Distr.
GENERAL

UNEP/OzL.Pro.12/INF/4
3 November 2000

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

TWELFTH MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO
THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL ON
SUBSTANCES THAT DEPLETE
THE OZONE LAYER

Ouagadougou, 11-14 December 2000

Item 3 (g) of the provisional agenda for the preparatory segment*

The Secretariat is circulating herewith an update on the availability of alternatives for ozone-depleting substances as per the request in paragraph 2 of decision X/19 of the Tenth Meeting of the Parties on exemptions for laboratory and analytical uses.

Introduction: TEAP has previously determined that it is no longer technically and economically necessary to exempt uses of ODSs for use in water quality testing typically required by environmental authorities.

This memo lists available documentation of the United States Environmental Test Method 1664 and International Standards Organization (ISO) standards now undergoing review or approval. TEAP invites experts worldwide to submit additional documentation to the Secretariat.

U. S. EPA Method 1664 is used to extract oil and grease from water. The following listings can be found on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ost/methods/oil.html:

1. Analytical Method Guidance for EPA Method 1664A Implementation and Use (40CFR part 136 in the Federal Register).

2. Method 1664, Revision A: N-Hexane Extractable Material (HEM; Oil and Grease) and Silica Gel Treated N-Hexane Extractable Material (SGT-HEM; Non-polar Material) by Extraction and Gravimetry.

3. Approval of EPA Methods 1664, Revision A, and 9071B for Determination of Oil and Grease and Non-polar Material in EPA's Wastewater and Hazardous Waste Programs.

The 1999 U.S. Federal Register lists the final rule that approved Method 1664 under 40 CFR Parts 136 and 260: Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Oil and Grease and Non-Polar Material Under the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act--Final Rule.

This notice is located at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html. From this page, click on the 1999 Federal Register; enter the release date as 05/14/1999, and search for "Oil, Grease, and Water."

The work leading up to this method is summarised in the article: Kvernheim, A.L., Lund, H.S., Berg, B., de Pauw, E., Eppe, G., and M. Chtaib. 1999. Development of a new hydrocarbon index for oil in water. Chemosphere (39): 2702-2722.

Reference to work of the technical committees responsible for these documents can be located on the ISO website at http://www.iso.ch/techworke/TechProg.pdf.

NEN 6671 for testing high concentrations using petroleum ether as the extraction media

NEN 6672 for low concentrations using petroleum ether as the extraction media

European project to develop a new standardised "hydrocarbon index" method for oil in water (StOIW), SINTEF, Norway, A.L. Kvernheim, Co-ordinator, Final report EC-Contract No. SMT4-CT96-2090

Denmark uses ozone-depleting substances to test that hydrocarbons in drinking water do not exceed the environmental limit (10 ppb). In the coming year, Denmark plans to undertake further investigations of alternative testing methods.

Furthermore, the Oslo & Paris Commissions still requires the use of CFC113 or Carbon tetrachloride for extraction followed by infrared absorption measurement at specified wavelengths. Hexane is not appropriate for this technique because it absorbs infrared light at the same wavelengths and testing authorities have so far have not calibrated appropriate alternative solvents for this purpose.

Alternatives for ODSs Used to Extract Oil and Grease From Water (continued)

Parties may wish to consider the advantage of ending the global exemption for use of ozone-depleting substances used in water quality testing with the expectation that the few remaining users will apply for specific essential use exemptions. This action would require users of ozone-depleting substances to satisfy the criteria of Decision IV/25, particularly that:

"...there are no available technically and economically feasible alternatives or substitutes that are acceptable from the standpoint of environment and health;" (IV/25, a, ii), and that "...all economically feasible steps have been taken to minimise the essential use and any associated emission of the controlled substances;" (IV/25, b, i).