OWNER/OPERATOR INFORMATION SHEET
9/12/2005
HEALTHY AIR
Could your family
be affected?
One shop installed a
vacuum sanding system
for $9,000. Since
installation, the shop has
saved over $7,000 a
year because of
reductions in cleanup
costs.
— Peaks to Prairies Pollution
Prevention Information
Center
Switching from
conventional to HVLP
spray guns and using
proper spray techniques
can save up to $13,000
per year at a shop
spraying 15 cars a week.
— U.S. EPA Design for the
Environment
Reducing Air Pollution from:
Auto Body Shops
Why should my auto body shop
reduce air pollution?
People who are exposed to toxic air
pollutants at sufficient concentrations,
for sufficient durations, may increase
their chances of getting cancer or
experiencing other serious health effects,
such as reproductive problems, birth
defects, and aggravated asthma.
Pollution prevention safeguards the
health of your employees, customers,
and families by using materials,
processes, or practices that can reduce or
eliminate air pollution at the source. For
example, using a professional laundry
service to wash work clothes can reduce
the chance of workers bringing
potentially toxic particle pollution (dust)
home to their families.
Pollution prevention practices also
save money on waste disposal, paint and
solvent usage, and the cost of air
pollution controls.
You may already be regulated by
federal, state, local, or Tribal agencies
and may already voluntarily implement
pollution prevention practices. However,
increasing pollution prevention efforts
can further minimize impacts on human
health and the environment.
Why should I be concerned about air
pollution from my auto body shop?
• Auto body shop operations can
produce emissions of toxic air
pollutants, including metals and
diisocyanates.
Average conventional spray gun cost: $30 to $40
Average HVLP gun cost: $500
Average conventional gun transfer efficiency: 30% to 60%
Average HVLP gun transfer efficiency: 70%
Material savings when using HVLP gun: At least 30%
— University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension
• Paints, cleaners, and paint strippers
can release some toxic air pollutants
and volatile organic compounds
(VOC). Chemicals in these
substances can react in the air to form
ground-level ozone (smog), which
has been linked to a number of
respiratory effects.
• Lead, chromium, and cadmium are
metals that form particle pollution
during sanding and welding.
Breathing particle pollution can cause
respiratory problems and other
harmful health effects.
• Diisocyanates are toxic air pollutants
emitted during painting operations.
These compounds are a leading cause
of occupational asthma.
How can I reduce air pollution from
my auto body shop?
Reduce the Use of Solvent Cleaners
• Use an enclosed solvent gun washing
system to reduce evaporation when
cleaning equipment. It can decrease
costs by cutting the amount of
solvent used for cleaning by more
than 50%, the labor time by 60%, and
air pollution by 70% to 90%.
• Turn off the parts cleaner when not in
use. This reduces solvent
evaporation.
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OWNER/OPERATOR INFORMATION SHEET
Auto Body Shops
• Instead of cleaning with solvents, use a water-based
cleaning system such as hot soap washers. These
systems eliminate the costly purchase of chlorinated
solvents. This can save up to 95% in operation costs.
Make sure your local water system can treat the
wastewater from this type of cleaning system.
• Recycle old solvent by using an on-site distillation
unit. Reclaiming spent solvents on-site reduces the
amount of solvent you send off-site for treatment and
the amount of fresh solvent you have to buy.
Reduce Paint Use
• Use high-volume low-pressure (HVLP) spray guns
instead of conventional spray guns. These guns cost
more than conventional spray guns, but using HVLP
spray guns reduces labor time and product costs as
well as pollution.
• Train technicians to use good spray application
techniques to improve transfer efficiency. A higher
transfer efficiency saves paint, leads to reduced
application time, and decreases worker exposure to
toxic air pollutants.
• Minimize waste and spills when mixing paint.
• Reduce vapors and waste by using air-tight
containers. Open containers only when adding or
pouring liquid.
Use Less-Toxic Paints and Solvents
• If possible, use less-toxic, water-borne, or higher-
solids paints. Switching to water-borne paints may
require more preparation and drying time, but it
minimizes the need for cleaning solvents.
• Choose solvents with low toxic air pollutant and
VOC content. Use water-based, alkaline, or
microbial cleaners.
Minimize Dust From Sanding Operations
• Use a vacuum sander to collect dust during sanding
operations. Vacuum sanders reduce exposure to toxic
air pollutants and particle pollution; they also
minimize dust settling onto freshly painted surfaces.
For example, one Minnesota shop that installed a
vacuum sander reduced the frequency of air filter
changes and decreased the amount of sandpaper
used.
• Leave work clothes and shoes at the shop. Have
clothes cleaned by a professional laundering service.
• It's best not to eat or drink food left in the work area
because particle pollution can contaminate these
items. Also, do not smoke in the work area because
you may swallow dust through hand-to-mouth
contact.
Upgrade Your Shop's Equipment
• Several tools are available to assist you in
determining whether you can upgrade the
equipment in your shop. The Web site for one cost
calculator is www.iwrc.org/programs/calcs.cjin.
This calculator enables you to determine whether it
would be beneficial to upgrade to a HVLP spray
gun, on-site distillation unit, or automatic gunwash
system.
• If you decide to upgrade your shop's equipment,
check with your state or local pollution prevention
office for funding possibilities.
Are HVLP spray guns really better?
Yes. HVLP guns are better if technicians are trained
properly. Toxic air pollutant and VOC emissions
released during a painting operation relate directly to
the skill of the spray gun operator.
Properly used, HVLP spray guns often result in a
higher transfer efficiency, reducing costs and worker
exposure to toxic air pollutants.
Where can I find out about training?
For training information, contact the Iowa Waste
Reduction Center about their Spray Techniques and
Analysis Research (STAR®) program, your local,
state, or Tribal pollution prevention office, auto body
trade associations, or spray equipment suppliers.
What else can I do to reduce air pollution?
Your community may already have groups working
for cleaner air. Your expertise and knowledge can be
very helpful to these groups.
Many pollution prevention offices offer free on-site
assessments for interested businesses. A list of these
small business assistance programs can be found at
www.epa.gov/smallbusiness. This site provides
information about assistance and technical help,
environmental experts, environmental regulations and
laws, funding, and cost-saving opportunities.
Also, sponsor employee awards for good ideas,
great efforts, and dedication to pollution prevention.
For example, you could provide a cash award for
workers who implement a work practice that reduces
both costs and pollution.
HEALTHY AIR: A COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS GUIDE
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HEALTHY AIR
Could your family
be affected?
By requiring employees
to use an enclosed gun
wash system and by
monitoring the amount of
lacquer thinner used, a
shop in Colorado
reduced the amount of
solvent waste generated
and saved $3,600 per
year in material and
waste disposal costs.
— Colorado Department of
Public Health and
Environment Pollution
Prevention Program
By switching from
conventional to high
volume low-pressure
spray guns, one body
shop reduced its paint
usage by 30% per car.
— U.S. EPA Design for the
Environment
OWNER/OPERATOR INFORMATION SHEET
Auto Body Shops
3/29/2005
Resources
• Automotive Service Association: www.asashop.org, (800) 272-7467
• National Automobile Dealers Association, www.nada.org, (800) 252-6232
• Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association: www.aftermarket.org,
(301)654-6664
• EPA Air Toxics Web Site: www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/
• Community-Based Projects: www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/community.html
• Information specific to auto body shops: Best Practices and Outreach Kit, "Virtual
auto body shop" for cost calculations, equipment, technology & training informa-
tion, access to sources of funding, and other assistance: www.epa.gov/dfe/projects/
auto
• Small Businesses: www.epa.gov/smallbusiness
• Calculator: www.iwrc.org/programs/calcs.cfm
• Iowa Waste Reduction Center STAR® Program: www.iwrc.org/programs/STAR.cftn,
(800)422-3109
• Pollution Prevention Opportunities for Autobody Shops :
www.peakstoprairies. org/topichub/toc. cfm ?hub =58&subsec= 78&nav=7
• Autobody Shop Waste Reduction and Management: www.mntap.umn.edu/
VEHICLE/28-CollRepair.htm
• Pollution Prevention Opportunities for Automotive Repair Shops: www.pprc. org/
pprc/sbap/autorep/regfact. html
Toxicity of Paints and Solvents
• Paint suppliers
• Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS): www.epa.gov/iris
• Air Toxics Health Effects Notebooks: www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hapindex.html
The EPA Design for Environment (DfE) conducted a pilot project with
partner shops in the Philadelphia area to identify best practices and
technologies, costs, and benefits. Recently, DfE tested the effectiveness
of its hands-on approach in 40 Pennsylvania shops that volunteered to
host a confidential site visit. As a direct result of these visits, more than
75% of the shops made environmentally beneficial changes.
—U.S. EPA Design for the Environment
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