Pollution Prevention

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

4. Evaluate economics of pollution prevention strategies.

6. Describe pollution prevention strategies for various industries.

7. Identify best available technologies for various industries.

Reading Assignment In order to access the resources below, you must first log into the myCSU Student Portal and access the Academic Search Complete database within the CSU Online Library. Chen, J., Al-Wadei, M. H., Kennedy, C. M. & Terry, P. D. (2014). Hydraulic fracturing: Paving the way for a

sustainable future? Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 1-10. Heywood, P. (2012, April). Fracking safer and greener? TCE: The Chemical Engineer, 850, 42-45. Sinshelmer, P., Grout, C., Namkoong, A., Gottlieb, R., & Latif, A. (2007). The viability of professional wet

cleaning as a pollution prevention alternative to perchloroethylene dry cleaning. Air and Waste Management Association, 57(2), 172-178.

Taylor, D. K., Carbonell, R., & Desimone, J. M. (2000). Opportunities for pollution prevention and energy

efficiency enabled by the carbon dioxide technology platform. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, 25(1), 115-148.

Unit Lesson Unit V continues with pollution prevention in particular industries. Our focus in Unit V is on the dry cleaning industry and the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry. Though these appear as very different industries, both of them may benefit in the future from use of a common chemical substitution (a.k.a. alternative) – liquid carbon dioxide. The following is a recap of pollution prevention (P2) goals from the Unit IV lecture:

1. Eliminate waste at the source by modifying production processes. 2. Reduce waste at the source by modifying production processes. 3. Promote use of less-toxic substances. 4. Implement conservation techniques. 5. Re-use materials rather than putting them into the waste stream.

Before getting to the solution, we will learn about the problems. Dry cleaning businesses exist in nearly every city in the U.S., thus the use of less toxic chemicals would greatly help our health and the environment in which we live. The term "dry cleaning" is a bit of a misnomer. Dry cleaning actually involves soaking clothes thoroughly in a specially designed washing machine. However, instead of using water and detergent to wash the clothes, a chemical called perchloroethylene is used. The abbreviation for perchloroethylene is PCE or "perc." It is a liquid chemical. The clothes are dried in the same machine that the clothes are washed in. There is a wash cycle and a dry cycle. The process is called dry cleaning because water is not used. Please take the time to view a video on the dry cleaning process by conducting a search on "dry cleaning process" on Youtube or by using another Internet search tool.

UNIT V STUDY GUIDE

Pollution Prevention in Specific Industries –

Dry Cleaning and Hydraulic Fracturing

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 2

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Perchloroethylene has been labeled as a potential carcinogen – a cancer-causing chemical – for a long time. It is hazardous in small concentrations when inhaled as a vapor or ingested in drinking water. Furthermore, there have been many cases of soil contamination due to PCE spills. Do you remember the CERCLA law (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) passed in 1980 that we discussed in Unit I? Its purpose was to remediate contaminated sites. Unfortunately, PCE-contaminated sites are prevalent. Please conduct an Internet search on "superfund PCE sites" or a similar phrase, and you will find many resources for information. Unfortunately, a widely-accepted alternative to PCE has not been developed for the dry cleaning industry. There are various alternatives but none widely accepted. One of the articles that you will read for this unit is titled, "The Viability of Professional Wet Cleaning as a Pollution Prevention Alternative to Perchloroethylene Dry Cleaning." It discusses alternatives to PCE. In addition to finding an alternative to PCE for dry cleaning, this unit discusses hydraulic fracturing and its need for P2. Hydraulic fracturing has become extremely prevalent in the U.S. since around the year 2000 as a means to extract natural gas (and to a lesser extent petroleum liquids) from deep in the earth's shale

formations. A borehole is drilled vertically at the ground surface and can penetrate thousands of feet deep. After reaching the desired depth, the drill bit turns approximately 90 degrees and then drills horizontally for additional thousands of feet. As the hole is drilled, liquid is pumped into the well for lubrication of the drilling equipment and for removing drill cuttings (ground up shale and other rock). Then, in the horizontal portion of the borehole, explosions are made to create fractures in the shale, which allow for gases to have a pathway from the shale formation into the well. Then, a liquid/sand solution is pumped under high pressure into the well to prop open the fractures to prevent them from collapsing. Please watch a video on the process by conducting a search on "hydraulic fracturing process" on YouTube or by using another Internet search tool. One of the liquids that is pumped into the well is water. A large quantity of water is used in hydraulic fracturing as the well is drilled and developed. Proprietary chemicals, some of which are toxic, are also used in the hydraulic fracturing process. P2 opportunities are presented by reducing the amount of water and reducing the use of toxic chemicals. Two of the readings for this unit are specifically about P2 in hydraulic fracturing: "What are the Concerns about Shale Gas Production and What is Being Done about it?" and "Hydraulic Fracturing: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future?" In addition to reading articles about dry cleaning and hydraulic fracturing, you will also read an article by Kaylor et al. about carbon dioxide (CO2) technology. Since CO2 is a greenhouse gas, wouldn't it be nice to find a beneficial use for it? The article suggests that liquid CO2 is an excellent solvent. Hazardous

Wrapped and Covered Apparels

(stockimages, 2015)

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 3

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solvents are currently used for dry cleaning and hydraulic fracturing. The use of liquid CO2 presents an intriguing P2 option.

References Stockimages. (2015). Wrapped and covered apparels [Image]. Retrieved from

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Clothing_apparel_and_g60- Wrapped_And_Covered_Apparels_p105645.html

Suggested Reading Search YouTube or other Internet search site for videos about: "dry cleaning process" (or similar phrase) "hydraulic fracturing process" (or similar phrase)