Waste oil heating — clean air

One of the persistent misconceptions about the use of used oil as fuel for heating is the opinion about environmental pollution of the surrounding air. We have already given arguments to refute this view. (See article: Waste oil heating: myths and reality)

However, the fair tightening of environmental requirements by the state, local authorities and the simple desire of everyone to breathe clean air prompted us to turn to experts.

The main questions we wanted answered were:

• how harmful are smoke emissions into the atmosphere from boilers and air heaters running on waste oil?

• What is the position in this series of the equipment of the market leaders DanVex (Finland) and Energylogic (USA), with which our company works?

• What are the maximum allowable concentrations of pollutants that are regulated by Russian legislation?

For the examination of our equipment, we involved:

1. Testing laboratory of the Eastern Department of the Federal State Institution «TsLATI in the Central Federal District»
Federal State Institution «Center for Laboratory Analysis and Technical Measurements in the Central Federal District» (FGU «TsLATI for the Central Federal District»)
Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision

2. State Institution «Scientific and Production Association «TYPHOON» (GU «NPO «TYPHOON»)
Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation

Work, measurements, processing of the results was carried out in June-July 2010, even before the start of terrible fires in the Central part of Russia. In August, due to the strong smoke, such measurements would have been impossible. Used oil was taken in a regular car service (at garages) in Moscow.

As a result of studying the legislation, it turned out, and it was confirmed by experts, that at present there are no norms for maximum permissible industrial emissions in Russia. When operating heating equipment in the Russian Federation, it is customary to use European emission standards, which allow for a maximum one-time emission. When conducting the study, European standards were taken as a basis, and there, as you know, they monitor the environment.

Practical studies were divided into 3 parts:

• sampling to determine the presence of exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations (MAC) of pollutants in the atmospheric air: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen chloride (HCL), dust, soot; near the operating heating equipment (5 meters from the chimney);

• quantitative and chemical analysis of industrial emissions of pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen chloride (HCL), fuel oil ash, soot, hydrochloric acid. Place of sampling — chimneys of heating equipment;

• specialized sampling and exhaust gas analysis for heavy metals, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DF), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), including toxic planar dioxin-like biphenyls and 20 polyaromatic compounds (PAHs).

By total the content of pollutants in gas emissions, EnergyLogic and DanVex heating equipment absolutely meets all European and, consequently, Russian safety requirements. According to the results of measurements, the concentrations of the determined components of pollutants in the atmospheric air in the samples do not exceed the maximum permissible concentrations.

For example:

• dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in flue gases in the chimney of the EnergyLogic EL-340H air heater is 0.277 pg/m³, while the European norm is not more than 100 pg/m³;

• according to European standards, the total content of heavy metals in the exhaust gases of heating equipment should not exceed 1 mg / m³ for the following metals: the sum of Pb + Cr + Ni + Cu + Co + V + As + Mn — less than 1 mg / m³. The total content of normalized metals in the exhaust gases of the hot water boiler is 0.042 mg/m³;

• according to European standards — the content of cadmium and mercury should not exceed 0.005 mg / m³. And in the exhaust gases of the DanVex boiler:

  • cadmium content is 0.0006 mg/m³

  • mercury content below 0.0001 mg/m³

It should be noted that the concentration of most toxic substances and heavy metals is so low that modern measuring instruments showed the result «below the detection limit».

EXPERT CONCLUSION: EnergyLogic and DanVex waste oil heating equipment does not harm the environment.

Key findings (DanVex, EnergyLogic equipment):

• when burned, used oil is no more toxic than other fuels,

• smoke emissions from waste oil equipment are not harmful to humans and the environment,

• «environmentalists» cannot prohibit the use of waste oil heating equipment,

• we made the right choice when choosing equipment manufacturers.

Each client of the company can receive the results of research in the form of protocols and conclusions to them, and also be sure that by conducting such research in their region, they will receive positive results.

Source: TopClimat.ru