Industrial Pollution Prevention

The 1992 A&WMA Critical Review was authored by Harry Freeman and members of his staff at the Pollution Prevention Research Branch, Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Freeman presented the paper "Industrial Pollution Prevention," at the Critical Review session held during the 85th Air & Waste Management Association Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. Prepared discussions and invited comments presented during the session are published here, as well as closing remarks by Mr. Freeman.     

Introduction to the Air & Waste Management Association's 30th Annual Critical Review

This marks the 30th year of the Air & Waste Management Association's Critical Review Program. The Critical Review is a feature of A&WMA's Annual Conference, and is directed by the Critical Review Committee. The committee evaluates several topics each year, selects the best for presentation, and invites an individual (or group) to prepare the Critical Review Paper. This paper is thoroughly reviewed by the committee members and a panel of experts. After presentation of the review by the authors (typically on the Wednesday of the Annual Conference), there is a panel discussion and question-and-answer session. Panel members are invited to prepare their comments on the Critical Review, which, along with audience comments and the author's closing statements, are published in the Journal.     

Ozone Air Quality Models Prepared Discussion

The APCA Critical Review entitled “Ozone Air Quality Models” was presented by John H. Seinfeld, Louis E. Nohl Professor and Executive Officer for Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California. Dr. Seinfeld presented his review at the 81st APCA Annual Meeting & Exhibition, held in Dallas, Texas in June 1988. The Critical Review paper, published in the May 1988 issue of JAPCA, highlighted recent advances and continuing problem areas in photochemical air quality modeling. Prepared discussions and floor comments presented during the Critical Review session in Dallas are published here, along with additional comments and closing remarks by Dr. Seinfeld. Howard M. Ellis, Chairman of the Critical Review Subcommittee of the Publications Committee, served as moderator of the 1988 APCA Critical Review session.     

Incineration of Hazardous Waste

The APCA Critical Review entitled "Incineration of Hazardous Waste" was presented by E. Timothy Oppelt, Chief, Thermal Destruction Branch, Alternative Technologies Division of U.S. EPA’s Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory (Cincinnati). Mr. Oppelt presented his review at the 80th APCA Annual Meeting & Exhibition, held in New York City in June 1987. The Critical Review paper, published in the May 1987 issue of JAPCA, examined the current state of knowledge regarding hazardous waste incineration in an effort to put the technical and environmental issues into perspective. Prepared discussions presented during the Critical Review session are published here, along with additional comments and closing remarks by Mr. Oppelt. Howard M. Ellis, Chairman of the Critical Review Subcommittee of the Publications Committee, served as moderator of the 1987 Critical Review session.     

Source-Receptor Relationships for Acid Deposition: Pure and Simple

The Critical Review entitled Source-Receptor Relationships for Acid Deposition: Pure and Simple? was presented by George M. Hidy at the 77th APCA Annual Meeting and Exhibition in San Francisco, California. Dr. Hidy spoke on his paper which had been published in the May 1984 issue of JAPCA. Prepared discussions presented at the Critical Review Session in San Francisco are reproduced here. In addition, discussion initiated from the floor and comments received through the mail have been formalized and are published along with closing remarks by Dr. Hidy. Dr. Paul J. Lioy, Critical Review Committee chairman, served as moderator for the 1984 Critical Review Session.     

Toxic Substances in the Atmospheric Environment Discussion

The Critical Review on Toxic Substances in the Atmospheric Environment was presented by Bernard D. Goldstein at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Air Pollution Control Association in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Goldstein summarized his paper, which had been published in the May 1983 issue of JAPCA. Prepared discussions presented at the Critical Review Session are reproduced here. In addition, comments made from the floor and through the mails have been formalized and are published along with closing remarks by Dr. Goldstein. Dr. Paul J. Lioy served as Moderator for the 1983 Critical Review Session.     

A Critical Review

The Critical Review Session on Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling was attended by nearly 400 people at the 72nd Annual Meeting of APCA at Cincinnati. D. Bruce Turner, whose paper appeared in the May 1979 Journal, summarized his findings. Prepared discussions which were presented by Dr. Egan, Dr. Spengler, and Mr. Mirabella are reproduced here with the floor discussion and a response by Mr. Turner. One of the important aspects of the Critical Review Program has always been the emphasis on this open discussion of the subject under review by peers of the author. Dr. Melvin W. First was Moderator of the Session.     

Innovative Technologies for Contaminated Site Remediation: Focus on Bioremediation

Bioremediation, the process by which hazardous substances are degraded by microorganisms, is at the forefront of a larger group of innovative remediation technologies being applied at hazardous waste sites worldwide. Although the process of bioremediation has been utilized for decades in the field of wastewater engineering, its application to soils and groundwater at hazardous waste sites is fairly new and still undergoing intensive development.

This article is intended to provide both an overview of the state of practice of bioremediation in hazardous waste remediation operations, and an inventory of issues to consider when evaluating the use of this technology for a contaminated site.

These topics will be the subject matter of a unique Bioremediation Satellite seminar to be broadcast on January 9, 1992. The seminar, a joint venture between the Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA) and the Hazardous Waste Action Coalition (HWAC), is the first in a series of satellite seminars that will deal with innovative hazardous waste remediation technologies. The intent of these seminars is to design programs which will make hazardous waste practitioners more familiar with innovative remediation technologies so that they will consider using the technologies in future clean-up operations.     

A Critical Review Discussion Papers

The Critical Review on Motor Vehicle Inspection/Maintenance Programs was presented by John C. Elston at a Session at the 74th Annual Meeting of APCA in Philadelphia. Mr. Elston summarized his paper which had been published in the May 1981 of JAPCA. Prepared discussions which were presented by Mr. Cackette, Mr. Weaver, Dr. Jones, and Mr. Wallis are reproduced here. In addition, comments made from the floor by Dr. McKee, Mr. Pattison, and Mr. Seliber have been formalized and are presented here along with the discussion from the floor. Mr. Elston responds to the comments of his peers. Dr. Melvin W. First was Moderator of the Session.     

Innovative technologies for contaminated site remediation: focus on bioremediation.

Bioremediation, the process by which hazardous substances are degraded by microorganisms, is at the forefront of a larger group of innovative remediation technologies being applied at hazardous waste sites worldwide. Although the process of bioremediation has been utilized for decades in the field of wastewater engineering, its application to soils and groundwater at hazardous waste sites is fairly new and still undergoing intensive development. This article is intended to provide both an overview of the state of practice of bioremediation in hazardous waste remediation operations, and an inventory of issues to consider when evaluating the use of this technology for a contaminated site. These topics will be the subject matter of a unique Bioremediation Satellite seminar to be broadcast on January 9, 1992. The seminar, a joint venture between the Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA) and the Hazardous Waste Action Coalition (HWAC), is the first in a series of satellite seminars that will deal with innovative hazardous waste remediation technologies. The intent of these seminars is to design programs which will make hazardous waste practitioners more familiar with innovative remediation technologies so that they will consider using the technologies in future clean-up operations.     

Air Pollution Control Association Critical Reviews Program

This is the fourth in the series of Critical Reviews commissioned by the APCA Board of Directors. The first Critical Review "Regulations for the Control of Particulate and Sulfur Oxides Emissions" was published in 1974 and the topic is still timely. The second Critical Review "Regulations for the Control of Hydrocarbon Emissions (from Stationary Sources) and Odorous Pollutants" was published in 1975. In light of recent developments concerning hydrocarbon emissions from stationary sources, this Critical Review is again very timely. The third Critical Review "The Effect of Air Pollution Control Regulations on Land Use Planning" will soon be published in final form. Now we have the fourth in the series, "A Critical Review of Air Pollution Index Systems in the United States and Canada" and "Status Report on Federal Regulations for New Source Performance Standards".     

The Location of Maximum Exposure Due to An Instantaneous Release from a Point Source

An international specialty conference, jointly sponsored by the Air &; Waste Management Association (A&;WMA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), entitled “PM₁₀ Standards and Nontraditional Particulate Source Controls,” was held in Scottsdale, Arizona, January 12-15, 1992. The conference included 92 presentations in 17 technical sessions. Eighty-one peer-reviewed technical papers, two keynote addresses and one panel session summary describing novel applications, measurement processes, modeling techniques and control measures for nontraditional pollution sources are assembled in the Transactions¹. The technical issues addressed during the conference included: (1) measurement methods and data bases; (2) emissions source characterization; (3) source apportionment of nontraditional sources; (4) fugitive dust characterization and control technologies; (5) vegetative burning characterization and control technologies; (6) sources and controls of secondary aerosol and motor vehicle precursors; and (7) regulatory policies and State Implementation Plan (SIP) development. This paper gives an overview of the technical program     

Report from the 17th Government Affairs Seminar: Some Issues in Waste Management

The 17th annual Government Affairs Seminar of the Air & Waste Management Association was held March 16-17,1989 in Washington, DC. The overall theme was "Environmental Challenges of the 1990s," and included among the challenges were two issues in waste management: managing municipal waste and paying for cleanup. Summaries of the remarks of four panelists appear on the following pages.     

Analysis of Complex Mixtures of Vapors in Ambient Air by Fast-Gas Chromatography

An international specialty conference cosponsored by the Air & Waste Management Association's New England Section and the WF-2, EE-5 and EP-1 technical committees was held in Boston, Massachusetts on November 7-9, 1990. The technical program consisted of 39 presentations, held in eight technical sessions, exploring a wide range of topics related to the development of cleanup criteria for contaminated soil and groundwater. Supported by 11 exhibitors, the conference was attended by more than 350 professionals from the United States and other countries. This overview by the Technical Program Chair highlights a selection of the technical presentations.     

Estimating national landfill methane emissions: an application of the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Waste Model in Panama

This paper estimates national methane emissions from solid waste disposal sites in Panama over the time period 1990-2020 using both the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Waste Model spreadsheet and the default emissions estimate approach presented in the 1996 IPCC Good Practice Guidelines. The IPCC Waste Model has the ability to calculate emissions from a variety of solid waste disposal site types, taking into account country- or region-specific waste composition and climate information, and can be used with a limited amount of data. Countries with detailed data can also run the model with country-specific values. The paper discusses methane emissions from solid waste disposal; explains the differences between the two methodologies in terms of data needs, assumptions, and results; describes solid waste disposal circumstances in Panama; and presents the results of this analysis. It also demonstrates the Waste Model's ability to incorporate landfill gas recovery data and to make projections. The former default method methane emissions estimates are 25 Gg in 1994, and range from 23.1 Gg in 1990 to a projected 37.5 Gg in 2020. The Waste Model estimates are 26.7 Gg in 1994, ranging from 24.6 Gg in 1990 to 41.6 Gg in 2020. Emissions estimates for Panama produced by the new model were, on average, 8% higher than estimates produced by the former default methodology. The increased estimate can be attributed to the inclusion of all solid waste disposal in Panama (as opposed to only disposal in managed landfills), but the increase was offset somewhat by the different default factors and regional waste values between the 1996 and 2006 IPCC guidelines, and the use of the first-order decay model with a time delay for waste degradation in the IPCC Waste Model.     

acid rain and environmental policy

Editor’s note: This paper by Dr. Jacobson was presented at the 74th annual meeting of the Air Pollution Control Association as part of a panel discussion entitled “Acid Rain–1981: An International Issue.” The session was held on June 22, 1981, and was arranged by APCA’s TT-6 Energy-Environmental Interactions Committee.     

Measurement of Toxic and Related Air Pollutants

A joint conference for the fifth straight year cosponsored by the Air & Waste Management Association’s EM-3, EM-4, and ITF-2 technical committees, and the Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory (AREAL) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was held in Raleigh, North Carolina, May 1–4, 1990. The technical program consisted of 187 presentations, held in 20 technical sessions, on recent advances in the measurement and monitoring of toxic and related pollutants found in ambient and source atmospheres. Covering a wide range of measurement topics and supported by 66 exhibitors of instrumentation and consulting services, the symposium was attended by more than 850 professionals from the United States and other countries. This overview highlights a selection of the technical presentations. A synopsis of the keynote address to the symposium is also included.     

A Special Issue from the NARSTO Symposium on Tropospheric Aerosols

This dedicated issue of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association contains nine peer-reviewed scientific papers that were presented at the NARSTO Symposium on Tropospheric Aerosols: Science and Decisions in an International Community, held October 24-26, 2000, in Querétaro, Mexico.¹ Other peer-reviewed papers^2-9 appear in a companion issue of Science of the Total Environment to be published in February 2002. More than 130 papers were presented in platform and poster sessions at the meeting. Approximately 28% of the technical presentations dealt with topics from Mexico, and 15% related to Canada, with the remainder discussing U.S. and global topics.     

Comparison of the SCAQS Tunnel Study with Other On Road Vehicle Emission Data

The Van Nuys Tunnel experiment conducted in 1987 by Ingalls et al. (see A&WMA Paper 89-137.3), to verify automotive emission inventories as part of the Southern California Air Quality Study (SCAQS), gave higher CO and HC emission-rate values than expected on the basis of automotive-emission models—by factors of approximately 3 and 4, respectively. The CO/NO_X and HC/NO_X emission-rate ratios moreover were higher than expected—by similar factors (NO_X emission rates were about as expected). The purpose of the present paper is to review the literature on dynamometer and on-road (in tunnels and along roadways) testing of in-use vehicles, and on urban-air CO/HC/NO_X concentration ratios, to see whether the Van Nuys Tunnel results are reasonable in terms of previous experience. The conclusions are that (1) on-road CO and HC emissions higher than expected have been reported before, (2) on-road CO and HC emissions consistent with the Van Nuys Tunnel results have been reported before, and (3) on-road CO/NO_X and HC/NO_X emission-rate ratios higher than expected have been reported before. The Van Nuys Tunnel NO_X results actually are lower than in other on-road experiments, and the CO/NO_X and HC/NO_X ratios consequently are higher. The higher-than-predicted CO/NO_X and HC/NO_X ratios at Van Nuys and other on-road sites suggest richer operation on-road than predicted or than observed in the inuse- vehicle dynamometer tests which serve as the model inputs. Support for these suggestions and conclusions is found in comparison of urban-air and emission-inventory HC/NO_X ratios.     

Stratospheric ozone,global warming,and the principle of unintended consequences—An ongoing science and policy story

Supplemental Materials: Supplemental materials are available for this paper. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.