&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Energy
Engineering Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Research and Development EPA/600/F-94/007 June 1994 .
Pollution Prevention
Research Programs
Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
The Pollution Prevention Act of
1990 establisheda national policy
that pollutants be eliminated at
the source wherever feasible. The
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's Air and Energy Engi-
neering Research Laboratory is
advancing the state of the art in
pollution prevention through re-
search that develops and demon-
strates pollution prevention tech-
niques for both indoor and out-
door air contaminants.
EPA's Office of Research and
Development (ORD) implements
an Agency-wide program of sci-
ence and engineering research to
address critical environmental is-
sues. ORD's Air and Energy En-
gineering Research Laboratory
(AEERL), located in Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina,
has worked for more than two
decades on research techniques
for controlling air pollutants from
stationary sources.
Preventing Air Pollution at the Source
vention research includes
scoping studies to character-
ize industry or process emis-
sions, technology assessments
to evaluate the technical and
economic feasibility of pollu-
tion prevention techniques,
cooperative technology dem-
onstrations with academia and
industrial partners, and infor-
mation transfer through pub-
lications, national confer-
ences, and other means.
Part of AEERL's research
supports pollution prevention
for industries and industrial
operations subject to new
regulations covered by EPA's
Source Reduction Review
Project (SRRP). Through
SRRP, EPA is integrating pol-
lution prevention into new air,
water, and hazardous waste
regulations for 17 industrial
source categories.
At AEERL, pollution prevention is a primary research focus in
the areas of indoor air quality, organic chemicals, stratospheric
ozone depletion, and global warming. AEERL's pollution pre-
This brochure highlights pollution prevention research projects
in four of AEERL's eight branches. A selected list of AEERL's
pollution prevention publications appears on page 7.
For Mor& Information,.*
Bw ad&ticttal information about specific jjityectsdescribediB tbmtoochare, please call the listed
EPA project contact.
|?or general information aboat AEEUL. pollution prevention research, please contact Richard
Stern at $19) 541>29B or Wade Pmdet at {919) 543*2818. For mformation specific to awfoor
3irqa»lily,contactMichaelOsborneat<919) 541 -4113. The fox number for AEERLis (919) 541-
Mornration about AEBSL research on SRRP industrial soTirce categories, please contact
Carfo&Nitf e* at {919) 54M15&
Printed on Recycled Paper
-------
-------
Coatings and Coating Application Systems
Wood Furniture. Wood furniture manufacturers use large quan-
tities of VOC-based coatings. OCB has evaluated the status of
very low-VOC coatings for wood furniture finishing and is
selecting ten coatings for further evaluation and testing in com-
mercial facilities. OCB and the California South Coast Air
Quality Management District also have developed a two-com-
ponent water-based epoxy resin coating for this industry.
Contact: Robert McCrillis, (919) 541-2733.
Auto Body Refinishing. Automobile body refinishing has tradi-
tionally required the use of substantial amounts of solvent-borne
coatings. Refinishing operations are small, dispersed area sources
of VOC emissions. OCB is demonstrating and evaluating prom-
ising pollution prevention technologies for automobile body
refinishing, including low-VOC paints, high-volume/
low-pressure (HVLP) spray guns, water-based primers, and
infrared curing systems.
Contact: Geddes Ramsey, (919) 541-7963.
Architectural and Industrial Maintenance Coatings. Architec-
tural and industrial maintenance (AIM) coatings are a signifi-
cant source of toxic organic, heavy metal, and VOC emissions.
OCB, in collaboration with Research Triangle Institute, indus-
try, and trade organizations, is targeting high-risk applications
of AIM coatings in order to conduct on-site evaluations of the
technical and economic feasibility of alternative, low-emitting
coatings.
Contact: Michael Kosusko, (919) 541-2734.
Coating Systems Containing Reactive Diluents. VOC emissions
from coatings result largely from evaporation of the coating's
diluent. OCB is working with the California South Coast Air
Quality Management District to demonstrate the technical and
economic feasibility of using reactive diluents, which are based
on the physical and chemical properties of vemonia oil, in alkyd
and epoxy coating formulations.
Contact: Robert McCrillis, (919) 541-2733.
Coatings Alternatives GuidE. To enable users of coatings to
locate information about less-polluting coating systems, OCB is
developing the Coatings Alternatives GuidE (CAGE). CAGE
will contain information about innovative coating technologies
and their applications. CAGE will eventually be developed into
a computer-based decision support system.
Contact: Michael Kosusko, (919) 541-2734.
Ultra-Low Volume Spray Gun Systems. To address VOC emis-
sions from coating operations, OCB is working with the U.S.
Air Force to evaluate an innovative ultra-low volume spray gun
system. This system can reduce VOC emissions by 50 to 75%
through its high transfer efficiency and its ability to use coatings
that have a higher solids content
Contact: Charles Darvin, (919) 541-7633.
Pollution Prevention for Newly Regulated
Industries and Industrial Operations
Scoping of Selected Source Reduction Review Project Catego-
ries. Through the Source Reduction Review Project (SRRP),
EPA is exploring ways to build pollution prevention into new
regulations. To assist industries that fall within SRRP industry
source categories, OCB is using focus groups to identify pollu-
tion prevention opportunities in three industries: reinforced plas-
tics, integrated iron and steel manufacturing, and paper and
other webs (i.e., facilities that coat paper, plastic film, metallic
foil, and other web surfaces).
Contact: Carlos Nunez, (919) 541-1156.
UV and Radiation-cured Coatings. To assist industries that use
coatings covered by regulations included in EPA's SRRP, OCB
is identifying research opportunities to promote the use of
radiation-cured or waterborne coatings that can reduce or elimi-
nate VOC and toxic organic emissions. OCB will identify and
characterize key technical issues, such as concerns about coat-
ing toxicity and the difficulty of coating complex parts using
radiation-cured coatings.
Contact: Carlos Nufiez, (919) 541-1156.
Innovative Ink Feed Systems. Pollutant emissions from printing
operations have become a regulatory focus for EPA. Substantial
sources of toxic organic emissions from printing operations
include tanks, piping, and mixing systems used to feed ink to
printing presses and the subsequent cleaning of these systems.
To assist printers with source reduction, OCB is working with
Research Triangle Institute to identify and evaluate lower-emit-
ting ink feed systems.
Contact: Carlos Nufiez, (919) 541-1156.
Low-Emitting Vapor Degreasing System Design. To help indus-
tries reduce emissions from vapor degreasing systems subject to
Maximum Achievable Control Technology standards, OCB has
evaluated two low-emitting vapor degreasing system designs.
These systems use vacuum technology to reduce solvent emis-
sions by more than 90% as compared with conventional open-top
vapor degreasers.
Contact: Charles Darvin, (919) 541-7633.
-------
Indoor Air Branch (IAB)
Michael Osborne, Chief
(919) 541-4113
Fax (919) 541-2157
Airborne concentrations of many pollutants are higher in in-
door environments than outdoors. As a result, IAB researches
low-emitting or low-impact materials and products that prevent
indoor air emissions of pollutants. In addition to pollution
prevention, AEERL's indoor air research includes source char-
acterization and management, ventilation, air cleaning, cost
analysis, modeling, and radon mitigation.
Office Equipment
Office equipment, such as photocopiers and printers, can emit
ozone, organic chemicals, and fine particles into the indoor air
environment. IAB is working with office equipment makers to
identify and characterize sources of indoor air emissions. The
project is examining equipment manufacture and design in order
to develop and demonstrate low-emitting equipment.
Contact: Kelly Leovic, (919) 541-7717.
Aerosol Consumer Products
Aerosol consumer products can emit contaminants that degrade
indoor air quality. IAD-sponsored research is underway to char-
acterize, predict, measure, and prevent pollutant emissions from
aerosol consumer products. IAB will develop pollution preven-
tion techniques and guidelines for formulating more effective
and less toxic aerosol products.
Contact: Kelly Leovic, (919) 541-7717.
Composite Wood Products
Composite wood products contain organic chemical constitu-
ents that can be emitted when the products are placed indoors.
IAB is working with the composite wood manufacturing indus-
try to characterize emissions from composite wood products,
such as residential and office furniture, and to develop low-
emitting/low-impact substitutes. The project is exploring how
changes to product design and manufacturing processes can
reduce and/or prevent indoor air emissions.
Contact: Betsy Shaver, (919) 541-7915.
Dry Cleaning
Nearly half of all perchloroethylene (PCE) in the U.S. is used in
the dry cleaning industry. Residual PCE in dry-cleaned gar-
ments can be emitted indoors. To help dry cleaners comply with
new regulations and reduce emissions of PCE into the indoor
environment, IAB is identifying and testing alternative cleaning
systems which do not use PCE.
Contact: Betsy Shaver, (919) 541-7915.
Textile Products
Textiles can contain organic chemicals that can be emitted to the
indoor air environment. Textiles can also adsorb and re-emit
contaminants. IAB is researching methods for reducing organic
chemical emissions from textiles. Projects include identifying
low-emitting textile processing chemicals, reducing emissions
from binders used in apparel production, and evaluating how a
textile's physical and chemical structure affects its ability to
adsorb and emit pollutants.
Contact: James White, (919) 541-1189.
Preventing Biocontamlnant Growth
Building materials such as insulation, wallboard, and ceiling
tiles can support the growth of bacteria, molds, and other
biocontaminants that can degrade indoor air quality. lAB-spon-
sored research is testing materials that resist these
biocontaminants and are also exploring how humidity affects
biocontaminant growth.
Contact: John Chang, (919) 541-3747.
Environmental Resource Guide
Building design and the selection of building materials can have
a major effect on indoor air quality. To help architects and other
design professionals consider the environmental impacts of build-
ing design decisions and materials specifications, IAB and the
American Institute of Architects are developing the Environ-
mental Resource Guide (ERG). The ERG is a comprehensive
reference resource that contains case studies, professional advi-
sories, and technical analyses of the life-cycles of building
materials.
Contact: James White, (919) 541-1189.
Facility Life-Cycle Design Tools
IAB and the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research
Laboratories are developing a computer-based system to evalu-
ate the life-cycle environmental impacts of building materials
and design decisions, including exposure of a building's occu-
pants to contaminants and building material disposal consider-
ations. The system will provide information on environmentally
sensitive techniques and building material alternatives, and it
will be compatible with existing software environments, such as
Computer-Aided Design and Drafting.
Contact: James White, (919) 541-1189.
-------
Stratospheric Ozone Protection Branch
(SOPB)
William Rhodes, Chief
(919)541-2853
Fax (919) 541-7885
Ozone depleting substance (ODS) releases have significantly
reduced the stratospheric ozone that protects the Earth from
harmful ultraviolet radiation. SOPB is developing, testing, and
evaluating ODS replacements as well as modified processes and
products to efficiently use non-ODS replacements.
New Chemicals to Replace ODSs
SOPB is identifying, synthesizing, and evaluating potential
non-ozone-depleting chemical replacements for ODSs. SOPB is
screening non-ODS replacements by evaluating their environ-
mental and health effects as well as other functional characteris-
tics such as their flammability and compatibility with lubricat-
ing oil. SOPB is also working with the private sector to find
substitutes for halons used for fire and explosion suppression.
Contact: Dean Smith, (919) 541-2708.
Foam Insulation
Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) replacements for chlorofluo-
rocarbon (CFC) blowing agents in foam insulation also have an
ozone-depleting potential. SOPB is evaluating cost-effective
replacement blowing agents with no ozone-depleting potential
that maintain foam insulation performance.
Contact: Robert Hendriks, (919) 541-3928.
Heat Pumps
The most significant HCFC in use today is HCFC-22, which is
used as a refrigerant in heat pumps and air conditioners. SOPB
is examining alternative refrigerants and evaluating heat pump
and air conditioning equipment that will optimize refrigerant
performance.
Contact: Robert Hendriks, (919) 541-3928.
Reducing ODS Use In Refrigeration
Refrigerants. In 1991 nearly 260,000 tons of ODSs were used as
refrigerants. SOPB is researching newly developed refrigerants,
modified refrigeration cycles, and equipment in application test-
ing in order to optimize these new refrigerants.
Contact: Cynthia Gage, (919) 541-0590.
Superinsulating Panels. SOPB is accelerating the commercial-
ization of superinsulating panels for home refrigerators. Unlike
traditional panels, superinsulating panels do not use ODS blow-
ing agents. These panels can also improve a refrigerator's en-
ergy efficiency by 20%.
Contact: Robert Hendriks, (919) 541-3928.
-------
Global Warming Control Branch (GWCB)
Michael Maxwell, Chief
(919)541-3091
Fax (919) 541-2382
Fossil fuel combustion, particularly at electric power generat-
ing stations, is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions that
contribute to global warming. GWCB is working to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by developing improved methods to
produce and use energy.
Optimization of Electric Motor Performance
Electric motors consume more than 60% of the electric power
generated in the U.S. GWCB has patented a computer chip,
called the "Fuzzy Logic Energy Optimizer," that allows large
adjustable-speed drive motors, such as those used in large heat-
ing and cooling systems, to operate closer to peak efficiency
under varying loads. The chip employs a mathematical tech-
nique known as "fuzzy logic" that allows for degrees of truth or
falseness in evaluating information to establish optimal motor
operating speeds. Improving the efficiency of these motors can
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 15 million tons per
year.
Contact: Ronald Spiegel, (919) 541-7542.
Clean Transportation Fuels
Mobile sources account for 30% of U.S. carbon dioxide emis-
sions. Alternative fuels derived from biomass can eliminate the
net emissions of greenhouse gases from mobile sources, reduce
VOC-equivalent emissions by 80%, produce 40% less ozone per
vehicle mile travelled, and reduce risk-weighted toxics emis-
sions by 90%. GWCB will begin operation of a bench-scale test
facility in 1995 to evaluate improved technology for biofuel
production.
Contact: Robert Borgwardt, (919) 541-2336.
Biomass-fueled Energy Conversion
Energy conversion technologies fueled with biomass would
reduce or eliminate sulfur dioxide emissions from fossil fuel
combustion, carbon dioxide and methane emissions from open
burning of biomass and biomass deterioration, and other associ-
ated air toxic emissions and waste disposal problems. In addi-
tion, these technologies generate no excess carbon dioxide emis-
sions, and they reduce costs by avoiding tipping fees for solid
waste disposal and by reducing fossil fuel purchases. GWCB is
evaluating and demonstrating the technical, economic, and envi-
ronmental feasibility of small (200-5000 kW) energy conver-
sion technologies fueled with biomass. These technologies can
be applied to agricultural centers, industrial sites, rural areas,
and developing countries.
Contact: Carol Purvis, (919) 541-7519.
-------
Selected AEERL Pollution Prevention Publications
Documents with National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
numbers are available from the NTIS, 5285 Port Royal Road,
Springfield, VA, 22161 [Phone: (800) 553-6847]. Include the
NTIS publication number with your request. Documents with
EPA-625 numbers are available from EPA's Center for Envi-
ronmental Research Information (CERI), 26 West Martin Luther
King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45268 [Phone: (513) 569-7562,
Fax: (513) 569-7566].
Indoor Air Branch
• EPA's Indoor Air Quality Pollution Prevention Work-
shop (NTIS PB94-114782)
• Catalog of Materials as Sources of Indoor Air Emis-
sions, Vol. 1 (NTIS PB93-212041)
• Radon Prevention in the Design and Construction of
Schools and Other Large Buildings (EPA/625/R-92/
016)
• Assessment of Fungal Growth on Ceiling Tiles Under
Environmentally Characterized Conditions (NTIS
PB93-222024)
• Environmental Resource Guide [for subscription infor-
mation, contact Nancy Solomon, AIA, at (202) 626-
7463]
Organics Control Branch
• Proceedings: Pollution Prevention Conference on Low-
and No-VOC Coating Technologies (NTIS
PB94-152246)
• Evaluation of Volatile Organic Emissions Data for
Non-Process Solvent Use in 15 Commercial and Indus-
trial Business Categories (NTIS PB94-152212)
• Improved Equipment Cleaning in Coated and Lami-
nated Substrate Manufacturing Facilities - Phase I (NTTS
PB94-141157)
• Surface Coating-Free Materials Workshop: Summary
Report (NTIS PB93-101160)
• Estimation of Emissions From Charcoal Lighter Fluid
and Review of Alternatives (NTIS PB90-186313)
• Solvent-based to Water-based Adhesive Coated Sub-
strate Retrofit. Volume II: Process Overview (EPA
Contact: Mike Kosusko, (919) 541-2734)
Stratospheric Ozone Protection Branch
• Simulation of Performance of Chlorine-Free Fluori-
nated Ethers and Fluorinated Hydrocarbons to Replace
CFC-11 and CFC-114 in Chillers (NTIS PB93-175511)
• Physical Properties of Fluorinated Propane and Butane
Derivatives as Alternative Refrigerants (NTIS
PB93-173102)
• Predictions of Azeotropes Formed from Fluorinated
Ethers, Ethanes and Propanes (NTIS PB92-195908)
• Performance and Efficiency Evaluations of 11 Non-CFC
Refrigerants (EPA Contact: Cynthia Gage, (919)
541-0590)
• Stratospheric Ozone Protection: An EPA Engineering
Perspective (NTIS PB92-136894)
• HFC-236ea: A Potential Alternative for CFC-114 (EPA
Contact: Dean Smith, (919) 541-2708)
• Performance of Chlorine-Free Binary Zeotropic Re-
frigerant Mixtures in a Heat Pump (NTIS PB92-149814)
Global Warming Control Branch
• Fuzzy Logic Motor Control for Pollution Prevention
and Improved Energy Efficiency (EPA Contact: Ron
Spiegel, (919) 541-7542)
• Reduction of CO2 Emissions from Mobile Sources by
Alternative Fuels Derived from Biomass (NTIS
PB93-229144)
The Confeot Technology Center*- A Unk to £PA Brpertfse
The Control Technology Center (CIC) provides fechnical assistance, Inching poliwtkjn prevention
Motma&Hi, 01* « taage of atr petition control tectwiotogy issues for stationary sources, Assistant
includes «R£ineenng services, fechnical guidance, small business sepport and greenhouse gas informa-
aoa. tfie CTC Hotline can de reached at (919) 541-OSO&
The CTC filsd offers eompater-baSed bulletin bdard syst&ns and information databases accessible
ihfongh. tfee technology transfer network electronic fcdlettn board system which is operated
by EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning aftd Standards. For on-ltee access to TTHBBS dial &l$)54l~
To access
Solvent Alternatives Guidl {SAGB) software taay bfe downloaded directly from iheCTC bafietfo board
EJ]FIBS ™ 0"*r?lf m **** feS^t^*0 ttte CTC JsotSl»*Rwn^ SAGE recftares an
802S6or feu* geneiStioa compater with DOS, 640K. of RAM, and 4 MB of avaitablfe hard drive storage
l!rU.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1994 - 550-067/80264
------- |