What Are the Environmental Impacts of Using Industrial Gases?

Industrial gases are vital in many applications. However, businesses must understand the environmental impacts of gases used and produced as a result of the industrial sector, which was responsible for generating 23% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2022. 

These emissions contribute to environmental health, impacting climate change and affecting air quality. Thankfully, there are solutions to help mitigate potential adverse effects.

Environmental Impacts of Industrial Gases

Many types of industrial gases can have significant impacts on the environment. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases are known as greenhouse gases because they trap heat in our atmosphere. This can contribute to rising global temperatures, which are believed to cause more severe weather events and challenges to biodiversity. The responsible use of industrial gases is essential to mitigate these risks. 

Climate Change and Effects of Greenhouse Gases

Carbon dioxide and methane are the two main gases thought to be driving climate change. When fossil fuels, waste or trees are burned, carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere and creates a warming effect by trapping heat. 

Each gas has a different level of impact. To compare them, greenhouse gas emissions are recorded in metric tons of CO2 equivalent. To calculate the impact of other gases, you multiply their emissions by the gas’s global warming potential (GWP). This helps to understand which greenhouse gases stay in our atmosphere longest, absorb the most energy and warm the Earth more. 

Fluorinated gases have some of the highest GWPs but make a much smaller quantity of emissions compared with CO2.

The main solutions for reducing the impact of carbon dioxide and methane include:

• Increase energy efficiency: By insulating buildings and using more fuel-efficient machines, vehicles and appliances, energy use and CO2 emissions can be reduced.
• Carbon capture: This involves capturing CO2 when it is emitted, piping it away, and injecting it safely underground, where it can be stored securely. 
• Upgrade equipment: As methane is emitted during various stages of producing, storing and using natural gas, equipment can be upgraded and retrofitted with better seals to reduce leaks, for example. 

Reduced Air Quality

Air quality is affected by certain toxic emissions from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, resulting from industrial gases and processes. These can cause harmful particulate matter and ground-level ozone to form. The environmental impacts can affect human health.

Carbon monoxide also impacts air quality by causing ground-level ozone and smog. Proper handling of liquid petroleum gas prevents excessive carbon monoxide exposure for workers. 

Other solutions to improve air quality include:

• Switch fuels: Burning fuel is a leading way in which nitrous oxide is emitted. Switching fuels can help reduce these emissions. 
• Reduce consumption: In the medical industry, health providers could switch from a central piped system to smaller portable containers, which reduces leaks, wastage and overall consumption.
• Modern pollution controls: Under the Clean Air Act, new industrial facilities must have good pollution controls as a standard. This includes capture devices and ways of offsetting emissions reductions.

Ozone Depletion 

Most fluorinated gas emissions are entirely from human activity and include aerosols, solvents and refrigerants. Their environmental impact depends on their type. 

Originally, industries used chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to replace toxic refrigerants. However, CFCs depleted the Earth’s ozone layer, which protects the planet from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Enter hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are now the standard for refrigeration and cooling because they do not cause ozone depletion. However, HFCs have a particularly high GWP. 

Since the 2020 American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, the amount of HFCs produced and consumed has dropped to help meet a reduction target of 85% below baseline levels by 2035.

Solutions to the use of HFCs include:

• Use sustainable alternatives: These include hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), which have zero ozone depletion potential and a much lower GWP, or natural refrigerants like isobutane or carbon dioxide, which are cost-effective and more energy-efficient. 
• Capture methods: Fluorinated gas emissions can be captured and stored using metal-organic frameworks.

Increased Acid Rain

When industrial gases, like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, are emitted, they react with chemicals to form acids, which mix with water and fall to the ground as acid rain. While rain is naturally slightly acidic at about 5.6 pH, acid rain tends to have a pH of between 4.2 and 4.4, and this increased acidity can affect human health as well as plants and wildlife. 

Acid rain can cause tree leaves to turn brown and die, making them less able to cope with extreme temperatures. Mitigating the effects of acid rain includes strategies such as:

• Complying with legislation: The Clean Air Act capped sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emission levels in the power sector, reducing wet sulfate deposition — a primary indicator of acid rain — by more than 70% between 1989 and 2022.
• Pollution control technology: Vehicle catalytic converters help reduce exhaust emissions, including nitrous oxide. 

More Solutions for the Sustainable Use of Industrial Gas

As technology evolves, so do the best practices for using industrial gases effectively and sustainably. 

Other solutions you can use to manage the environmental impact of industrial gas emissions include:

• Use renewable energy: Switch from other parts of your operations, including electricity generation. Consider installing solar panels to reduce your reliance on the grid and fossil fuel emissions from electricity generation.
• Order gas efficiently: Opt for systems that maximize gas efficiency for your business. This may involve reducing the number of disposable cylinders you use by choosing a bulk industrial gas supply instead. 
• Experiment with green chemistry: Develop cleaner, more sustainable processes, for example, using nitrogen flushing for packaging because it is natural, nontoxic and has a lower footprint than other preservation methods. 
• Conduct a life cycle assessment: Use a life cycle assessment to calculate the footprint of the fuels and industrial gases your business uses. 
• Convert waste gases: A future solution could be in converting waste industrial gases to repurpose them for fuel and other resources. For example, converting waste carbon monoxide into hydrogen using a water gas shift reaction creates a carbon-free fuel. 

Get Started With Meritus Gas Partners Today

Industrial gases, from carbon dioxide to propane, play a crucial part in your operations. With proper management, your business can mitigate much of the negative effects these gases can have on our planet.

When you partner with Meritus Gas Partners, you gain access to a wealth of local expertise and technical support so you can find the most efficient solutions for your business. You can find quality industrial gases, from acetylene to sulfur hexafluoride, at one of our trusted partners near you.

Are you ready to get started? Contact us online with any questions or to request a quote!