A solvent management plan, as per L.N. 349 of 2010, serves the following purposes:

(i) Verification of compliance with emission limit values in waste gases, fugitive emission values and total emission limit values;
(ii) Identification of future reduction options;
(iii) Enabling of the provision of information on solvent consumption, solvent emissions and compliance with the regulations to the public.

Compliance with total emission limit values may be determined through annual determination of emissions (E). Emissions may be calculated through the following equation:

Where:
E = Emissions
F = Fugitive emission
O1 = Emissions in waste gases

Fugitive emissions can be determined by applying either a ‘direct’ or an ‘indirect’ method:

(i) Direct method:

Where:
F = Fugitive emission
O2 = Output of organic solvents lost in water
O3 = Quantity of organic solvent residues remaining in product from output process
O4 = Quantity of uncaptured emissions of organic solvents to air
O9 = Organic solvents released in other ways

(ii) Indirect method:

Where:
F = Fugitive emission
I1 = The quantity of organic solvents (or quantity in preparations purchased) which are used as input into the process in the time frame over which the mass balance is being calculated.
O1 = Emissions in waste gases
O5 = Quantity of organic solvent or compounds lost due to chemical or physical reactions (e.g. by incineration)
06 = Quantity of organic solvents contained in collected waste
O7 = Quantity of organic solvents contained in preparations intended to be sold as products
O8 = Quantity of organic solvents contained in preparations recovered for reuse but not as input into the process.

N.B When using a 'direct' method to determine the fugitive emissions, the input does not influence the fugitive emissions. When using an 'indirect' method to determine the fugitive emissions (F=I1-O1-O5-O6-O7-O8), overestimating the input will mean overestimating the calculated fugitive emissions. Thus one must be very cautious on what type of equation to use when calculating fugitive emissions.

The fugitive emission (limit) value is expressed as a percentage of the solvent input I, which can be calculated according to the following equation:

Where:
I = Total input of organic solvents
I1 = The quantity of organic solvents (or quantity in preparations purchased) which are used as input into the process in the time frame over which the mass balance is being calculated.
I2 = The quantity of organic solvents (or quantity in preparations recovered and reused as solvent input into the process).

Click here to view a schematic diagram indicating the major emission sources (fugitive emissions, emissions in waste gases, etc.) in dry-cleaning installations.