Solvents and Air Quality

Introduction
Issues associated with air quality are gaining more awareness in our current environment. Whilst solvents are important to facilitate the current technical evolution, the fact is that they might emit VOCs.
As an industry group, ESIG, the European Solvents Industry Group, has been actively working on this topic for many years by engaging with authorities and solvent using downstream industries.
Timeline
Ground-level Ozone is formed by the atmospheric chemical reactions of VOCs and Nitrogen Oxides NOx in the presence of sunlight.
The current EU air quality legislation dates from the 1980s with NOx, SO2, VOCs and ozone all being subject to emission limit values and air quality targets. Since 1999, the key legislative instrument was the VOC Solvent Emission Directive, which since 2010 has been part of the current legislation. These legislative acts are reviewed periodically to take account of the latest scientific knowledge.
Role of European solvents industry in air quality improvement
ESIG has been actively engaged since its formation in 1996 in furthering the scientific and technical understanding on solvents and air quality.
In partnership with ESVOC, its solvents downstream user Coordination Group ESVOC, ESIG has innovated to achieve continuous reductions in VOC emissions from solvents in the EU-28.
Total VOC emissions in the EU have reduced since 1990 by 60%. It should be noted that mobile source VOC emissions have also been reduced substantially over the same period, which demonstrates that all Industry sectors have played their full part in reducing VOCs and so improving Ozone levels.
Ozone will further be reduced as NOx levels decline, with Motor manufacturers now addressing the need for electric and hybrid vehicles as replacements for diesel vehicles.
ESIG first initiated its inventory of VOC emissions based on real industry data in 2008 and has since updated it several times. The ESIG inventory provides information for Member States to calculate or compare their VOC emissions. After all, under the National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive, every Member State is required to report its annual emissions to the European Environmental Agency.
ESIG shares knowledge and best practices with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on emission inventories and projections, as well as on techo-economic issues related to air quality. Leading examples of innovating to reduce VOC emissions have received ESIG’s Product Stewardship Award, which has existed since 2000.
Under the Industrial Emissions Directive, Best Available Techniques (BAT) for surface treatment with organic solvents are developed. The solvents industry has been providing input to this process
ESIG has produced information factsheets on air quality to inform regulators and solvents users.
Conclusion
European ozone levels have stabilized and are now declining due to action taken by all sectors of Industry including ESIG in reducing VOC emissions.
Also, according to the ESIG inventories, VOC emissions from solvents have been stabilized over the last 7 years.
ESIG will of course continue to support and contribute to air quality research and improvements in the coming years.