Handbook of Solvents - George Wypych - ChemTech - Ventech!

19
Regulations
Carlos M. Nu�ez
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
19.1 INTRODUCTION
Since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970, when a war against pollution was declared,
solvents have been on the U.S. regulatory radar screen. 1 This represented the beginning of
new environmental policies which led to today’s more stringent regulations with a greater
focus on toxic substances. 2 In the U.S., historically, these policies and regulations have been
divided by medium (air, water, and land), which has represented a challenge to the regulated
industries and the Federal, State, and local regulatory communities. In recent years, however,
the U.S. Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have recognized
the need to address environmental problems from a more holistic approach considering
multimedia and innovative environmental management strategies. 3 Hence, various programs
and initiatives have emerged, which have proven to be extremely successful, encouraging
voluntary industry participation rather than the old command and control approach. 4
Almost all solvents are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants
(HAPs), and their evaporation creates environmental problems that have become the
focus of many domestic and international regulations and initiatives. A VOC solvent is defined
by EPA as any compound of carbon, excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic
acid, metallic carbides or carbonates, and ammonium carbonate, which is emitted or
evaporated into the atmosphere. 5 In 1996, an estimated 19 million short tons of VOCs were
emitted in the U.S. of which 33 percent came from solvent utilization (see Table 19.1). 6 In
the lower atmosphere VOC solvents participate in photochemical reactions to form, to varying
degrees, ground level ozone and other oxidants which affect health, as well as cause
damage to materials, crops, and forests. Ozone impairs normal functioning of the lungs and
reduces the ability to perform physical exercise. Such effects are more severe in individuals
with sensitive respiratory systems. Even healthy adults can experience symptoms and reduction
in lung function during moderate exercise at ozone levels below the current ozone
standard.
Some solvents are also toxic and/or carcinogenic which contributes to direct health
problems. They are pollutants that have been associated with serious health effects such as
cancer, liver or kidney damage, reproductive disorders, and developmental or neurological
problems. 7,8 They also have detrimental environmental effects on wildlife and degrade wa-