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- Other environmental controls National Pollution Inventory
OverseasOnly a limited number of overseas countries and international organisations have established ambient air standards for formaldehyde, which are summarised in Table 18.1a. Table 18.1a: Overseas ambient air guidelines Country Guideline concentration (g/m3) Average period Reference WHO 100 30-minute WHO, 2000a California EPA 94 (Acute REL) 3 (Chronic REL) Not reported CEPA, 1999 New Zealand 100 30-minute ME&MH, 2002 Sweden 12-60 Annual EPA Victoria, 1999a Netherlands 120* Hourly EPA Victoria, 1999a REL = reference exposure level; *maximum permissible risk level World Health Organisation The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended a Guideline Value for formaldehyde in ambient air of 100 g/m3 (as a 30-minute average). For the case of especially sensitive groups within the general population that show hypersensitivity reactions without immunological signs, WHO recommends that formaldehyde concentrations be kept to a minimum and not exceed the guideline value. WHO state that the guideline is set to prevent significant sensory irritation in the general population, and is based on the lowest concentration of formaldehyde associated with nose and throat irritation in humans after short- term exposure (WHO, 2000a). WHO guidelines are intended as guides and are not standards in themselves. WHO notes that in moving from guidelines to standards for a particular nation or region, prevailing exposure levels and environmental, social, economic and cultural conditions should be taken into account. The guidelines are considered to protect health and safety and the guidelines do not differentiate between indoor and outdoor exposure (WHO, 2000a). United States Formaldehyde is regulated federally in the United States under the Clean Air Act (CAA), which has designated the chemical as a hazardous air pollutant (HAP). The Act imposes national emission standards for HAPs in the form of source- specific technology-based control requirements i.e., technology-based standards. These emission reduction standards are set according to what is considered financially and technologically plausible, rather than being based on safe levels determined by human toxicological data. In July 2004, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) promulgated a rule to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants, including HAP, from facilities that manufacture plywood and composite wood products (US EPA, 2004). The purpose of the rule is to protect public health by reducing emissions of HAP from these wood-based products. The rule regulates total HAP, rather than individual air pollutants, which is the sum of the emission of six primary HAPs (including formaldehyde) emitted from manufacturing of different types of plywood and composite wood products. The CAA allows for the setting of national ambient air quality standards, however, no national ambient air standard has been set for formaldehyde. Ambient air quality of formaldehyde is also regulated federally through mobile source emission controls enacted under the CAA. Formaldehyde, together with benzene and 1,3-butadiene, were singled out for consideration for studying the need and feasibility of controlling emissions of toxic air pollutants associated with motor vehicles and their fuels. Standards are to be set based on available technology, taking existing standards, costs, noise, energy and safety factors and will address at least benzene and formaldehyde (US EPA, 2003). Several states in the United States have developed ambient air quality standards and different control strategies have been implemented. For example, the California Environment Protection Agency (CEPA) has established Reference Exposure Levels (RELs) for hazardous airborne substances. For formaldehyde, the acute REL has been determined to be 94 g/m3 and is based on the protection of mild to moderate eye irritation (considered the most sensitive health endpoint) (CEPA, 1999). The acute REL is an exposure level that is not likely to cause adverse effects in a human population, including sensitive subgroups like asthmatics, for one hour on an intermittent basis. A chronic REL has been determined to be 3 g/m3 based on a NOAEL of 32 g/m3 and critical health effects of irritation, degenerative inflammatory and hyperplastic changes of the nasal mucosa in humans and animals (CEPA, 2000). Chronic RELs are intended to be protective for individuals exposed continuously over their lifetime, including periods of potentially increased susceptibility to adverse health effects, particularly during childhood and the later years of life. These RELs are then used in the health risk assessment process developed for California’s Air Toxics Hot Spot Program. The Hot Spots program aims to control point source emissions of air toxics and requires facilities, which are high priority sites determined by emissions of HAPs from individual sites, to perform detailed risk assessments which are then made available to the public (CEPA, 2002).
Formaldehyde was recently included in the list of chemicals monitored within the National Pollution Inventory (NPI) program administered by DEH. The NPI program was established in 1998 as a joint Commonwealth, state and territory initiative. Facilities using or handling more than 10 tonnes of formaldehyde are required to report their emissions to air, land and water (NPI, 2005b). DEH developed a NPI Fact Sheet for formaldehyde in 2002 and published it on their website (DEH, 2002). This document should be reviewed and updated using the data and findings of this assessment. Directory: data -> assets -> word doc -> 0006 word doc -> Commonwealth of Australia 2002 word doc -> Commonwealth of Australia 2000 word doc -> Priority Existing Chemical word doc -> Rail safety news issue 6 – October 2011 word doc -> Review of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Identifying 0006 -> Board Endorsed October 2009 amended 13-09-11 with extra units 0006 -> Rt Hon Andrew Lansley cbe mp secretary of State for Health 0006 -> Environmental Approvals Application Form Use this form Download 5.77 Mb. Share with your friends:
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