TITLE
A Test Method for the Measurement of Methanol Emissions from
Stationary Sources

AUTHOR(S)
B. Pate, M. Peterson, E. Rickman, and R.K.M. Jayanty, Research
Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC  27709

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC  27709   


SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
AREAL/MRDD/SMRB (MD-77A)
Research Triangle Park, NC  27711

ABSTRACT
     Methanol was designated under Title III of the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990 as a pollutant to be regulated.  The U.S. EPA,
through a contract with Research Triangle Institute, has developed
a test method for the measurement of methanol emissions from
stationary sources.  The methanol sampling train (MST) consists of
a glass-lined heated probe, two knockout traps and three sorbent
cartridges packed with Anasorb 747, a beaded, activated carbon. 
Anasorb 747 samples are desorbed with a 1:1 mixture of carbon
disulfide and N, N-dimethylformamide.  Samples are analyzed by gas
chromatography with flame ionization detection.

     Following laboratory testing, field tests of the MST and the
National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) sampling
method for methanol were conducted at two paper and pulp mills.  In
accordance with EPA Method 301, two pairs of trains were run in
parallel for six runs, collecting a total of twenty-four samples by
each method.  During each test run, half of the trains were spiked
with a known amount of methanol.  The average percent recovery of
the spike for the first field test was 108.3% for the MST method
and 81.6% for the NCASI method.  Although neither method showed
significant bias at the 95% confidence level, the biases of the two
methods were significantly different.  The second field test, at a
different site, produced an average recovery for the spike of 96.6%
for the MST method and 94.2% for the NCASI method.  The biases of
the two methods were not significantly different for this second
field test.  The MST had a practical quantitation limit (PQL) of
about 3 ppm for a 20 liter sample.  Samples were shown to be stable
for at least two weeks after collection.