THE HANDBOOK OF
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMIS- TRY EDITED BY
O. HUTZINGER
Published by Springer Verlag, Berlin
Volume 3 - Part D Anthropogenic Compounds Volume three of the handbook deals with individual chemicals or chemicals produced in particular industries and examines how these compounds enter and are distributed in the environment and what their actual or potential effects are. The topics covered in this fourth part of Volume 3 are wood pro- cessing for cellulose production, asbes- tos, carbon black, creosote, elemental phosphorus and molybdenum. All chapters are detailed, exhaustively referenced (934 references on the asbestos chapter) and universally informative. The asbestos chapter in particular is an invaluable resource on all aspects of the use and toxicology of this group of minerals the extent of whose impact on the workers and residents of Wittenoom in Western Australia is only just sinking home in this country.
Paper pulp manufacture, carbon black and creosote are also of interest in the Australian context and although phosphorus and molybdenum are of more limited interest the publication is a fitting extension to an air pollution library.
S.J. MAINWARING Volume 4 - Part A - Air Pollution
The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry is a five volume series con- cerned with various aspects of chemi- cal reactions and interactions in the environment. Each volume in the series is an ongoing publication with new parts coming out at different intervals.
Air Pollution Part A is the first publication in the Air Pollution Volume which hopefully will be added to with the release of subsequent parts in the future. Each publication in the series contains a series of articles writ- ten by a specialist in the subject. The articles tend to be on very specific topics treated in a comprehensive and academic way. Air Pollution is no exception and Part A contains articles on Halogenated Hydrocarbons by P.
Fabian of the Max Planck Institute fur Aeronomie; the Formation, Transport and Control of Photochemical Smog by H. Guster of Kernforschungszentrum in Karlsruhe; the Atmospheric Dis- tribution of Pollutants and the Modell- ing of Air Pollution Dispersion by H.
van Dop of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and an article by J.M. Hales from Battelle on the Mathematical Characterisation of Pre- cipitation Scavenging and Precipita- tion Chemistry. There is in addition a reflective article giving an overview of past and present problems associated with Air Pollution by A. Wint from Nottingham University.
The halocarbon chapter deals with present knowledge regarding the dis- tribution and concentration of these species over time in the troposphere and stratosphere. It therefore serves as a useful source of reference material.
However, as this is a field that has cap- tured a lot of attention recently par- ticularly following the observation of an ozone hole over the Antartic it is likely to soon be out of date. The remaining three chapters covering specific topic areas deal with the fun- damentals of these topics and as such provide a useful primer to anyone who wishes to extend their knowledge into these areas.
The overview chapter covers a much broader topic and is of more general than specialist interest.
S.J. MAINWARING
poSlutants to dispersion modelling and pollution control. The guidelines have gone through a draft public review stage somewhat like the National Standards procedures and the final guidelines are published through 1986 and 1987 in a bilingual format in German and English. Each guideline includes a pre- liminary note on the background sub- ject matter and then sets out the
appropriate method or description of the process. The guidelines are separately bound in a glossy cover and designed for inclusion in a ring binder.
VDi 2 2 6 7 Part 4
The method for lead and cadmium analysis of particles collected by pre- cipitation (dustfall) using atomic absorption spectroscopy is described.
VDI 2 2 6 7 Part 6
This describes the method of analysis of Cadmium collected on membrane or glass fibre filters using atomic absorp- tion spectroscopy usually with the aid of the graphite-furnace technique.
VDI 2 2 6 8 Part 1
The analysis of particles collected from an emission test are described. The collected particles are analysed gravimetrically followed by chemical analysis by atomic absorption or opti- cal emission spectroscopy for Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn.
VDI 2 3 1 0 Part 15
This gives a comprehensive overview of the health effects of ozone on man, animals, plants and materials and establishes the maximum imission (ambient air quality) level of .06 ppm for a half hour average level.
VDI 2 4 4 2
This guideline gives a description of various designs of afterburners for combusting waste gases. It includes process-specific details of construction and performance characteristics. It also gives simple methods to determine efficiency.
VDI 2 4 4 7
The general processing techniques for acrylonitrile and acrylonitrile polymer are treated together with the recom- mended methods for pollution control.
It lists the emission limits for the dif- ferent types of plants and gives basic measurement techniques.
VDI 2 4 5 2 Part 2
This guideline details the complete sampling and analysis procedure for low concentrations of inorganic fluoride in air. The method is applic- able to concentrations of fluoride down to 0.1 jug/m3.
VDI 2 4 6 3 Part 9
The method described is for the gravimetric determination of the mass
concentration of suspended particles in air. The method is based on a filtering procedure and the quantity collected is sufficient to allow subsequent chemical analysis.
VDI 3783 Part 1
This guideline gives a procedure for modelling the concentration of pollutants following an acccidental release. The procedure takes into account source concentrations, meteorological conditions and disper- sion characteristics. The calculations are based on the worst case scenario and can be used to forecast conditions or to reconstruct a case history.
VDI 3 7 8 4 Part 1
The aspects on dispersion by the influence of 80 m to 170 m cooling towers, having a waste heat power in the range of 1000 MW to 2500 MW, on the lowest layer of the atmosphere is discussed. The effect on the dispersion of cooling tower emissions and the impact on the climate and weather nearby is estimated.
VDI 3 7 8 6 Part 5
The topics dealt with are the measuring procedures, site selection, calibration, maintenance as well as evaluation pro- cedures for the instruments used for the measurement of global radiation of the sun, the direct solar radiation as well as the net total radiation on the surface.
VDi Part B
This guideline specifies recommended standard procedures for the measure- ment of atmospheric turbulence, air temperature, humidity, pressure, wind direction and velocity using free balloons or tethered balloons with radiosonde measuring equipment.
VDI 3 8 6 3 Part 1
This method sets out the method for the collection, by grab sampling, of acrylonitrile from the exhaust gases and the subsequent analysis using gas chromatography.
VDI 3881 Part 1
The guideline gives information on the physiological fundamentals of odour perception and the broad aspects of measurement and evaluation. It gives a list of terms and definitions used in odour testing and appreciation.
VDI 3881 Part 2
Two recommended methods of sam- pling - static and dynamic are specified and relative merits and disadvantages are explained. The guideline gives general requirements for each method and the potential errors of each with instructions on how to avoid them.
VDI 3 8 8 1 Part 3
This describes the handling and opera- tion of commercially available olfac- tometers in which the intense mixing of the flows ofsampled air and neutral air
114 Clean Air/August 1988
These guidelines are edited by the VDI-Commission on Air Pollution Prevention and cover a variety of topics ranging from chemical analysis of
is effected by means of a gas jet pump.
L E N F E R R A R I
VENTILATION '85, EDITED BY
H.D. GOODFELLOW
C h e m i c a l Engineering Mono- g r a p h s ,
Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam
Ventilation '85 is the Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Ventilation for Contaminant Control, held in Toronto, Canada.
T h i s publication is a substantial tome of some 870 pages, containing 68 papers presented over 3 days in October 1985. To quote the sym- posium chairman, H.D. Goodfellow,
" T h e focus of this symposium is on recent developments and significant technological advancements in the ven- tilation field".
In reading this publication, it became apparent that this symposium has indeed succeeded in providing a forum for the transfer of the latest research ideas and in promoting the development of ventilation for con- taminant control as a science as opposed to its present empirical approach.
T h e technical quality of this publica- tion, its collection of case studies, research data and design equations, makes this publication an important addition, and one which engineers, scientists and occupational hygienists will find valuable in their work of designing or assessing ventilation sys- tems for contaminant control.
T h e Plenary Session included papers on research and development, model testing, indoor air quality, fund dispersal, and the application of stan- dards. Papers were presented by K.J.
Caplan, E. Skaret, J.E. Woods (Jnr), D. Hughes, and G. Aubertin.
T h e paper by K.J. Caplan, presen- ted some interesting aspects of research and development trends, including the importance of not designing exhaust hoods in isolation, but instead, con- sidering air flow disturbances caused by workers at the hood face, and the positioning of the hood relative to exterior drafts.
Another point raised in this paper discussed the considerable discrepan- cies which exist in pressure loss data for various duct fittings, from one
emphasis should have been placed on the importance of correct ductwork layout, in achieving a low total pressure' drop and providing savings in running costs.
J.E. Wood's paper on ventilation models for indoor air quality provides an important status report on this topi- cal area of indoor air quality. It dis- cusses prescriptive versus performance criteria methods of assessing air quality, and then goes on to examine a number of generation models, of both independent and interactive types, and also examines removal and dilution models.
The paper by E. Skaret, discussed model testing and highlighted the phenomenum of contaminant stratification and its implications on proper air distribution.
Dr. D. Hughes' paper presented an overview of fume hoods and fume dis- persal systems, highlighting, among other things, the need for aperature sur- faces to be aerodynamically designed to promote even air flow and to avoid localised eddying.
The paper by G. Aubertin, dis- cussed the impact of international stan- dards on thermal environments and examines how such standards can be used to advantage in optimising ventila- tion installations.
These plenary session papers set the pace for the remainder of the con- ference. They give an insight into the growth and knowledge within this area of ventilation for contaminant control and the momentum which renewed experimentation has given to the development of more rigorous analyti- cal approaches and improved numeri- cal models.
The remainder of the papers are divided into twelve technical sessions, namely:
Advanced Developments in Ventilation
Control of Toxic and Explosive Contaminants
Advances in Tracer Gas Use -1 Ventilation for Residential and Modem Office Buildings
Advances in Local Exhaust Technol- ogy - 1
Ventilation for Control of Carcinogens and Biohazards
Advances in Local Exhaust Technol- ogy - II
Ventilation Measurement and Control
Sources Emission Rates
Advances in Local Exhaust Technol- ogy - III
Advances in Tracer Gas Use -II Filters, Air Recirculation and Energy Conservation.
Many of the sixty three paperswhich were delivered in these twelve technical sessions were of interest to this author, and considered to be of value in an Aus- tralian context. Only a brief overview of these technical sessions has been provided in the remainder of this review.
The Advanced Developments in Ventilation session included papers on advanced design methods, using flow fields, scale model design techniques, stochastic modelling, and a number of case studies on industrial ventilation, including railway locomotive main- tenance shops, welding fume plumes and room air exchange and diffusion applications. Authors included L.
Olander, R.J. Heinsohn, and S.P.
Stephanov.
The session on the Control of Toxic and Explosive Contaminants included case studies on welding fume, metal plating and acid cleaning, closed paint booths, toluene recovery and printing ventilation. A number of these papers should be of interest to occupational hygienists. For example, the paper on metal plating and acid cleaning by J. W.
Sheehy, concludes that existing ven- tilating procedures are successful in controlling worker exposures below the present threshhold limit values.
The two sessions on Advances in Tracer Gas Use covered many practi- cal applications. While applications involving nuclear power plants may not be directly relevant to Australian con- ditions, many of the papers covered industrial and commercial applications involving tracer gases for the assess- ment of pollution control systems.
These two sessions indicate tracer gas applications could offer a valuable technique for providing performance criteria assessment of any ventilation installation. They are undoubtedly an important ventilation tool, the applica- tion of which has yet to be fully realised in Australia.
The paper by J.P. Farant, D.L.
McKinnon and T.A. McKenna, pro- vides an excellent introduction to the use of tracer gasses for routine ventila- tion checks and/or trouble shooting.
This paper also provides a comparative study of a number of tracer gases and concludes that carbon dioxide is poten- tially as useful a tracer gas as sulfur hexafloride. A review of sampling and analytical equipment is also provided.
The session on Ventilation for Residential and Modem Office Buildings includes papers by T.D.
Stirling, F.C. Hooper, M. Sandberg and B. Fletcher. All six papers dis- cussed various aspects of ventilation on indoor pollutant levels. Of interest to
Clean Air/August 1988 Vol.2 2 / 3
115
this reviewer was the finding that while carbon dioxide levels are controlled by ventilation rates, carbon monoxide levels are dependent on infiltration rates and the implications this has on modern 'airtight' buidlings.
Indoor pollution levels are discussed and a simple air quality model pro- posed. A further paper presented a dis- cussion on the stagnant pooling of heavier than air gases within a room and then evaluated the performance of different ventilation patterns in dispers- ing this stagnant layer.
The three sessions on Advances in Local Exhaust Technology provide a wealth of case studies and application procedures for use in contaminant ven- tilation situations.
Sixteen papers wre presented over these three sessions, in what should be described as the main event of this sym- posium. Many of these papers have new findings to offer, in the applications ofexhaust hoods and their effectiveness in capturing gases, sub- micron particles, and controlling par- ticular emissions. Other aspects such as release velocities, common hood sizes and position, particular momen- tum and cost drafts are discussed along with methods of evaluating hood cap- ture effectiveness and numerical simulations of air flow capture.
Any person who works in this field is well recommended to read the papers that were presented in these three sessions.
The number of interesting papers presented in these three sessions makes it impractical to discuss them all here.
However, the paper by E.R. Kashdan, et alia, provides some excellent reference material on the capture of process fugitive particulate emissions.
Ventilation for Control of Car- cinogens and Biohazards included papers on ventilation and bio-aerosols, asbestos dust exposures, contaminant control, computer modelling of absorp- tion bed behaviour, time dependant ventilation rates and an update on clean room techniques.
The paper by M. Pellikka, et alia, presented some very good Findings on the behaviour of viable bioaerosol levels in ventilation systems, and inves- tigated possible sources and sinks.
G.M. Bragg's paper discussed the variability of contaminant levels within the workplace and the application of statistical models. When this model was applied to asbestos dust exposures it indicated prescriptive regulations to be very conservative.
The implications of time dependent ventilation practices on contaminant levels are discussed in another paper by
J. Bigu, while the paper on clean room techniques evaluates sterile environ- ments in operating theatres.
The Ventilation Measurement and Control session included papers on contaminant control at a copper smelter, numerical expressions for ven- tilation parameters, thermoeconomic aspects of ventilation, applications of air jets in the control of air con- taminants, the use of smoke detectors to control ventilation rates, and an evaluationof an integral scrubber fume hood for the control of noxious vapours.
The paper by L.N. Renton and G. A.
Duffield disucsses a custom designed fume hood with integral scrubber, for the removal of sulfuric acid, aqua regia and perchloric acid, which provided a removal efficiency in excess of 96%.
Interestingly, when total installed costs are considered, this hood configuration is considerably less than that of a con- ventional perchloric acid fume hood system.
Source Emission Rates is a poorly understood area of contaminant con- trol, and so it was gratifying to see a number of papers which addressed this problem.
Five papers were presented in this session and terms such as 'activity fac- tor' and 'dustiness' were introduced as a means of describing the emission rates of various processes and materials. These papers not only delved into emission characteristics of such materials, but also considered the effectiveness of these characteristics on the efficiency of various local capture devices.
Unfortunately only three papers were presented in the last, but none the less important, session on Filters, Air Recirculation and Energy Con- servation.
These papers highlighted the need to address, during the design stages of any ventilation or contaminant control sys- tem, the energy costs associated not only in running fans but also in heating (or cooling) the makeup air which must be introduced to the workplace to replace the exhaust air.
By introducing the concept of recir- culation and filtration, cost savings can be achieved as a direct result of reduc- ing the quantity of makeup air. Such recirculation and exhaust systems need to be able to maintain a safe and healthy work place.
The three papers addressed this pro- blem fairly well. However, it became clear that a much greater amount of work is required in this area if recircula- tion and filtration is to be treated
seriously by the contaminant control industry.
This review has attempted to highlight some of the wealth of informa- tion which was presented in the pro- ceedings of conference on Ventilation for Contaminant Control. Given the currant emphasis on occupational hygiene and the need for contaminant control, this book should do well and is to be recommended as a valuable reference.
J.A. N U G E N T