Measuring Particle Size and Concentration Emissions from Electroplating Processes

摘要

Since chromium is one of the 11 metals specifically regulated under the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA), emissions from chromium plating facilities are regulated closely by the state and federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Allowable emissions are typically measured in milligrams of chromium (hexavalent plus trivalent) per ampere-hour (A-hr) of plating bath operation. With the 1990 amendments to the CAA, the allowable chromium emission rate has decreased substantially. In the San Francisco Bay Area, allowable emissions range between 0.006 and 0.15 mg/A-hr, depending on the amount of plating activity. Large plating operations that produce greater amounts of chromium metal per year are typically regulated to the most stringent levels.