Pollution Prevention Techniques

Module
 Module Objective
Apply pollution prevention techniques to
various industrial processes in order to eliminate
or reduce the emission of toxic and/or hazardous
substances into the environment.
This would be done by globally analyzing the
industrial process as well as the process
emissions and wastes while keeping in mind
environmental laws and regulations.
 CHAPTER 1
Introduction to Environmental Aspects
Related to Pollution Prevention
 Introduction
- Pollution Prevention and Waste Management
Hierarchy
- Introduction to Environmental Issues
- Impact of chemical production on the environment
- Waste stream impact and life cycle analysis
- Important aspects of the environment
energy use air quality issues
water quality issues ecology
natural resources solid waste
economics and feasibility
 What is Pollution Prevention?

Any action (or actions) that prevents the release of

hazardous and/or toxic substances into the
environment source reduction.
North American PP Regulations
CANADA

The Canadian federal government defines pollution

prevention as: The use of processes, practices,
materials, products or energy that avoid or minimize
the creation of pollutants and waste, and reduce
overall risk to human health or the environment.

Source : Environment Canada

http://www.ec.gc.ca/pollution/strategy/en/p4.cfm
 USA

Pollution Prevention means source reduction, as

defined under the Pollution Prevention Act, and other
practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of
pollutants through : increased efficiency in the use of
raw materials, energy, water, or other ressources, or
protection of natural resources by conservation.

Source : EPA
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/p2_97/append-c.pdf
 MEXICO

See the Ley General del Equilibrio Ecologico

y la Proteccon al Ambiante which defines
pollution protection for air, water and land.

Source: Semarnap
http://www.semarnat.gob.mx/wps/portal
Benefits of Pollution Prevention
Improved environmental protection in all aspects (air,
water, soil, ecology, human health)

Reduced costs of raw material, energy, water, waste

handling, waste treatment and disposal

Improved worker health and safety, public image and

product quality.
 Waste Management Hierarchy
Source Reduction
Pollution
Prevention In-Process Recycle
Encompasses
the first 4 On-Site Recycle

Off-Site Recycle

Waste Treatment

Secure Disposal

Direct Release into the Environment

Environmental Issues Concerning
Pollution Prevention
Energy Use
Air, Water and Soil Quality
Ecology
Natural Resources

Solid Waste
Economical Issues
 Production of a Chemical

It is important to not only look at the effects

of the waste streams, but to also consider all
the steps of production when implementing
pollution prevention techniques into a
process. One must use an holistic approach.
 Overall View of Chemical Production
Natural
ressources and
other processes
Raw Materials Energy+Water
+ use
required

Waste heat, energy

and emissions from
all processes
PROCESS

Pollution from waste

streams as well as
product and by Product + Waste Streams
product disposal

* It is also important to consider all possible sources of pollution,

from the initial natural ressources required to the final disposal of
the product.
Raw Materials Energy +
Water use
+

Waste
Stream
Environment
Dermal
Inhalation

Ingestion
Products
Waste Stream Impacts

The production of a chemical has

an impact on many different
aspects of the environment,
including natural ressources, air,
water, arable land, ecology and
human populations.
 Primary Impacts

Pollutants from waste streams can

directly impact the air, water and land,
and can also have an adverse effect on
the environment and on humans through
dermal contact, ingestion or inhalation.
 Secondary Impacts

Pollutants from waste streams can also

react after being discharged to create
adverse effects in the air, water, land,
on the environment or to humans.
 Environmental Issues
Energy use
It is important to consider :
The Renewable and Non-Renewable Sources,
The Efficiency of the Sources,
The Primary and Secondary Sources,
The Associated Environmental Impacts.
Example : Electricity Generation
Utility and non-utility electricity power
producers operate several types of electric
generating units, powered by a wide range
of fuel sources, including :
o Fossil Fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum)
o Nuclear fuels (uranium)
o Renewable fuels (water, geothermal, wind, and
other renewable energy sources).

Source: www.acnatsci.org/research
Example : Electricity Generation
 Example : Electricity Generation
Electricity Generation : Renewable Energy
Finite (non-renewable) energy sources include
fossil fuels.

Renewable energy sources include water

(hydropower), biomass, wind, heat from the
earth (geothermal), and the sun (solar energy).

"Green" renewable energy sources contribute

much less to global warming, and climate
change in comparison with fossil fuels.
 Example : Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is not a new concept.

Five generations ago, wood supplied up to 90 percent of

our energy needs. Due to the convenience and low prices
of fossil fuels, wood use has virtually been replaced.

Many different industries are converting waste biomass

into electricity.

Examples of such processes/substances include

manufacturing wastes, rice hulls, and black liquor from
paper productions.
 Example : Renewable Energy

Source:http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/rea_data/rea_sum.html
 Environmental Issues
Ecology
It is important to consider the effects of pollutants on
ecosystems that may cause damage by :
- Disrupting the cycling of elements (i.e. nutrients).
- Entering the food chain.

Ecology is the study of material flows and energy

utilization patterns in communities of living
organisms in the environnment, termed
ecosystems.
Source : Green Engineering, Allen and Shonnard, pp. 23
Example: Organisms Stressors
Organisms are subjected to a
number and variety of stressors
in the environment, therefore
multiple measures of health are
needed to help identify and
separate anthropogenic-induced
effects of stress from those
effects caused by natural
stressors.
 Example : Organisms Stressors

Source: www.esd ornl.gov/programs/bioindicators/

 Example : Organisms Stressors

Source: www.esd ornl.gov/programs/bioindicators/

 Environmental Issues
Natural Resources
It is important to consider the following in the
design of a process :
Availability of the natural resource (material).
Sustainable use of the material.
Ability to recycle, conserve and/or use
improved technologies to maintain the
availability of the material.
Environmental Issues : Air Quality
Mobile Sources:
Are automobiles, other transportation vehicles, and
recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles and
watercraft.

Stationary Sources:
Include factories and other manufacturing processes.

Area Sources:
Are emissions associated with human activities that are not
considered mobile or stationary including emissions from
lawn and garden equipment, and residential heating.
Environmental Issues : Air Quality
Primary:
Those emitted directly to the atmosphere.

Secondary:

Those formed in the atmosphere after emission of

precursor compounds.
 Environmental Issues : Air Quality

Criteria Air Pollutants

Carbon Monoxide
Lead Particulates
Particulate Matter (2.5 and 10 microns)
Sulfuric Oxide (SOx)
Ozone
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
and
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Hydrocarbons (HCs)
 Environmental Issues : Air Quality
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is readily absorbed into the body from
the lungs. It decreases the capacity of the blood to
transport oxygen, leading to health risks for unborn
children and people suffering from heart and lung
disease.

Nitrogen Dioxide
Nitric oxide reacts with hydrocarbons in the presence of
sunlight to form nitrogen dioxide.
In the summer months NO2 is a major component of
photochemical smog.
 Environmental Issues : Air Quality
Ozone
Ozone is not emitted directly into the atmosphere but
is primarily formed through the reaction of hydrocarbons
and nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight.

Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur Dioxide is emitted directly into the atmosphere
and can remain suspended for days allowing for wide
distribution of the pollutant.

Source: http://www.arb.ca.gov/aaqm/criteria.htm
 Environmental Issues : Air Quality

Adverse Effects of Air Pollution

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
Ozone depleting chemicals (CFCs, HCFCs) and light.
Smog (creation of tropospheric ozone)
Reaction of VOCs or HCs with NOx and light.
Acid Rain and Deposition
Reaction of NOx and SOx with water molecules in the
atmosphere.
Global Warming (or greenhouse gas effect)
Caused by emission of greenhouse gases (CO2,
CH4, N2O, etc.).
 Environmental Issues : Air Quality

Acid Rain and Deposition

Acidification may lead to reduced health of trees and
eventually death of whole forests. Some soils contain
chalk which neutralizes the acid and hence keep the
effects of acidification invisible for a period of time.

Smog
Tropospheric ozone is absorbed by plants through the leafs.
In the leaves, ozone degrades chlorophyll. The loss of
chlorophyll inhibits photosynthesis and hence growth of
the plant.
Global Warming
The concentrations of greenhouse gases are
continuously increasing in the atmosphere due to human
activities:
1) By emissions of naturally occurring greenhouse
gasses such as (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous
oxide (N2O), and,
2) By emissions of new substances such as
halogenated carbons (CFCs, HCFCs and PFCs).
The possible increase of the earths temperature due to
these emissions is often referred to as the greenhouse
effect or global warming."

Source: http://www.howproductsimpact.net
 Environmental Issues
Water Quality
Contamination of surface water (lakes, rivers,
seas, oceans) and groundwater can occur from
point or non-point sources.
Contributors to water pollution include :
Industrial sources
Municipal sources
Agricultural sources
Forestry
Land and water transportation
 OXYGEN DEPLETION
All plants and animals in the water need oxygen for their
respiration and the concentration of oxygen in the water
is a limiting factor for many species of fish and bottom
animals.

A mild degree of oxygen depletion may cause a shift

in the composition of life in the water towards less
oxygen demanding species. Stronger oxygen depletion
may kill plants, fish and bottom animals and leave only
robust plankton, insect larvae and bacteria.

Source: http://www.howproductsimpact.net
 NITROGEN

The waterborne emission may arise from agriculture,

industry and households in forms such as ammonia (NH3),
ammonium (NH4+), nitrite (NO2-), nitrate (NO3-),
urea (CO(NH2)2) and organic-bound nitrogen.

Excessive emissions of the nitrogenous substances can

change the balance in the aquatic and terrestrial
environment cause serious problems known as nutrient
enrichment.

Source: http://www.howproductsimpact.net
Environmental Issues : Solid Wastes
Non-Hazardous Waste :
Represents the largest contribution to the
industrial waste picture.
Important contributions come from the
manufacturing, oil and gas and mining
industries.
Hazardous Waste :
Residual materials which are ignitable,
reactive, corrosive and toxic.
Small quantities but high treating cost in
comparison to non-hazardous waste.
Very little is recycled.
Environmental Issues : Economics
Example : Economical Aspect of Recovering Wastes
Waste Recovery is a cost-effective waste
management alternative.

Effective Recovery depends on the segregation of

the recoverable material from other process wastes or
extraneous material.

Potential Advantages :
Eliminate waste disposal costs
Reduce raw material costs
Reduce energy use (and therefore costs)
Providing income from salable wastes
Source: es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/nc/tips8.html
 Examples of Waste Reduction Through
Recovery and Reuse - Industry Technique

Mirror manufacturer
- Recover spent xylene using a batch-distillation
system.

Printed circuit boards

- An electrolytic recovery system used to recover
copper and tin/lead from process wastewater.

Power tools
- Recover alkaline degreasing baths using an Ultra-
filtration system, etc.
Example : Wet Spray Booth Wash Water Recycling
Thomson Crown Wood Products, Mocksville, NC

Original System : Dispose of contaminated wet

spray booth wash water as hazardous waste.

New System : Separate paint solids from the

waste wash water and recycle the recovered
water back to the spray booth

Result : Reduction of hazardous waste disposal

costs by $92,500 per year
Source: es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/nc/tips8.html
 Sources and Impacts of Pollution in
Chemical Production
In the face of growing political
and public concerns, the pulp
and paper industry began to
research and implement ways
of reducing organochlorine
formation and discharge from
mills reported as AOX in
addition to COD and BOD
discharges. These can be
broadly categorised as process
internal and process external
measures.
Process Internal Measures
Process internal measures to reduce mill organochlorine
and other polluting outputs centre around increased
removal of lignin before the pulp is sent to the bleach
plant.
Enhanced lignin removal allows modification of the
bleaching process and agents and reduces the charge of
bleaching chemicals used.
This processes has been intensively investigated and
now seems established as the future system of choice for
eliminating chloro-organics from the waste stream.
Process External Measures
Process external measures largely refer to the design
and construction of various types of treatment plants.
Treatment of bleach plant effluents can reduce toxic
effects, depending upon the bleach chemicals used
and the type of treatment employed, while the move
towards chlorine dioxide as a bleach chemical has
also contributed.
The ability of treatment systems to reduce the AOX
component varies markedly, but wastewaters
discharged from such plant invariably contain AOX if
chlorine based chemicals are used while sludges may
contain up to 50g AOX per kg of dried material.
 Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
What is Life Cycle Analysis ?
Is the examination of the total environmental impact of a
product through every step of its life, often quoted as
being the cradle to grave analysis of a product.

Examples
Paper bags vs. Plastic bags Styrofoam cups vs. Paper cups

Source: www.acnatsci.org/research/kye/big_picture.html
For example, after a flurry of state legislation
regulating plastic shopping bags, makers of both
plastic and paper grocery bags performed life-cycle
studies comparing the two types of bags. The study
by a plastics trade group claimed that the net
environment impact of plastic shopping bags is less
than that of paper bags.

Source: www.acnatsci.org/research/kye/big_picture.html
Even the often criticized polystyrene foam cup has
been defended by LCA. A study published in the
respected academic journal Science compared the
environmental impact of polystyrene foam hot drink
cups with that of paper cups.

The manufacture of paper cups was estimated to

consume 36 times as much electricity and to generate
more than 500 times as much wastewater as the
manufacture of polystyrene foam cups.

Source: www.acnatsci.org/research/kye/big_picture.html
A Life-Cycle Analysis consist of
Four Major Steps:

1) The System Boundaries.

2) Life-Cycle Inventory.
3) Life-Cycle Impact Assessment.
4) Improvement Analysis or Interpretation Step.
 Life Cycle Analysis Steps
System Boundaries
What the limits of the investigation will be
The system boundaries define the processes and/or
operations (e.g. manufacturing, transport, and waste
management processes), and the inputs and outputs
to be taken into account in the LCA.

The functional unit defines what is the basis for

comparison between two similar products.

Source: www.dk-teknik.dk/ydelser/miljo/LCA%20guide/3rd_ed/kap334.htm
 Paperboard plays an
important role in packing
because of its strength,
low price, and flexible
properties.
Paper sheets above 0.3
mm thickness are
classified as paperboard
and paperboard is
produced in single-ply or
multi-ply structure.

Source: http://www.howproductsimpact.net/box/
Source: www.pre.nl/life_cycle_assessment/impact_assessment.htm
 Life Cycle Analysis Steps
Life Cycle Inventory

The goal of is to clearly determine and quantify the

inputs and outputs of the process boundaries.

This accounts for the use of raw materials, energy

as well as effluent wastes (air, water, solid),
emissions and by-products for the entire process.
 Natural Ressources
Energy and Materials

Raw Material Aquisition

material recycle
Air Emissions, Solid Waste, Wastewater

Material Manufacture
product remanufacture

Product Manufacture
product recycle

Product Use

Product Disposal
Source: http://www.howproductsimpact.net
Electricity used in all processes is obtained from
the national grid. Thai electricity is derived mostly
from coal, oil, natural gas, and hydro
power.

Electricity is produced in power plants by combustion of

fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas.
During combustion many substances are emitted to air,
for example carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile
organic compounds, methane, sulphur oxide.
Source: www.howproductsimpact.net/box/systemboundaries/systemboundarieselectricitygeneration.htm
 Life Cycle Analysis Steps
Life Cycle Impact Assessment
The goal of this step is to compile the environmental
impacts of the Life Cycle Inventory items. It can be done in
three major steps:
- classification : of the substance into a category
relating to the impact it may pose
- characterization : of the potency of the
environmental impact
- valuation : relative indexes determined and an
overall impact assessment can be determined
Source: www.uneptie.org/pc/pc/tools/lca.htm
The phases of Life Cycle Assessment
Source: www.uneptie.org/pc/pc/tools/lca.htm
Goal and Scope Definition
The product (s) or service (s) to be assessed are defined,
a functional basis for comparison is chosen and the
required level of detail is defined.

Inventory of Extractions and Emissions

The energy carriers and raw materials used, the
emissions to atmosphere, water and soil, and different
types of land use are quantified for each process, then
combined in the process flow chart and related to the
functional basis.
Impact Assessment
The effects of the resource use and emissions generated
are grouped and quantified into a limited number of
impact categories which may then be weighted for
importance.

Interpretation
The results are reported in the most informative way
possible and the need and opportunities to reduce the
impact of the product (s) or service (s) on the environment
are systematically evaluated.
 Life Cycle Analysis Steps
Improvement Analysis or
Interpretion Step
The fourth step is to interpret the results of the impact
assessment, suggesting improvements whenever
possible.

This step might consist of recommending the most

environmentally desirable product.

Source: Green Engineering, Allen and Shonnard, pp. 425