by Kelly McPartland, Senior Applications Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Air pollution remains one of our greatest environmental and health risks. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) – such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide – are being trapped at an increasing rate in our atmosphere, accelerating global warming and causing extreme climatic events. But it isn’t just the long-term consequences of climate change that should concern us, as there are numerous short-term dangers of air pollution to human health. Pollutants penetrating the lungs and bloodstream can have disastrous effects on the human body, leading to a range of illnesses that include strokes, chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancers, and heart attacks. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that poor air quality is responsible for around seven million deaths globally per year.1
Global uncertainty
Although natural causes contribute to air pollution, it is largely human activities – such as the burning of fossil fuels – that are to blame, highlighting the need for all countries to outline clear strategies to limit the release of harmful gases. The UN General Assembly has begun to take appropriate measures to tackle this issue for the benefit of the planet and future generations, with resolutions such as ‘The Future We Want’ and the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.2,3 However, many nations appear uncertain about how to work towards these goals, or are reluctant to comply. For example, China has declared carbon neutrality by 2060, but it is still investing heavily in fossil fuels as a source of energy – with multiple new coal-fired power plants currently in construction – and its emissions are forecast to increase until at least 2030.4 Similarly, India is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels for its energy needs, resulting in ever-increasing carbon emissions from the planet’s most populous country.
Being pulled in two directions
In contrast, the United States’ historically turbid stance on implementing meaningful climate policies has recently taken a huge leap in the right direction, but not without some confusion. The country has vowed to be carbon neutral by 2050, although its progress towards this goal has been given a rating of "insufficient" by the Climate Action Tracker, a consortium that evaluates the climate actions of governments globally.5 This is certainly not helped by the Supreme Court’s decision to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to regulate power plant emissions, contrasting the Biden administration's efforts to slow climate change.
A climate-compelling policy
Revoking some of the EPA’s authority is seen by many as a step in the wrong direction, but this move is largely overshadowed by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Biden signed into law on August 16, 2022. This policy marks a shift in the country’s attitude towards global warming, and is the most significant climate plan to be enacted since the Clean Air Act of 1970 and its subsequent updates. The IRA comprises sweeping reforms on healthcare and tax, as well as on clean energy and environmental agendas. One of its key initiatives is the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, which aims to reduce methane emissions from the petroleum and natural gas sector, providing economic incentives to facilities to modify their operations and reduce emissions, with a total budget of $1.55 billion.6 Certain facilities will also be liable to pay $900 per metric ton of methane emitted – increasing to $1,500 after two years – making it the first time the US federal government has directly imposed a charge for any GHG.7
Keeping a tab on the skies above
It is clear from these ever-tightening regulations that the petroleum and natural gas industry will need to increase its vigilance in monitoring emissions, but government agencies will also have to step up their approaches. This was identified in a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), which highlighted several issues with the current national ambient air quality monitoring system – cooperatively managed by the EPA, and state and local agencies – as well as some recommendations to improve it.8 This system provides vital information for implementing the Clean Air Act and protecting the public, including how air pollution affects human health in key locations, for example, near industrial facilities.
The GAO report found that the systems infrastructure is aging and funding is dwindling; the sensors currently in operation are outdated and often fail to supply important information on air quality, providing variable performance that reduces the quality of the data. In fact, some states have reported that some monitoring equipment – which is designed to have an operating lifetime of around seven years – is 15 to 20 years old, and EPA funding for state and local air quality management grants has decreased by about 20 percent between 2004 and 2019 after adjusting for inflation.8 Adding to the challenge is the variable source of funding between states, with some relying heavily on federal funds, others on state or local capital, or even fees and penalties. In response, the GAO recommends establishing an ‘asset management’ framework to address challenges more consistently, and upgrading and modernizing the national ambient air quality monitoring system’s infrastructure. This could help to deliver reliable information to the EPA, as well as to air quality managers, researchers, and the general public.8
An arsenal of techniques
Many technologies have proven effective in accurately monitoring ambient air and analyzing its components, depending on the target gas. For example, gas chromatography is a verified analytical technique that has been used for decades, and can be employed effectively to detect methane and non-methane hydrocarbons. Other technologies used for ambient air monitoring include chemiluminescence, gas filter correlation, gas scrubbing, non-dispersive infrared spectroscopy, optically enhanced Fourier transform infrared (OE-FTIR) spectroscopy, pulsed fluorescence technology, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and UV photometry. These techniques are found in a variety of innovative instruments designed for environmental monitoring, delivering timely data on air quality and helping to ensure regulatory compliance and worker safety.
Tightening the noose on EtO
In a similar move, the EPA is proposing new, more stringent regulations on monitoring and reducing ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions. EtO is a colorless, odorless gas commonly used in the sterilization of medical products – such as artificial heart valves and catheters – or as a reaction intermediate in the production of ethylene glycol. While this compound is crucial to the medical industry, it also has carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, which has prompted the EPA to investigate the public health implications of current sterilization procedures, leading to the planned new regulations.
If implemented, this policy will affect the 86 commercial sterilizers currently operating in the U.S., as well as any new business that relies on EtO. Facilities will not only need to decrease their release of EtO by approximately 80 percent, but will also need to implement real-time monitoring methods to verify that their pollution controls are working. Data from these devices will need to be collected and reported to the EPA twice per year, giving the agency visibility over operations and assessing the effectiveness of mitigation measures. Furthermore, facilities where EtO levels surpass 10 parts per billion (ppb) will be required to establish additional safety measures for staff, including enforcing personal protective equipment (PPE) use.
Help has arrived: technologies to monitor EtO
Historically, gas chromatographs were used to monitor EtO for workplace exposure. However, the sensitivity of this technology does not allow detection of EtO below 10 ppb, making this approach insufficient to meet the stringent new requirements proposed by the EPA, where lower detection limits will be required. Fortunately, analytical techniques such as OE-FTIR spectroscopy have evolved to provide exactly this, offering sensitive, cost-effective monitoring of hazardous air pollutants. In fact, OE-FTIR technologies can detect concentrations of EtO at one ppb in real time, without the need for manual sampling. In addition, the technology offers several advantages over other detection techniques, including exceptional sensitivity, high stability, robust operation, and low cost of ownership.
Monitoring the future flow
Air pollution has reached dangerous levels across many parts of the world, accelerating climate change and impacting the health of all those in its path. Although it is seemingly impossible to unite all nations – or indeed political parties within a country – to establish a collaborative effort, policies such as the IRA provide hope and a clearer path towards net-zero ambitions. The proposed bill on tightening EtO regulations also highlights the EPA’s firm stance on improving air quality. These moves bring monitoring solutions to the fore like never before, where rapid, sensitive, robust, and reliable emissions analysis will not only help companies stay compliant, but also assist them in providing a safe and healthy environment for their employees.
References
1. Air pollution. Accessed June 23, 2023. https://www.who.int/westernpacific/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1
2. 70/1. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Preamble. Published online 2015.
3. Assembly G. A/RES/66/288*. Published online 2012.
4. China | Climate Action Tracker. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/china/
5. USA | Climate Action Tracker. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/usa/
6. Methane Emissions Reduction Program | US EPA. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/methane-emissions-reduction-program
7. Inflation Reduction Act Methane Emissions Charge: In Brief. Accessed May 25, 2023. https://crsreports.congress.gov
8. Air Pollution: Opportunities to Better Sustain and Modernize the National Air Quality Monitoring System | U.S. GAO. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-38.pdf