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What Do We Call Fugitive Emissions?
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Between carbon emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, and fugitive emissions – it can be difficult to keep track of these different air pollutants and how they affect our everyday lives.
Fugitive emissions refer to accidental emissions, such as when you’re boiling a pot of water and make the kitchen more humid by default – even if it wasn’t the intention.
👉 However, unlike most modern day kitchens where a ventilation system can help to soak up the extra moisture created by boiling a pot of water – getting rid of fugitive emissions aren’t nearly as easy.
In this article, we’ll explain what fugitive emissions are, examples of fugitive emissions, and how we can work together to stop fugitive emissions.
What are fugitive emissions?
Fugitive emissions are unintentional emissions, often created by leakage or discharge of vapors and gasses released into the atmosphere from various industrial processes – such as in the processing, storage, and transportation of fossil fuels.
💡 Fugitive emissions contaminate the surrounding air, leading to worsened air pollution – which is challenging to undo as fugitive emissions come from a nonpoint source and are difficult to detect.
“ Think of fugitive emissions in the same vein as an actual fugitive – someone who is on the run, who is being sought after by the police: but has little to no way to be tracked or found. ”
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Fugitive emissions can come from several different components inside an active power plant, such as:
- Valves
- Piping flanges
- Pumps
- Storage tanks
- Compressors
Why should you care about fugitive emissions?
Companies and individuals alike should be concerned about fugitive emissions as they contribute to global warming, impact our health, and can have an economic impact on your business.
- Environmental Impact – Fugitive emissions, especially methane, are such potent greenhouse gasses – they can trap up to 28 times more heat than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. This means that the more we negate the current impact created by fugitive emissions, the more they will be able to run rampant and deter us from maintaining our 1.5°C threshold.
- Economic Loss – Finite resources, which often turn into fugitive emissions themselves, are already sparse – and losing them unintentionally could become costly for your company. Think in terms of a bakery that gets a moth infestation, and suddenly has to replace primary ingredients such as flour and sugar – the same goes for industrial businesses which rely on fossil fuels.
- Health Concerns – Fugitive emissions can contribute to poor air quality, putting immunocompromised people and those with various respiratory illnesses at greater risk of experiencing health issues.
👉 The most challenging component of fugitive emissions is their inability to be quantified, as these emissions are never released on purpose – but as a byproduct of intense industrial activity.
What is a fugitive emissions test?
A fugitive emission test is a process of testing for harmful gasses, vapors, or other qualified fugitive emissions from a source – such as an industrial production site or even for the average commuter vehicle.
💡 The main goal of conducting a fugitive emissions test is to ensure that a piece of equipment or vehicle as a whole will not contribute to excess fugitive emissions, helping the country, state, or even county maintain an adequate level of air quality.
“ Conducting a fugitive emissions test can help states, cities, and even entire nations to gain control over the current amount of fugitive emissions being released – as it can help to find previously unidentified sources, leaks, and inefficiencies in various industrial processes. ”
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Main goals of conducting a fugitive emissions test
Additional goals of conducting a fugitive emissions test include:
- Improving Equipment Quality & Efficiency – Searching for leaks or other inefficiencies in equipment, such as valves, flanges, seals, and pipelines – as identifying these inconsistencies can help to improve the equipment’s energy efficiency and reduce excess emissions.
- Determine Type of Fugitive Emissions – As there are an infinite amount of different fugitive emissions, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and various methane emissions, a fugitive emissions test can help determine the type of gas being emitted and how it impacts its immediate surroundings.
- Compliance & Avoid Legal Fines – Some states in the U.S., such as Maryland, have employed a Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program to require all new cars registered in the state to pass a general emissions test to help the state achieve its climate goals. Therefore, this can help to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and standards.
👉 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also requires fugitive emissions testing under laws such as the Clean Air Act – serving as an effort to reduce emissions and improve air quality.
How do you detect fugitive emissions?
Numerous methods can be used to identify fugitive emissions, such as by using ultrasound cameras, ambient air monitoring, and sniffer devices.
Here’s a breakdown of the various methods used to determine the source of fugitive emissions:
- Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) – One of the most well-known methods to detect fugitive emissions, Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) uses specialised cameras to find leaks – such as to determine the source of excess methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Sniffer Devices – In the same way that detection dogs in the airport will try to sniff out your bag for explosives or other illegal items, sniffer devices are handheld detectors that can measure the concentration of a specific gas.
- Ultrasound Detection – Through the use of soundwaves, ultrasonic detection devices can determine highly pressurised leaks.
- Soap Bubble Test – A low-tech, affordable way to check for fugitive emissions is to use a soap solution on a piece of equipment to visually identify leaks – as bubbles will form if there is a leak in the machinery.
👉 Bussiness looking to audit their efforts to identify fugitive emissions can strive to follow the ISO 15848 standard, which qualifies the procedures conducted to verify fugitive emissions tests and determines how valve and body seals can prevent leaks and mitigate fugitive emissions.
What are some examples of fugitive emissions?
While fugitive emissions can take on many different forms, such as in aerosols, dust, and fine particles – but the most intense fugitive emissions are greenhouse gasses such as methane and refrigerants.
💡 The most common source of fugitive emissions are faulty valves, pumps, and piping systems – of which will often unintentionally release harmful refrigerants and methane emissions in the atmosphere, impacting our ozone layer.
Examples of greenhouse gasses and volatile organic compounds that may be detected in a fugitive emissions test include:
- Methane
- Carbon dioxide
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆)
The table below will explain how these different fugitive emissions impact the environment:
| Fugitive Emission | Environmental Impact |
|---|---|
| Methane | Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, approximately 25 times more effective than CO₂ at trapping heat over 100 years. It contributes to global warming, and its leaks from oil, gas, and agriculture sectors accelerate climate change. |
| Carbon Dioxide | CO₂ is a primary greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Fugitive emissions from industrial processes and fossil fuel combustion increase atmospheric concentrations, leading to rising global temperatures and ocean acidification. |
| Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) | HFCs are synthetic gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning with high global warming potential (GWP). Even small leaks have significant climate impacts, as HFCs can be thousands of times more potent than CO₂. |
| Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) | VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone (smog) formation when they react with nitrogen oxides in sunlight. This degrades air quality, harms respiratory health, and damages crops and ecosystems. |
| Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF₆) | SF₆ is a potent greenhouse gas with a GWP over 23,000 times that of CO₂. Used in electrical equipment, its leaks have a long atmospheric lifespan, making it a significant contributor to climate change despite low quantities. |
“ Fugitive emissions are most frequently found in the oil and gas industry, coal mining, and other various industrial operations. ”
Here are the two main examples of fugitive emissions sources:
Methane
Methane can escape pipes, compressors, and valves in transportation and processing industries. In addition to this, methane is a by-product of coal formation – which is one of the reasons why companies like Apple will try to enable sustainable minerals to manufacture their electronics.
Refrigerants
Air conditioning systems and other refrigeration devices are increasingly being normalised around the world as global temperatures heat up, but the issue with this is that hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) can leak and exacerbate climate change.
👉 Additional examples of fugitive emissions include sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) from electrical switchgear and nitrous oxide from wastewater treatment plants.
Why are fugitive emissions bad for the planet?
Fugitive emissions are a major concern for the planet seeing as they are undetectable emissions and exacerbate the current climate crisis.
💡 As fugitive emissions have a higher potential to warm our planet, with VOCs contributing to ground-level ozone and methane emissions being able to trap 100 times more heat than carbon dioxide emissions.
“ It’s true that fugitive emissions have an impact on our global economy and our health, but the primary cause for concern is how fugitive emissions will continue to heat up our planet until we find effective solutions to stop them. ”
Here are some more reasons why fugitive emissions are bad for the planet:
- Failure to Achieve International Climate Goals – Efforts such as the Paris Climate Agreement may struggle to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide as a result of difficult-to-identify fugitive emissions.
- Need to Constantly Adjust Climate Legislation – Not all nations have standardised fugitive emissions tests or requirements, meaning that certain emission reduction objectives may need to be adjusted accordingly to presume that emission levels are higher than we realise – as the source of fugitive emissions are challenging to pinpoint.
- Impact on Globalisation – Our global economy relies on transportation goods from one country to another, but if fugitive emissions gets out of control – it isn’t out of the question to presume that humans one day will cease all unnecessary shipments to reduce emissions, as there may be no other choice to keep fugitive emission at bay.
- Reduced Air Quality – Continued volatile organic compounds could not only encourage ground-level ozone, but compromise air quality – contributing to excess smog and health issues in both humans and animals.
- Damage to Ecosystems – Methane emissions could exacerbate warmer oceanic temperatures in addition to pollutants from leaks that could enter soil and water systems, which could affect surrounding biodiversity.
👉 Luckily, there are many methods and devices that can be used to monitor and manage fugitive emissions – such as by employing stricter regulations and utilising leak detection and repair (LDAR) devices.
How can we stop fugitive emissions?
We can combat fugitive emissions by encouraging companies to better monitor and manage leak detection, requiring fugitive emissions tests, and seeking to develop more innovative and efficient equipment design.
“ Mitigating fugitive emissions entirely is a tall order, but it is entirely possible to significantly reduce the amount of methane emissions and refrigerants we emit into the atmosphere. ”
Here are some ways we could stop fugitive emissions:
- Improved Leak Maintenance – Industrial sites should seek to employ leak detection technologies, such as infrared cameras, to help remain aware of fugitive emissions in their earliest stages – as this can help to avoid excessive fugitive emissions later.
- Innovative Equipment – Making an effort to develop and secure industrial equipment with the latest technology to ensure all components are sealed could help to reduce leaks and subsequent fugitive emissions.
- New Policies for Fugitive Emissions – Developing a national, standardised policy, or even state or city-wide, could help to avoid fugitive emissions before they even start – such as by requiring all newly registered vehicles to undergo an emissions test.
Ultimately, fugitive emissions will be one of the more difficult challenges in the fight against climate change – but by employing stricter emission regulations and monitoring leaks in their earlier stages, we can successfully mitigate fugitive emissions.
What About Greenly?
If reading this article on fugitive emissions has made you interested in reducing your carbon emissions to further fight against climate change – Greenly can help you!
It can be overwhelming to figure out how to effectively reduce your company's fugitive emissions as they can be challenging to identify, but don’t worry – Greenly is here to help. Click here to schedule a demo to see how Greenly can help you find ways to ensure your company is complying with all current and future environmental regulations.
Greenly can help you make an environmental change for the better, starting with a carbon footprint assessment to know how much carbon emissions your company produces.
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