1ENERGYCHAPTER 3

SOLVENT AND OTHER
PRODUCT USE

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RGY

33.1

SOLVENT AND OTHER PRODUCT USE

Overview
Solvents and related compounds are important for greenhouse gas (GHG) and otheremission inventories because they are a significant source of emissions of non-methane
volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). No other GHGs are emitted in significant
amounts from the use of solvents and related compounds, which include chemicalcleaning substances used in dry cleaning, printing, metal degreasing, and a variety ofindustrial applications as well as household use. Also included in this category are paints,lacquers, thinners and related materials used in coatings in a variety of industrial,commercial and household applications. Table 3-1 lists some of the potentially important
subcategories included under this source category.
This category also includes evaporative emissions of greenhouse gases arising from othertypes of product use. This included, for example, N2O emissions from medical use.
Emissions arising from the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in applications likerefrigeration, air conditioning, fire extinguishers, solvents foam-blowing, cooling andaerosols should be reported in Industrial Processes under category 2F.
All of the substances included here contain significant amounts of NMVOC. Emissions areproduced through evaporation of the volatile chemicals when these products are exposed
to air. Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) are often emitted insignificant quantities from evaporation during the variety of dispersed activities discussedabove. These emissions are sometimes referred to as "area" sources because they occur
in large numbers of small dispersed applications, rather than from large centralised
industrial processes (or "point" sources).
Solvent and other product use is treated as a separate category in detailed inventory
procedures (e.g., CORINAIR) because the nature of this area source requires asomewhat different approach to emissions estimation than that used for calculating otheremissions categories. The IPCC Guidelines treats the category separately for this reason.

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SOLVENT AND OTHER PRODUCT USE

3.2

NMVOC Emissions from Solvent and OtherProduct Use
NMVOC emissions estimates are characterised by high uncertainty. This is especially true
for the solvent use source category on a global scale. The contribution of this source
category is believed to be quite significant. A preliminary analysis estimated total global
NMVOC release from solvent use to be about 11 per cent of total NMVOC emissions(Watson, et al., 1991).
Based on national GHG emissions inventories, NMVOC emissions from these sources
can represent a much larger share of the total NMVOC emissions for some countries.
NMVOC from solvent use represents 31 per cent of the total NMVOC emissions forboth Italy and Denmark. (ENEA, 1991, Fenger et al., 1990) The Netherlands estimates
solvent use to account for 25 per cent, and both Finland and the United States estimate
emissions to be 24 per cent of their total NMVOC emissions (van den Born et al., 1991,Boström et al., 1992, US EPA, 1991). By contrast, emissions from solvent use in Nigeria
were only 3 per cent of the total NMVOC (Obioh et al., 1992).

3.2.1 Estimating Emissions
The wide variations in national emissions from solvent and other product use highlightthe differences in their use between countries and some of the difficulties associated withaccurately estimating emissions from these sources.
There are two basic approaches to estimation of emissions from Solvent and Other
Product Use, which depend on the availability of data on the activities producing
emissions and the emission factors.
1

Production-based - In some cases, solvent or coating use is associated withcentralised industrial production activities, such as automobile and ship production,
textile manufacture, paper coating, chemical products manufacture, etc. In thesecases it is generally possible to develop NMVOC emission factors based on unit ofproduct output. These are based on the amount of paint, solvents, or otherchemically volatile products consumed per unit of production of the final products.
Once reasonable factors are developed it is straightforward to estimate annualemissions based on production data which are generally available on an annual basis
for most countries. Industrial production data is also compiled and published byinternational organisations (e.g., United Nations, 1992) and these data can be usedto supplement locally available data.

2Consumption-based - In many applications of paints, solvents and similar
products, the end uses are too small-scale, diverse, and dispersed to be tracked
directly. Therefore emissions estimates are generally based on total consumption(i.e., sales) of the solvents, paints, etc. used in these applications. The assumption isthat once these products are sold to end users, they are applied and emissions
produced relatively rapidly. For most surface coating and general solvent use, thisapproach is used. Emission factors are developed based on the likely ultimate releaseof NMVOC to the atmosphere per unit of product consumed. These emission
factors can then be applied to sales data for the specific solvent or paint products.

The IPCC/OECD joint programme has not produced any original work on estimation ofNMVOCs from the use of these products. This is for two reasons. First, NMVOC is agreenhouse gas (actually a class of gases) covered under the programme, but it has been

3.2

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assigned a lower priority for national experts just initiating greenhouse gas inventory
work. Most methods development work within the IPCC/OECD programme has focusedon providing methods and default information for the first priority gases - CO2, CH4, andN2O, which are direct greenhouse gases. Second, NMVOCs are among the gases alreadyunder heavy scrutiny in national and international inventory programmes because of theirrole as local and regional air pollutants. Hence there is a large and growing body ofliterature containing guidance on estimation procedures and emission factors for
NMVOCs from a number of source categories, including from solvents and otherproducts.
National experts who are already familiar with these procedures and have emissions data
available or under development, should report these data to the IPCC/OECD
programme, as discussed in Volume 1: Reporting Instructions.
Other experts needing information should consult the existing major references such as:•Default Emission Factor Handbook (EEATF, 1992);•US EPA's Compilation of Air Pollutant Emissions Factors (AP-42) (US EPA, 1985)
and Supplement F (AP-42) (US EPA, 1993);•Criteria Pollutant Emission Factors for the 1985 NAPAP Emissions Inventory(Stockton and Stelling, 1987).

•Proceedings of the TNO/EURASAP Workshop (TNO Inst. of EnvironmentalSciences, 1993).

•EMER/CORINAIR (1996) Joint Emission Inventory Guidebook (1st edition).

3.2.2 Uncertainties
Because NMVOC emission controls vary widely throughout the world, it is important fornational experts to account for the level of emission control application in their country.
Also, there may be significant differences among countries regarding the processes andequipment used. These differences can affect the level of NMVOC emissions. Finally,
because estimates based on consumption data provide only an approximation of theactivities associated with the manufacture of all products within a particular subcategory,there is a degree of uncertainty in the estimates (Watson, et al., 1991).

TABLE 3-1
POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT SUBCATEGORIES INCLUDED UNDER SOLVENT AND OTHER PRODUCT USE
Surface coating (e.g., painting) operations

Applications of paints, lacquer, enamel and primer to cans, wood
products, metal parts, buildings, etc. Use of thinning solvents.

Paper coating operations

Coating operations, mixing and use of thinning solvents.

Printing and Publishing

Press operations, lithography, use of thinning solvents.

General Solvent Use

Vapour degreasing, dry cleaning, textile manufacture, household
solvent use.

Production of Automobiles and Trucks

Surface coating, cleaning/degreasing operations.

Ship building

Surface coating, cleaning/degreasing operations.

Chemical Products Manufacture and Processing

Solvents are used in a variety of applications in the manufacturing ofchemicals and chemical products.

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3.3

ReferencesBoström, S., R. Backman, M. Hupa (1992), Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Finland 1988 and1990, Energy, Industrial, and Transport Activities. Published by Innsinööritoimisto
Prosessikemia, Finland.
EMEP/CORINAIR (1996), Joint Atmospheric Emission Inventory Guidebook (1st Edition).
EEATF (1992), Default Emission Factor Handbook.
ENEA (1991), National Emission Inventories of SOx, NOx, NMVOCs, CO, TSP, NH3, CH4, CO2,
N2O in Italy, 1985-1989, Italy.
Fenger, J., J. Fenhann, N. Kilde (1990), Danish Budget for Greenhouse Gases. Nordic Councilof Ministers, Copenhagen, Denmark, Nord 1990:97.
Obioh, I.B., A.F. Oluwole, F.A. Akeredolu (1992), “The methodology and status ofgreenhouse gases (GHG) inventory In Nigeria: 1988 inventory results.” Paper
presented at the IPCC/OECD Workshop on National Inventories of GHGs, Hadley
Centre, Bracknell, UK.
Stockton M.B., and J.H.E. Stelling (1987), Criteria Pollutant Emission Factors for the 1985
NAPAP Emissions Inventory. US EPA Washington, Ouverage, EPA-600/7-87-015
XV-211.
TNO Institute of Environmental Sciences (1993), Proceedings of the TNO/EURASAP
Workshop on the Reliability of VOC Emission Databases. Edited by H.P. Baars, P.J.H.
Builtjes, M.P.J. Pulles, C. Veldt, IMW-TNO Publication P 93/040, Delft, TheNetherlands.
United Nations (1992), United Nations Statistical Yearbook. United Nations StatisticalOffice, New York, US.
US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards(1985), Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors (Fourth Edition), Volume I:
Stationary Point and Area Sources. EPA-AP-42 (GPO 055-000-00251-7), ResearchTriangle Park.
US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (1991)
National Air Pollutant Emission Estimates 1940-1989. EPA-450/4-91-004, ResearchTriangle Park.
US Environmental Protection Agency (1993), Office of Air Quality Planning andStandards. 1985. Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors, Volume I: Stationary
Point and Area Sources. EPA-AP-42, Supplement F.
van den Born, G.J., A.F. Bouwman, J.G.J. Olivier, and R.J. Swart (1991), The Emission ofGreenhouse Gases in the Netherlands (Report no. 222901003). National Instituteof Public Health and Environmental Protection, The Netherlands.
Watson, J.J., J.A. Probert and S.D. Picot (1991), Global Inventory of Volatile Organic
Compound Emissions from Anthropogenic Sources. Prepared for the Office of
Research and Development, US EPA, Washington, D.C., US.

3.4

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