7. Emissions monitoring and limits appropriate measures
The emissions limits and appropriate measures for monitoring emissions to air and water at regulated facilities with an environmental permit for the treatment or transfer of WEEE.
We may set emission limits and monitoring requirements in your permit, based on your emissions inventory and environmental risk assessment.
Where you are required to monitor emissions to comply with the requirements of your environmental permit, you must follow our monitoring guidance when carrying this out.
You must create and maintain an inventory (emissions inventory) of point source emissions to air and water (including emissions to sewer) for your facility.
1. Your facility’s emissions inventory must include information about the relevant characteristics of point source emissions to air, such as the:
- average values and variability of flow and temperature
- average concentration and load values of relevant substances and their variability
- flammability, lower and higher explosive limits and reactivity
- presence of other substances that may affect the waste gas treatment system or plant safety – for example, oxygen, nitrogen, water vapour, dust
2. Monitoring locations must meet MCERTS standards. Monitoring must be carried out using MCERTS qualified accredited methods and MCERTS certified staff. Further guidance can be found in our guidance M1 sampling requirements for stack emissions monitoring.
3. You must carry out emissions monitoring when the plant is operating at or near to full treatment capacity. Information regarding the plant treatment processing rate and air flow rate at the time of monitoring must be recorded and submitted with the monitoring results.
4. You must monitor point source emissions to air from your treatment plant for the following substances using the monitoring standards stated. You must monitor at the frequencies stated and meet the specified emission limits unless your permit states alternative requirements.
Channelled emissions to air from all mechanical treatment of WEEE
Dust
Monitoring standard – EN 13284-1.
Frequency – every 6 months.
Emission limit – 5mg/m³ (where it is inappropriate to fit a fabric filter due to the potential effects of deflagration on the filter, the limit is 10mg/m³).
TVOC
Monitoring standard – EN 12619.
Frequency – every 6 months.
In addition, the following monitoring is required from all mechanical treatment of WEEE when the substance concerned is identified as relevant based on your facility’s emissions inventory.
Dioxin-like PCBs
Monitoring standard – EN 1948-1, -2 and -4.
Frequency – every 12 months.
PCDD/F
Monitoring standard – EN 1948-1, -2 and -3.
Frequency – every 12 months.
BFRs
Frequency – every 12 months.
Metals and metalloids excluding mercury
Monitoring standard – EN 14385.
Frequency – every 12 months.
Channelled emissions to air from the treatment of WEEE containing mercury
Total mercury
Monitoring standard – EN 13211.
Frequency – every 3 months.
Emission limit – 7µg/m³.
Periodic monitoring results should normally consist of the average value of 3 consecutive measurements of at least 30 minutes each. For some parameters, due to analytical limitations, a longer sampling period may be required.
Monitoring frequencies may be reduced if the emission levels are proven to be sufficiently stable over time.
1. Your facility’s emissions inventory must include information about the relevant characteristics of point source emissions to sewer or water, such as:
- average values and variability of flow, pH, temperature, and conductivity
- average concentration and load values of relevant substances and their variability – for example, COD (chemical oxygen demand) and TOC (total organic carbon), nitrogen species, phosphorus, metals, priority substances or micropollutants
- data on bio-eliminability – for example, BOD (biological oxygen demand), BOD to COD ratio, Zahn-Wellens test, biological inhibition potential, for example, inhibition of activated sludge
2. For relevant emissions to water or sewer identified by the emissions inventory, you must carry out monitoring of key process parameters (for example, waste water flow, pH, temperature, conductivity, or BOD) at key locations. For example, these could either be at the:
- inlet or outlet (or both) of the pre-treatment
- inlet to the final treatment
- point where the emission leaves the facility boundary
3. For the following types of discharges, you must monitor point source emissions to water or sewer for the substances listed using the monitoring standards stated. You must meet the specified emission limits unless your permit states otherwise.
Direct discharges to a water body from all sites carrying out the mechanical treatment of WEEE
TOC
Monitoring standard – EN 1484.
Frequency – every month.
Emission limit – 60mg/l.
COD
Frequency – every month.
Emission limit – 180mg/l.
The requirement is to monitor for either total organic carbon or chemical oxygen demand.
Total suspended solids
Monitoring standard – EN 872.
Frequency – every month.
Emission limit – 60mg/l.
Discharges to sewer or a water body from all mechanical treatment of WEEE
Hydrocarbon oil index
Monitoring standard – EN ISO 9377-2.
Frequency – every month.
Emission limit – 10mg/l.
Discharges to sewer or a water body from all mechanical treatment of WEEE, when the substance concerned is identified as relevant based on your facility’s emissions inventory
Metals and metalloids
Monitoring standard – various EN standards available.
Frequency – every month.
Emission limits:
- arsenic, 0.05mg/l
- cadmium, 0.05mg/l
- chromium, 0.15mg/l
- copper, 0.5mg/l
- lead, 0.1mg/l
- nickel, 0.5mg/l
- mercury, 0.005mg/l
- zinc, 1.00mg/l
PFOA, PFOS and deca BDE
Frequency – every 6 months.
Monitoring frequencies may be reduced if the emission levels are proven to be sufficiently stable over time.
Monitoring frequencies for discharges to sewer may be reduced if the downstream waste-water treatment plant abates the pollutants concerned.