Air Emissions

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Facilities can reduce air emissions from manufacturing processes through pollution prevention initiatives and emission control strategies. In addition, facilities can reduce air emissions from mobile sources by reducing the environmental impacts of shipping, fleet operations, and employee commuting. The Performance Track program encourages applicants and members to report on improvements in the air emission aspects listed below. Examples of appropriate measures are also provided.

Indicators	Units
Total GHGs	Metric Tonne (ton) Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MtCO2)
VOCs (total or specific)	Pounds Tons Metric Tons
NOx
Sox
PM2.5
PM10
CO
Air Toxics (total or specific)
Dust
Odor	European Odour Units
Radiation	Curies, Becquerels

In order to reduce air emissions, Performance Track members are:

upgrading equipment to newer, more efficient technologies
installing pollution control equipment, such as thermal oxidizing units scrubbers
installing powder coating technology to reduce VOC emissions from painting operations
replacing utility generated power with on-site power generation using fuels that emit less greenhouse gases
reducing employee trips between facilities
reducing commuter trips by subsidizing public transit, encouraging carpooling, and enabling telecommuting
upgrading fleet vehicles to lower emitting technologies (e.g., replacing diesel trucks with compressed natural gas vehicles)

View a table of common strategies used by Performance Track members to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (PDF) (2 pp, 430K)

Other examples of steps facilities can take to reduce air emissions include:

reformulating or redesigning products to reduce emissions
installing more efficient filtration equipment
using alternative power sources such as solar and wind power

Bottom-line benefits of reduced air emissions can include:

reduced costs of production
reduced costs of compliance
reduced legal liability
enhanced worker safety
improved product design and process efficiency

EPA and many non-governmental organizations, trade groups, and companies collect and share information on techniques and tools for reducing a facility's air emissions. The links provided below highlight sources of information on the following topics:

Conversion and Contextual Factors for Air Emissions
General Resources
Air Toxics
Dust
Mobile Resources
Odor
Radiation
Stationary Sources
Total Greenhouse Gases

Disclaimer: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides this information as a free and open service to the public. EPA does not endorse any company or product identified on this or any subsequent pages listed herein, and makes no claims regarding the accuracy, validity, or effectiveness of this or any other product or service represented by these data.

If you would like to suggest additional resources to feature on this website, please email a description of the site (including what topics the site addresses) and the URL to hamilton.luctrician@epa.gov.

Conversion and Contextual Factors for Air Emissions

Methods to convert non-standard measurement units into standard units, and methods to convert environmental improvements into commonly understood contexts, can be found through the links below:

Conversion factors (e.g. pounds of C0₂ emitted per pound of gasoline consumed)

The Energy Information Administration offers air emissions data and emission factors for greenhouse gases.
Contextual factors (e.g. pounds of carbon dioxide emitted by a passenger car per year)

EPA's Green Vehicle Guide provides information on the annual emissions and fuel consumption for passenger cars and light trucks. You can search and evaluate vehicle models for pollutant emission specifications, and there are tips on how operators can save gas and improve mileage.

The Federal Highway Administration's publications on air quality provide information on the environmental impacts of transportation modes. For example, according to the FHA, the average passenger car emits 0.59 grams of NOx per mile, 9.4 grams of CO per mile, and 1.2 grams of VOCs per mile.

General Resources

EPA's Technology Transfer Network Clearinghouse for Inventories & Emission Factors contains links to multiple software tools that help facilities estimate their air pollution emissions. For example, one tool, Air ClearingHouse for Inventories and Emission Factors (Air CHIEF), gives the public and private sector users access to air emission data specific to estimating the types and quantities of pollutants that may be emitted from a wide variety of sources. Remember that where possible, source-specific emission test data are generally preferred to estimates derived from emissions factors.

The Emissions Measurement Center provides information on methods for monitoring and testing emissions of air pollution. This is a detailed technical site designed for environmental engineers and scientists. Links are also provided to other groups within EPA that also develop test methods, such as the Office of Water and the Office of Solid Waste.

The Active National Directory of Source Emissions Testing provides a national directory of firms that offer stack testing services.

EPA's Technology Transfer Network provides links to a wide variety of EPA sites devoted to sharing air pollution information, including sites on science, technology, regulation, measurement, and prevention.

EPA's Gateway to International Best Practices & Innovations for Air/Climate Change focuses on ways of improving air quality and curbing climate change through innovative programs and initiatives from the US and around the world.

EPA's Climate Change website offers a broad spectrum of information, including a brief report on recent trends in greenhouse gas emissions, global warming potential calculations (PDF, 16 pp., 76KB), and access to the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: most recent report.

The GHG Protocol Initiative provides information regarding various reporting standards for GHG Emissions. The website offers example corporate accounting standards designed to help companies identify, calculate, and report GHG emissions.

Air Toxics

The EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Program provides chemical lists, persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals, list changes, toxicity, regulatory program information, fact sheets, and chemical specific guidance documents. EPA compiles the TRI data each year and makes it available through several data access tools, including the TRI Explorer and Envirofacts.

OSHA's list of TRI chemicals identified as carcinogens (PDF, 5 pp., 135KB) was developed from International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), National Toxicology Program (NTP), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sources.

Annexes A and B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (PDF, 34 pp., 137KB) provide lists of POPs to be eliminated and restricted.

Persistent Bioaccumlative and Toxic chemicals (PBTs) are identified as Level 1 or Level 2 PBTs by the Binational Toxic Strategy of the US and Canada. For a list of Level 1 PBTs, click on Priority PBT Profies. A list of Level 2 substances can be found in Draft Report on Level 2 Substances in the Binational Toxics Strategy: A US Perspective.

Dust

OSHA's Analyzing Workplace Exposures Using Direct Reading Instruments and Video Exposure Monitoring Techniques contains technical explanations of video exposure monitoring techniques for air pollutants. The case studies provide specific examples from a variety of contexts. Additionally, the OSHA website contains industry-specific information for dust measurement.

The Air Pollution Control Technology Manual , produced by the Government of Japan, provides sources of dust (Section 6.3), dust collection measurement techniques (Section 8.5), and methods of analyzing airborne particulate matter (Section 9.6).

Mobile Resources

EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) offers information on methods of reducing air pollution from mobile sources, including information on Vehicle Emissions Ranking, Alternative Transportation Choices, Cleaner Fuels, Vehicles, Fuel Economy, and Lawn Equipment. OTAQ also provides information on average air emissions from cars and light trucks that can be helpful in calculating reduced emissions resulting from trip reductions.

DOE's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center Program provides a wide range of information and resources to enable the use of alternative fuels, in addition to other petroleum reduction options such as advanced vehicles, fuel blends, idle reduction, and fuel economy.

California's Air Resources Board's Buyer's Guide to Cleaner Cars evaluates exhaust emissions of "cleaner" cars through an interactive guide to clean and efficient vehicle technologies.

Odor

Odour Net's feasibility study for the development of a standardized method for assessment of odor nuisance and odor annoyance potential provides a review of methods for measuring odor.

The European Committee for Standardization website contains information on the European Odour Unit.

Radiation

Chapter 2 of Potential Radiation Exposure in Military Operations provides radiation units, measurement methods, and sources of radiation.

Guidance for Radiation Accident Management and Measurement includes tables of units, conversion equivalents and conversion factors for radiation.

Fact Sheet 4 of the Low Level Radioactive Waste Program (PDF, 2 pp., 154KB) by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection describes radiation measurement techniques (including doses, units, and measurement equipment).

Stationary Sources

EPA's Clean Air Technology Center serves as a clearinghouse for emerging and existing air pollution prevention and control technologies. This site provides public access to data and information on the use, effectiveness, and cost of emission prevention and control technologies.

EPA's Natural Gas STAR program is a voluntary partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the natural gas industry designed to find cost-effective ways of reducing emissions of methane. The program shares information on opportunities for methane emission reduction and lessons learned from partner companies.

Total Greenhouse Gases

EPA's Climate Leaders program provides tools to help companies prepare greenhouse gas inventories, report emission reductions, set and track reduction goals, and promote their success in reducing emissions.

Greenhouse Gas reporting should be consistent with EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule. The rule will require mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases "above appropriate thresholds in all sectors of the economy." EPA is responsible for determining those thresholds, as well as the frequency of reporting. The GHG Reporting Rule also includes reporting of emissions "resulting from upstream production and downstream sources," to the extent that EPA deems appropriate.

The California Climate registry provides accurate GHG reporting standards and tools for organizations to measure, monitor, third-party verify and reduce their GHG emissions consistently across industry sectors and geographical borders. Registry member UCSD shares “tips and tricks” for GHG reporting program managers at any organization or facility.

Air Emissions

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