Solvent emissions

What are solvents?

Organic solvents are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They are used for a variety of purposes including:

• dissolving materials
• cleaning
• coating and printing
• manufacturing products such as paints, adhesives and inks.

What you must do

If you use organic solvents, you may require an environmental permit (England and Wales) or a pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit (Northern Ireland and Scotland) from your environmental regulator or local council. If you have a permit you must comply with its conditions, which may require you to reduce or control your solvent emissions. The detailed NetRegs guidance on solvent emissions contains further information on who must operate with a permit and the main requirements.

Solvent emissions

If you manufacture or use paints, varnishes or vehicle cleaning products you must comply with controls on the amount of solvents that these products can contain.

You must not allow solvents to enter surface water drains, watercourses or groundwater. This will cause pollution and could lead to you being prosecuted.

Water pollution

If you intend to discharge any solvent to the foul sewer, check whether your local water and sewerage company or authority will authorise this.

Trade effluent - discharges to sewers

Good practice

• Ensure that you allow sufficient space for solvents to be delivered, removed and transported around your site.
• Clearly mark transport routes through your site and regularly check that there are no obstacles or sources of ignition.
• Install appropriate secondary containment systems, such as bunds, to prevent spills causing land contamination and water pollution incidents.
• Keep solvent containers closed, except when you are using them. This will minimise emissions to the atmosphere by evaporation.
• Locate your pipework, secondary containment and drainage systems to allow for easy and regular maintenance and cleaning, and to minimise the risk of damage.
• Cover your solvent storage area to prevent weather conditions affecting your containers or containment systems.
• Avoid the use of underground storage tanks (USTs) for solvents. If you already store solvents in USTs, contact your environmental regulator for advice.
• Regularly check the condition of your solvent containers.
• Consider using a leak detection system for your storage tanks, containers and pipework.
• Ensure that you pour and use solvents in designated areas that are well labelled and have appropriate secondary containment systems.
• Only purchase the quantity of solvents that you require. Keep records of the amount you purchase, where it was purchased and where it is stored.
• Ensure that your supplier provides an up-to-date safety data sheet (SDS).
• Use the SDS to ensure safe use of the solvent. Check that your employees are aware of and understand the information in the SDS, that they know where the data sheets are held and that they have ready access to them if they are required in an emergency.
• Place all cloths and rags contaminated with solvents in a closed metal container after use.
• Ask your solvent supplier if they offer a solvent reclamation service. This can help to reduce your solvent purchasing costs and the volume of solvent used which needs to be declared for PPC purposes.
• Regularly review the solvents that you store on site to determine if lower VOC alternatives are a practical alternative.
• Read the NetRegs guidance on water pollution. It includes information on preventing and minimising the impact of leaks and spills on the water environment.

Water pollution

Further information on solvent emissions

Defra: Groundwater Protection Code - solvent use and storage (Adobe PDF - 191KB)

Envirowise: Solvents and VOCs

Envirowise: Solvents publications