Emission control at top of agenda

1:22pm Wednesday 11th July 2007

Comments (0)   Have your say »

If it's Tuesday it must be Kazakhstan. But then again, it could be Turkey or Saudi Arabia, Russia or France.

Or, closer to home - Bradford, Shipley or Bingley.

Adam May is one of a team of experts who cross the globe to monitor emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere, from large and small companies.

He works as an environmental stack tester, a job title that won't ring many bells among the general public, but which is crucial to keeping the air we breath clean and fresh.

One of a five-strong team working for Bradford-based environmental monitoring consultants Envirocare, Adam travels the world, visiting businesses ranging from the small back-street garages to major industrial complexes, to monitor for pollutants that could be released into the atmosphere.

Using scientific equipment, he checks emissions from chimneys, vents, stacks (tall chimneys), or other outlets, to ensure they are working within the law. In Britain, companies must adhere to guidelines laid down in the Environmental Protection Act and the Environment Agency's Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTS).

"Each installation has a permit to operate and part of that includes annual emissions testing. Firms know what their limits are, and that they have to comply with that," he says.

In Bradford, companies are regulated by Bradford Council. A firm would commission Envirocare to carry out an inspection and provide a report.

The majority of work is carried out within the UK, but, increasingly, the company's expertise is being called upon at sites overseas.

In Turkey, the firm monitored the emissions from spray booths at one of the world's leading car manufacturers.

As part of a European-funded research development project, it has carried out checks within the printing industry at premises in France, Germany and Belgium. And they have "interests" in the Gulf states and Kazakhstan.

"We are quoting for work in Russia at the moment," says Adam. "There are not many organisations like this."

The type of industry it deals with varies greatly, from printing to textiles, to furniture manufacturers, pet food producers and paint manufacturers.

"We cover big chemical sites," says Adam. "One of our largest contracts is with ICI Paints in Slough."

Adam, a graduate in environmental science from the University of Bradford, can carry out inspections at up to 25 sites each month.

Different processes emit different pollutants. "We use different testing equipment, and different methods to test emissions," explains Adam. He cites the example of a Bradford company which uses a spray containing a solvent to varnish the finished product.

The solvent contains VOCs (Volatile organic compounds), which are given off as gases from a wide array of products including paints and lacquers, paint strippers and cleaning fluids. Some VOCs can have short and long-term effects on health including headaches, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat and nausea.

"The spraying is carried out in a booth. Some spray is sucked to the back and filtered into the atmosphere," he adds. Adams checks that what is emitted is within limits.

Among the most common pollutants tested for are particulate matter (dust, fine particles); combustion gases (carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen) as well as more specific pollutants including formaldehyde, chlorides, and the highly reactive chemicals isocyanates, which are a common trigger for asthma.

Adam stressed how vital it is to monitor for such emissions, many which are invisible to the naked eye.

"If an installation was omitting visible pollutants they would probably report it to the local authority, but if it is invisible they might never be aware of it."

Craig Batty is environmental services manager with Envirocare with responsibility for the air-quality monitoring team. He reports a big increase in the number of companies using their services. "We have seen a big increase in the number of quotes for consultancy work - about 25 per cent in a year.

"We look for anything from particulates to combustion gases. It can be a one-man band or a multi-national."

The company is the first independent consultancy in the UK to be awarded MCERTS accreditation for environmental monitoring.

"A growing number of European companies are adopting the ethics of the scheme," says Craig. "All European member states have agreed to monitor their processes to these standards. Most companies now see being ecologically sound as a key ingredient to the success of their business."

This has led to more and more companies contacting Envirocare, which also carries out inspections for noise pollution, health and safety, and indoor air quality - checking for Sick Building Syndrome.

Few companies fail the emissions test, says Adam May. "It might be that they have the right process in place but it is not operating effectively. We would advise them. It might be a simple case of adjusting the system or a more complex solution like installing a filter." In a worst case scenario, the operation could be closed down.

• Envirocare can be contacted on (01274) 738668; www.envirocare.org.