Characterization and dispersion of pollutant releases from the abrasive blasting of lead paint from steel bridges
The characterization of airborne and spent material for abrasive blasting of steel paint was performed as part of the Environmental Impact Statement for Lead Paint Removal Operations on New York City Department of Transportation Bridges1. Laboratory tests were performed on painted steel components of the Williamsburg Bridge, to determine the sizes of particles typically released into the air as aerosol and onto the ground as bulk material, as a result of accidental releases from abrasive blasting operations. Two of the most commonly used abrasives for paint removal on steel structures, recyclable steel grit and expendable abrasives were subjected to the laboratory tests. The results of the tests were used to determine the percentage of existing paint and abrasive which becomes airborne and the resultant particle size distributions, which were employed in the air quality concentration and deposition modeling for the EIS. Particle size distributions of the airborne material indicated that the profiles of airborne lead and particulate matter have a mean particle size between 15 and 21 microns. Spent abrasives and paint chips that settle on the floor are larger in size with a mean diameter greater than 259 microns, although up to 6% of this material has a mean diameter less than 50 microns. The percentage of paint and expendable abrasives that become airborne as a result of abrasive blasting were estimated to be as high as 9.0 and 12.4%, respectively. Potential release rates were derived for total accumulation (duration of the project), annual, quarterly, 24-hour, and 1-hour time averaging periods for abrasives, lead, and other metals. Pollutant releases were simulated as individual sources at multiple release heights with the Environment Protection Agency's ISC3ST model for six representative bridges near potential places of public exposure.
- Research Organization:
- AKRF, Inc, New York, NY (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20002228
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990608-; TRN: IM200002%%228
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Air and Waste 92nd Annual Meeting and Exhibition, St. Louis, MO (US), 06/20/1999--06/24/1999; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating Systems: Windows 3.1, '95, '98 and NT; Macintosh; and UNIX; PBD: 1999; Related Information: In: Air and Waste 92nd annual meeting and exhibition proceedings, [9500] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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