Abstract

This report includes case studies about verified performance, applicability, and testing requirements for consideration by potential collaborators and decision makers. The case studies highlight how the verified technologies and protocols translated into actual beneficial outcomes and projected additional potential outcomes.

Each case study begins with a summary of estimated potential outcomes and is followed by three sections:

• The first section, “Environmental, Health, and Regulatory Background,” describes the pollutant or environmental issue the technology is designed to address, human health and environmental impacts associated with the pollutant or issue, and regulatory programs or voluntary initiatives under which the technology can be applied.
• The second section, “Technology Description,” describes the technology, identifies what makes the technology innovative, and summarizes the performance results as verified by ETV.
• The third section, “Outcomes,” presents in detail actual and potential outcomes from verifying and applying the technology, including estimates based on different market penetration scenarios.

The following are summaries of several of the case studies, including descriptions of the potential markets, assumptions used to estimate these markets, and penetration scenarios associated with the ETV technologies:

According to available sales and marketing data, at least 1,345 vehicles use or are expected to use ETV-verified diesel engine retrofit technologies. ETV estimates that these technologies could reduce particulate matter emissions by 6.4 to 9.1 tons over 7 years. These emission reductions could result in human health and environmental benefits, including 0.5 to 0.7 avoided cases of premature mortality, with an associated economic value of $3.2 to $4.5 million. Assuming that 10 percent of the current fleet of heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses eventually use an ETV-verified device, particulate matter could be reduced by 9,000 to 31,000 tons over 7 years.

The ETV-verified microturbine/combined heat and power technologies could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70,000 to 127,000 tons per year and nitrogen oxide emissions by 410 to 440 tons per year.

The ETV-verified laser touch technology could reduce volatile organic compound emissions from the automobile refinishing industry by approximately 1,100 to 2,700 tons per year and solid waste generation by approximately 300 to 8,000 tons per year. The technology can potentially reduce paint usage, resulting in cost savings of up to $100 million per year for the automobile refinishing industry alone.

All these reductions bring associated environmental and health benefits.

The ETV-verified portable technologies for measuring lead in dust could be deployed at approximately 16.5 million housing units that were built before 1978. An estimated 2.6 million young children live in these housing units; young children face greater health risks from exposure to lead in dust.

The ETV-verified ambient ammonia monitors could be applied at up to 975 large-animal feeding operations to verify their compliance with current or potential future state and federal regulations and to avoid multimillion dollar penalties.

The ETV-verified arsenic drinking water treatment technologies could prevent 1.3 to 4.8 cases of lung and bladder cancer and 0.7 to 2.6 deaths from these cancers each year. That potential human health benefit has an estimated economic value of $4.8 million to $17.1 million per year.

The ETV-verified residential nutrient reduction technologies could reduce nitrogen loading to ground water by approximately 1,300 to 4,000 tons per year. The associated benefits include the reduction of environmental problems associated with nutrient loading. Also, at least four states (North Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Florida) are using or considering the use of ETV protocols in the evaluation of alternative technologies for the management of septic systems or discharge of nitrogen.

Contact

Teresa Harten

See Also

Environmental Technology Verification Program

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