scrubber water storage capacity of 19,000 gallons. Before installing the permitted tanks, the IRF was limited to 90-day management of hazardous scrubber water in temporary tanks under the generator accumulation provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The in- creased capacity and longer-term storage options enhance the operation flexibility at the IRF. Completion of the system fulfills the last of the terms of an October 1992 Consent Administrative Order with the Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology. (Gregory J. Carroll, RREL, 513/569-7948) Open Burning of Fiberglass Materials Studied Human exposure to fiberglass combustion emissions from structural fires, fires at waste landfills, and fires at demolition sites is an issue of increasing concern. Prompted by a request from the State of Alaska, AEERL performed a study to Identify and quantify a broad range of pollutants that are discharged from the open combustion of fiberglass and to report those emissions relative to the mass of fiberglass material combusted. Two types of fiberglass materials (representing the boating and building materials industries) were combusted in a controlled outbuilding designed to simulate an open burning process. Volatile, semivolatile, and particulate-bound organics were collected and analyzed by gas chromatogra- phy/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Quantification of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) listed in Title III of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) was the emphasis of these analyses, although further efforts were made to identify and quantify other major organic components. Additional sampling and analysis for hydrogen chloride, particulate-phase metals, and respirable fibers were also performed. Fixed combustion gases (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, oxygen, and total hydrocarbons) were monitored continuously throughout the test period. Analytical results show substantial emissions of a large number of pollutants including arsenic, benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, carbon monoxide, dibenzofuran, lead, naphthalene, particulate, phenanthrene, phenol, styrene, and toluene. The final report titled, "Charac- terization of Air Emissions from the Simulated Open Combustion of Fiberglass Materials," (EPA/600/R-93/239) was published in December 1993. (Paul M. Lemieux, AEERL, 919/541-0962) March 1994 ------- ORD Engineering Highlights \ Global Climate Candidate Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Refrigerant Alternatives Also Show Promise as Foam Insulation Products ^ ^ AEERL research has discovered that new chemicals evaluated as CFC refrigerant replacements are also potential alternatives to CFCs used in making foam insulation products. Two of the new chemicals, HFC-245ca and HFC-236ea, are now being evaluated as foam insulation blowing agents and meet processing requirements. Initial foams produced with HFC-245ca showed thermal performance similar to conventional CFC-blown foams. Additional thermal and accelerated aging tests will determine the ultimate performance of these new chemicals. Other new chemi- cals will be evaluated in this program to expand the number of potential replacement foam blowing agents. Currently, there is no accepted non-ozone-depleting alternative for this large CFC use. If HFC-245ca and HFC-236ea are viable substitutes, they probably will be produced commercially to meet the expanded market demands for. their use, thus resulting in a reduction of ozone-depleting chemicals on a wide scale. (Robert V. Hendriks, AEERL,"919/541-3928) """ Indoor Air Quality Contaminated Carpets Source of Indoor Air Pesticide Exposure AEERL conducted experiments in its environmental chambers and research test house to investi- gate the relationship between contamination of carpet with a pesticide and subsequent emissions to the air. Following application by total aerosol release (a fogger to control household pests) in the test house, researchers determined the mass of chlorpyrifos, the active ingredient in the pesticide, deposited on and extractable from the carpet and carpet dust. They monitored air exchange rates and pesticide concentrations over a two-week period in the test house and in small environmental chambers containing pieces of the treated carpet. Chlorpyrifos concentrations measured in the treated area two hours following an "airing out" period of one hour were near or in excess of National Academy of Science guidelines and remained near guideline levels for about 24 hours. Levels declined during the remaining two-week period of measurement. The Agency is developing effective guidance to consumers concerning "airing out" of contaminated spaces to reduce exposure. The test results may also be useful in the development and validation of indoor air exposure models and the evaluation of pesticide sampling meth- ods. (Mark A. Mason, AEERL, 919/541-4835) Air Purifiers Source of Increased Ozone Levels in a Suburban House AEERL's research compared the emissions from three separate makes of home/office ozone generators in a suburban house. Ozone generators are widely used in households, offices, hotels and motels, and restaurants as air purifiers. Results of the study show that even when used in a single room setting, ozone generators can significantly increase background ozone levels throughout the house. When the heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) fan is off, pulses from the generator distribution fan tend to be amplified in distant rooms and can result in concentration swings of 40% above and below the average. When the HVAC fan is on, the ductwork acts as an attenuator, and ozone levels quickly reach a uniform steady state. A generator emitting 200 parts per billion (ppb) ozone in one part of a house can contribute as much as 40-50 ppb to a distant bedroom and pulses of as much as 80 ppb. This means that even on mildly smoggy days with infiltration of outdoor air, the indoor air level of ozone can easily exceed the OSHA standard of 100 ppb for continu- ous exposure in rooms relatively remote from the area where the generator is being used. AEERL will use the data as part of an ongoing project to determine the efficacy of ozone as an indoor air cleaner. (Raymond S. Steiber, AEERL, 919/541- 2288) March 1994 &U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1994 - 550-067/Sfl2I2 ------- United States Environmental Protection Agency Center for Environmental Research Information Cincinnati, OH 45268 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 EPA/600/N-94/003 BULK RATE POSTAGE & FEES PAID EPA PERMIT No. G-35 ------- |