Innovative Procedures to Quantify Volatile Organic Compound Emission from Lumber Kilns, 1995 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Marvin R. Glass

MacMillan Bloedel Packaging, Inc.

David L. Elam, Jr. & Scott S.Slocum

Roy F. Weston, Inc.

The wood products industry has undertaken comprehensive emissions testing programs to fulfill information needs stemming from Title III and Title V of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). Emission testing at wood products facilities is difficult and costly because sources have not been constructed to support routine reference method test procedures. Emission testing of lumber kilns is particularly challenging because there are a variety of kiln heating options, flow measurement is complicated by the presence of numerous emission points, and concentrations of target analytes vary with the drying cycle. MacMillan Bloedel Packaging, Inc. (MBPI) developed an innovative and cost-effective approach to quantify mass emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from lumber drying operations. These procedures involved the continuous measurement of VOC concentration using EPA Method 25A and the use of simple gas laws and combustion stoichiometry to estimate volumetric flow from two types of kilns. In the case of a steam kiln, moisture lost during the drying cycle was used as the basis for volumetric flow estimations. In the case of a natural gas-fired kiln, combustion stoichiometry, along with measured moisture loss, was used to estimate volumetric flow from the kiln. Measured concentrations and calculated volumetric flow rates facilitated the calculation of VOC emission factors. These VOC emission factors were consistent with those obtained by test procedures involving modification of kiln discharges and using direct flow measurement techniques.