TA Luft
Encyclopedia
Germany has a well known air pollution
control regulation
titled "Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control" (Technische Anleitung zur Reinhaltung der Luft) and commonly referred to as the TA Luft. The first version of the TA Luft was established in 1964. It has subsequently been revised in 1974, 1983, 1988 and 2002. Parts of the TA Luft have been adopted by other countries as well.
In 1974, 10 years after the TA Luft was first established, the German government enacted the "Federal Air Pollution Control Act" (Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz). It also has subsequently been amended a number of times, the last of which was in 2002. Although the first version of the TA Luft existed 10 years before the enactment of the "Federal Air Pollution Control Act", it is often called the "First General Administrative Regulation" pertaining to the "Federal Air Pollution Control Act".
The German government created the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
(Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit) in June, 1986 and it is now responsible for implementing the TA Luft regulation under the "Federal Air Pollution Control Act".
For those who are interested, the full text of the TA Luft is available on the Internet.
is an atmospheric dispersion model
for simulating the dispersion of air pollutants in the ambient atmosphere
. It was developed by Ingenieurbüro Janicke in Dunum, Germany under contract to the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Although not named in the TA Luft, it is the reference dispersion model accepted as being in compliance with the requirements of Annex 3 of the TA Luft and the pertinent VDI Guidelines.
It simulates the dispersion of air pollutants by utilizing a random walk
process (Lagrangian simulation model
) and it has capabilities for building effects
, complex terrain, pollutant plume
depletion by wet or dry deposition
, and first order chemical reactions. It is available for download on the Internet free of cost.
Austal2000G is a similar model for simulating the dispersion of odours and it was also developed by Ingenieurbüro Janicke. The development of Austal 2000G was financed by three German states: Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Baden-Württemberg.
www.crcpress.com
www.air-dispersion.com
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
control regulation
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
titled "Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control" (Technische Anleitung zur Reinhaltung der Luft) and commonly referred to as the TA Luft. The first version of the TA Luft was established in 1964. It has subsequently been revised in 1974, 1983, 1988 and 2002. Parts of the TA Luft have been adopted by other countries as well.
In 1974, 10 years after the TA Luft was first established, the German government enacted the "Federal Air Pollution Control Act" (Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz). It also has subsequently been amended a number of times, the last of which was in 2002. Although the first version of the TA Luft existed 10 years before the enactment of the "Federal Air Pollution Control Act", it is often called the "First General Administrative Regulation" pertaining to the "Federal Air Pollution Control Act".
The German government created the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Nuclear safety
Nuclear safety covers the actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences. This covers nuclear power plants as well as all other nuclear facilities, the transportation of nuclear materials, and the use and storage of nuclear materials for medical, power,...
(Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit) in June, 1986 and it is now responsible for implementing the TA Luft regulation under the "Federal Air Pollution Control Act".
Overview of the TA Luft
The TA Luft is a comprehensive air pollution control regulation that includes:- A discussion of the scope of the TA Luft application, which is to review applications for licenses to construct and operate new industrial facilities (or altered existing facilities) and to determine whether the proposed new or altered facilities will comply with the requirements of the TA Luft and the requirements of other air pollutant emission regulations promulgated under the Federal Air Pollution Control Act.
- Air pollutant emission limits for dustDustDust consists of particles in the atmosphere that arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind , volcanic eruptions, and pollution...
, sulfur dioxideSulfur dioxideSulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
, nitrogen oxides, hydrofluoric acidHydrofluoric acidHydrofluoric acid is a solution of hydrogen fluoride in water. It is a valued source of fluorine and is the precursor to numerous pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine and diverse materials such as PTFE ....
and other gaseous inorganic fluorineFluorineFluorine is the chemical element with atomic number 9, represented by the symbol F. It is the lightest element of the halogen column of the periodic table and has a single stable isotope, fluorine-19. At standard pressure and temperature, fluorine is a pale yellow gas composed of diatomic...
compounds, arsenicArsenicArsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
and inorganic arsenic compounds, leadLeadLead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
and inorganic lead compounds, cadmiumCadmiumCadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
and inorganic cadmium compounds, nickelNickelNickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
and inorganic nickel compounds, mercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
and inorganic mercury compounds, thalliumThalliumThallium is a chemical element with the symbol Tl and atomic number 81. This soft gray poor metal resembles tin but discolors when exposed to air. The two chemists William Crookes and Claude-Auguste Lamy discovered thallium independently in 1861 by the newly developed method of flame spectroscopy...
and inorganic thallium compounds, ammoniaAmmoniaAmmonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
from farming and livestock breeding operations, inorganic gases and particulatesParticulatesParticulates – also known as particulate matter , suspended particulate matter , fine particles, and soot – are tiny subdivisions of solid matter suspended in a gas or liquid. In contrast, aerosol refers to particles and/or liquid droplets and the gas together. Sources of particulate matter can be...
, organicOrganic chemistryOrganic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
substances and others.
- Emission limits may also be set for hazardous, toxic, carcinogenic or mutagenic substances as part of the TA Luft review procedures.
- Other limits or requirements related to stack heights (for flue gases or other process vents) and for storing, loading or working with liquid or solid substances.
- Various requirements for sampling measuring and monitoring emissions.
- Listing of the industries subject to the requirements of the TA Luft, such as miningMiningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, electric power generation, glassGlassGlass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
and ceramics, steelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, aluminum and other metals, chemical plantChemical plantA chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use special equipment,...
s, oil refiningOil refineryAn oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
, plastics, food, and others.
- Annex 3 is devoted to guidelines on: how the atmospheric dispersion modelingAtmospheric dispersion modelingAtmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion...
required during the TA Luft review is to be performed, and the acceptable type of dispersion model to be used. In essence, the modeling must be in accordance with the VDIVerein Deutscher IngenieureVerein Deutscher Ingenieure is an organization of 139,000 engineers and natural scientists.Established in 1856, the VDI is today the largest engineering association in Western Europe....
Guidelines 3782 Parts 1 and 2, 3783 Part 8, 3784 Part 2, and 3945 Part 3.
For those who are interested, the full text of the TA Luft is available on the Internet.
AUSTAL2000
AUSTAL2000AUSTAL2000
Austal2000 is an atmospheric dispersion model for simulating the dispersion of air pollutants in the ambient atmosphere. It was developed by Ingenieurbüro Janicke in Dunum, Germany under contract to the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety...
is an atmospheric dispersion model
Atmospheric dispersion modeling
Atmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion...
for simulating the dispersion of air pollutants in the ambient atmosphere
Earth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
. It was developed by Ingenieurbüro Janicke in Dunum, Germany under contract to the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Although not named in the TA Luft, it is the reference dispersion model accepted as being in compliance with the requirements of Annex 3 of the TA Luft and the pertinent VDI Guidelines.
It simulates the dispersion of air pollutants by utilizing a random walk
Random walk
A random walk, sometimes denoted RW, is a mathematical formalisation of a trajectory that consists of taking successive random steps. For example, the path traced by a molecule as it travels in a liquid or a gas, the search path of a foraging animal, the price of a fluctuating stock and the...
process (Lagrangian simulation model
Air pollution dispersion terminology
Air pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...
) and it has capabilities for building effects
Air pollution dispersion terminology
Air pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...
, complex terrain, pollutant plume
Air pollution dispersion terminology
Air pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...
depletion by wet or dry deposition
Air pollution dispersion terminology
Air pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...
, and first order chemical reactions. It is available for download on the Internet free of cost.
Austal2000G is a similar model for simulating the dispersion of odours and it was also developed by Ingenieurbüro Janicke. The development of Austal 2000G was financed by three German states: Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Baden-Württemberg.
Further reading
For those who are unfamiliar with air pollution dispersion modelling and would like to learn more about the subject, it is suggested that either one of the following books be read:www.crcpress.com
www.air-dispersion.com
See also
- Bibliography of atmospheric dispersion modeling
- Air Quality Modeling GroupAir Quality Modeling GroupThe Air Quality Modeling Group is in the U.S. EPA's Office of Air and Radiation and provides leadership and direction on the full range of air quality models, air pollution dispersion models and other mathematical simulation techniques used in assessing pollution control strategies and the...
- Air Resources LaboratoryAir Resources LaboratoryThe Air Resources Laboratory is an air quality and climate laboratory in the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research which is an operating unit within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the UNited States...
- AP 42 Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission FactorsAP 42 Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission FactorsThe AP 42 Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors, was first published by the U.S. Public Health Service in 1968. In 1972, it was revised and issued as the second edition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . In 1985, the subsequent fourth edition was split into two volumes...
- Atmospheric dispersion modelingAtmospheric dispersion modelingAtmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion...
- List of atmospheric dispersion models
- UK Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison CommitteeUK Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison CommitteeThe UK Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison Committee is composed of representatives from UK governmental departments, agencies and research organizations as well as from non-governmental organizations and groups...
- UK Dispersion Modelling BureauUK Dispersion Modelling BureauThe UK Dispersion Modelling Bureau is part of the Met Office which is the UK's national weather and meteorological service...