PRTR stands for Pollutant Release and Transfer Register. The PRTR system was established in order to determine the "quantities of chemical substances (As of the end of April, 2000, 354 chemical substances were subject to reporting under the PRTR System, due to the high level of environmental risk they possess, based upon the relevant domestic laws & regulations, the level of carcinogenicity and the potential for exposure.) that are handled by factories and business premises (businesses) and are being released into the environment", as well as the "quantities of these chemical substances that are being disposed of as wastes (including the quantities of substances disposed of by waste treatment companies)". The aforementioned pollutant data is to be reported to the competent government offices, where it will then be compiled and later released in the appropriate form.

This information includes the locations and manners in which these chemical substances can harm human health and ecosystems, as well as the locations and quantities of wastes that are released for disposal. By utilizing the pollutant data reported by businesses, it is then possible for government offices, businesses and citizens to reduce the quantities of these chemical substances released into the environment and to minimize their adverse environmental effects.

Thus, it can be said that the PRTR system encourages both businesses and citizens to voluntarily manage and reduce the adverse effects of these chemical substances on the environment.

<Chemical Substances Subject to the PRTR System>

1. Potential harmful effects on human health: chronic inhalatory toxicity, chronic oral toxicity, carcinogenic variability, etc.
2. Potential harmful effects on flora or fauna ecosystems or their growth (ecotoxicity for aqueous organisms)
3. Chemical substances that deplete the ozone layer

<Business Premises Subject to the PRTR System>

• Businesses having 21 or more employees (on a regular basis).
  The municipal government of Tokyo has revised the pollution prevention regulations and is planning to impose reporting obligations upon small businesses having 20 or fewer employees, if they are either paint manufacturing factories or coating operation factories.
• Business premises that handle any designated chemical substances in quantities of 1 ton / year or more.
  However, for Class 1 Carcinogenic Chemical Substances, the quantities are 0.5 t / year or more.

<Products Subject to the PRTR System>

Products that contain 1% or more of any Class I Designated Chemical Substance (and products that contain 0.1% or more of any Class 1 Carcinogenic Chemical Substance.)

<Chemical Substances Not Subject to the PRTR System>

1. Products that are distributed, sold or otherwise provided in a sealed state and packaged in containers.
2. Products that contain chemical substances that are used under sealed conditions, such as freezers and capacitors.
3. Products that do not melt or evaporate during the handling processes, such as tanks, assembly components, film sheets, etc.
4. Products that have been previously sold and recycled.

<Information About Organizations to Which PRTR Reports Should be Submitted>

• Report Subject: The environmental medium (atmosphere, water sources, soils, etc.)
• Reporting Obligation: Manufacturers of products / business premises that utilize products / waste treatment companies
• Reporting Unit: Each individual business premise
• Report to: Competent municipal government offices
• Reporting Method: Each business premise shall summarize the data for each chemical substance.

<Reporting Details>

1. Quantities of designated chemical substances handled
2. Quantities of designated chemical substances released: atmosphere: water sources (public water resources, sewage systems): soil: quantities of designated chemical substances transferred as waste
3. Quantities of designated chemical substances disposed of by a business premise into a landfill located on its own site.
4. Quantities of designated chemical substances transferred in waste for recycling

<PRTR Reporting Model>

<MSDS>

The term MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheet (chemical substance safety data sheet). The MSDS contains information provided by the supplier, which pertains to the risks and harmfulness of the particular chemical substance, for the benefit of parties who may be handling the substance.

The MSDS contains the following data: quantities of chemical substances handled (designated by the PRTR Law); the characteristics of the chemical substances concerned, which are used as a basis for the calculation of the quantity released, as well as other information pertaining to the handling of such chemical substances. The manufacturer is obligated to provide the MSDS, under the Law concerning the Examination and Regulation of Manufacture, etc. of Chemical Substances.

(Reply from: Owell Corporation)

We shall provide separate answers to your questions for wastewater treatment systems and for exhaust air treatment systems.

(1) Wastewater Treatment Systems

(1)-1. Precautions to Take When Selecting a Wastewater Treatment System

In order to select the most appropriate treatment method, it is important to conduct a quality analysis on the polluted water, in order to determine whether the pollution is organic or inorganic. Wastewater derived from a coating facility can be of complex composition. Therefore, the most effective treatment methods utilize a physical / scientific treatment in conjunction with a biochemical treatment. When selecting the method of treatment, it is recommended that careful consideration be given to whether a well-balanced combination of the following factors are present:

1. A stable water quality can be obtained, as required (i.e.: values specified by regulation are met).
2. Only minimal amounts of both power and chemical reagents are utilized, thus saving both energy and money.
3. Easy to operate and manage, with no production of unpleasant odors or noises.
4. Requires a small amount of installation space and has minimal construction costs.

(1)-2. The following types of wastewater are commonly handled by coating facility wastewater treatment systems:

(1)-2-1. Treated Water from Degreasing / Chemical Conversion During the Pretreatment Process

1. Wastewater Discharged During the Degreasing Process
   The main constituents of wastewater from the degreasing process are oils and high amounts of COD. Chemical treatments using aluminum salts or ferric salts are utilized to treat this type of wastewater.
2. Wastewater Discharged During the Chemical Conversion Process
   Treatment for the wastewater discharged from the chemical conversion process targets the zinc and iron released from film treatment agents, the oils rinsed into the water from the degreasing process and surfactants. A coagulation treatment using ferric chloride or similar chemical substances is utilized to treat this type of wastewater.

(1)-2-2. Wastewater from the Washing of Electrodeposition Equipment

Water used for rinsing contains some of the resins, pigments, amines and solvents that were contained within the coating material. A coagulating sedimentation method, together with activated sludge, are utilized to treat the wastewater derived from the washing of electrodeposition equipment.

(1)-2-3. Wastewater from Booth Circulating Water

The BOD content in booth circulating water will continue to increase, due to the solubilization of resin content, unless paint sludge is continuously removed. Therefore, it is necessary to remove paint sludge before the resin content becomes solubilized. The level of water contamination that can be treated is up to 600 ppm for BOD and up to 150 ppm for COD. Paint sludge recovery methods can be roughly classified into the flotation method and the dispersion method. These methods are compared in the table below:

<Note>

1. For determining the most appropriate recovery method, a matching test must be performed with the paint sludge and the chemical agent.
2. Blow down water from the abovementioned sludge recovery equipment, having a reduced SS concentration, is allowed to pass through the neutralizing tank and is then treated using pressure floatation.

(2) Exhaust Air Treatment Equipment

(2)-1. Exhaust Air Treatment for Drying Ovens

The drying ovens used to cure coatings actually bake the coating film, therefore certain solvents and resin components in the coating decompose into tars during the drying process, adversely affecting the quality of the film. As well, fumes from discharged exhaust air and unpleasant odors eventually become pollution. For treating unpleasant odors, tar is decomposed into carbon dioxide and water at a temperature of 750 °C or higher, with a reaction time of 0.5 - 0.7 seconds.

(2)-1-1. Exhaust Air Treatment Methods and Special Features, for Drying Ovens

Traditionally, the direct combustion method and the catalytic oxidation method have been utilized for the treatment of the exhaust air from drying ovens. However, these methods each have their own shortcomings, such as the large exhaust losses that occur with the direct combustion method and equipment deterioration due to catalyst poisoning with the catalytic oxidation method. Therefore, the use of the RTO has become more common in recent years, as it achieves greater rates of heat recovery and has better pollution-reducing effects. When the direct combustion method is used, the exhaust temperature is approximately 50 °C higher than the temperature of the oven. However, when an RTO is used, the exhaust temperature is approximately 50 °C lower than the temperature of the oven. This difference is equivalent to approximately 15% of the entire amount of energy consumed by the oven, thus providing large energy savings.

In conventional facilities, the quantities of air supplied and exhausted are both constant, even when the quantity of production output is reduced. Therefore, at the time of reduced production output, the energy consumption per product actually increases. The direct combustion method utilizes a blowerless burner, thus limiting the fluctuations in the quantities of exhaust air. However, the RTO enables the fluctuations in the quantities of exhaust air to be controlled over a wide range. This is one of the strengths of using an RTO.

A comparison among several exhaust air treatment methods for drying ovens is shown below.

(2)-2. Treatment for Exhaust Air from Booths

Traditionally, coating factories in Japan have been operated without stringent regulation and strict laws. Meanwhile, in Europe and the US, new coating materials that incorporate environmentally friendly features, such as high solids coating materials, water-borne paints and powder coating materials, have been developed under stringent VOC regulations. As well, carbon filters that have been developed in Japan are widely utilized in both Europe and the US. The calculation of the VOCs contained within exhaust air is usually performed to determine the quantity of VOCs released per treated area of product (i.e., electrodeposition area) (g/m²). Currently, the European standards of 30 - 40 g/m² are used for VOCs released.

(2)-2-1. Carbon Filters

If building a new coating factory, it is possible to install the latest facilities to properly handle new coating materials. However, in older factories, it is necessary to reduce the quantities of VOCs released, usually by using carbon filters. Carbon filters are composed of pulp-processed activated carbon fiber that is made into honeycomb shaped units.

(2)-2-2. Problems and Remedies for Odors from Booth Air Exhaust

There are two types of unpleasant odors derived from coating booth air exhaust; the odor of the solvent and a second, putrid odor (odorous components of water splashed from the scrubber). The putrid odor is caused by butyric acid and valerianic acid produced by the bacteria that grow in the circulating water within the booth. The preventative measures for this type of putrid odor are as follows:

1. Early Removal of Paint Sludge from the Circulating Water
   Bacteria growth may occur if paint sludge that contains solvent is allowed to remain in the separation tank or scrubber. Therefore, the paint sludge should be removed at an early stage.
2. Quality Management Booth for Circulating Water
   The addition of NaOH to the circulating water until the pH has been increased to a level near "8", will render butyric acid non-volatile, thus decreasing the amount of unpleasant odor produced.

(2)-2-3. Dust Pollution from Booth Exhaust Air and Remedies

1 - 2% of all oversprayed paint will be present in booth exhaust air, even after it has passed through the scrubber. The concentration will usually be 0.5 mg/m³ or less in calibration zones. However, in automatic equipment zones, where large quantities of paint are utilized, the concentration is usually 2 - 3 mg/m³. In booths where the quantities of paint used are even greater, the level of concentration can reach 10 - 15 mg/m³. The dust present in exhaust air may directly result in dust pollution, such as dust falling onto automobiles parked in parking lots, or dust adhering to laundry hanging from clotheslines in nearby residential areas.

As well, this dust indirectly increases dust filtration costs for the pretreatment process for carbon filter treatment, one of the countermeasures for VOCs, by making the treatment itself more difficult to actually perform. Measures to decrease the amount of dust in exhausted air are shown below.

1. Decreasing Paint Overspray
   Selecting the most appropriate coating method, equipment and guns can minimize the quantity of overspray.
2. Improving the Efficiency of the Scrubber
   The type of coating material and the pressure losses within the scrubber determine the scrubbing efficiency. It is important to perform daily maintenance, in order to ensure that that scrubber is never left to operate with a shortage of water. If the amount of water in the vicinity of the scrubber inlet drops by 1/3, then the dust concentration in the air exhaust will double. As well, in order to decrease the quantity of dust in air exhaust, it is important to have good performance for water drainage elimination, after the air has passed through the scrubber.
3. Dust Collection Using Air Exhaust Filters
   Although the exhausted air dust at the scrubber outlet has a small particle size, approximately 2 μm on average, these particles will adhere to the rotor of the exhaust fan and eventually become larger. These larger dust particles will subsequently be ripped from the rotor due to centrifugal forces and re-dispersed, thus eventually causing dust pollution. As these particles are relatively large, they can be collected using a coarse dust filter. The filter should be installed either at the outlet side of the exhaust fan, or at the final exhaust outlet.

(Reply from: Taikisha Ltd.)

Please consult with the organizations listed in the "List of Contacts for Environmental Administration Classified by National Municipalities" and the "Directory of Regular Members of the National Federation of Industrial Waste Management Associations". This information has been provided as a reference for "Equipment & Systems Used for Environmental Measures" in the "Handbook of New Coating Operations", published by our association.

(Reply from: Asahi Sunac Corporation)

1. Measures to Reduce Noise

1. In some cases, the sound transmitted from the outdoor air intake gallery side of the air supply fan for the booth ventilation system may cause noise pollution for residents living in the vicinity of a factory. These noises can be prevented by installing soundproof walls in front of the gallery and by changing the orientation of the outdoor intake port in a manner such that it draws air in from the underneath. To reduce noise for the booth operator, a silencer can be installed at the fan outlet port.
2. Noises caused by the dripping of booth circulating water from the water pathways: These types of noises can be reduced by installing soundproof walls or by changing the direction of the dripping action.
3. Noises from moving conveyor chains: For the operator of a coating factory, the regular noises emitted from conveyor chains can become annoying. The use of chainless friction conveyors is recommended, as their driving mechanisms are quiet and do not produce noises when operating.

2. Energy Conservation Measures

Any energy conservation measures that act to decrease power consumption or reduce the usage of heating or cooling sources, will also therefore result in reduced CO₂ emissions. Therefore, any such measures can be considered as countermeasures for global environmental issues.

(Reply from: Taikisha Ltd.)

Since the amount of energy used within the coating booths accounts for approximately 60% of the entire energy consumption of a coating factory, the greatest conservation effects can be achieved if the implementation of energy conservation measures is initiated beginning at the booths. Shown below are the critical factors involved with the energy conservation measures used in each system.

(1) Coating Booths

1. Coating Booths
   • Shortening the process by using improved coating methods (i.e.: the use of automatic spray operations and bell spray equipment) and decreasing the volume of air exhaust.
   • Using an inverter for an air exhaust fan, using a scrubber with a low amount of pressure loss.
2. Air Conditioning
   • Recycling of exhausted air, changing the heat source (steam → direct gas flame), taking advantage of waste heat, reducing the requirement for using air conditioning

(2) Drying Ovens

1. Conveyor Equipment:
   Using lightweight jigs, carriages and conveyors
2. Burners:
   Changing the fuel type used (oil → LPG → LNG), using energy saving burners.
   Using paints that can be baked at low temperatures, controlling temperatures in accordance with each production process.
   
3. Exhaust Air Treatment Equipment:
   Changing the method from direct combustion method → regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO), using an inverter for an air exhaust fan
4. Cooling Equipment:
   Using an inverter for an air supply / exhaust fan

(3) Pretreatment Equipment

1. Treatment Temperature:
   Usage of low temperature chemical agents
2. Structure of Main Unit:
   Minimizing the aperture area in order to reduce the loss of exhaust air from the aperture

(4) Electrodeposition Equipment

1. Paint Circulation Pump:
   Using an inverter to facilitate intermittent operation during line stoppage

(Reply from: Taikisha Ltd.)