County Commissioner of the Environment Guard Arad

Introduction Leather industry uses different dangerous chemical substances including colorants and chemicals containing solvents that are used for tanning, dyeing, re-tanning, and finishing of leather products, across various stages of the leather production process. colorants and chemicals Growth of leather chemicals industry is directly linked to developments in the leather goods and leather processing industry.leather processing The availability of raw materials, rather than the end-product sales, is the key determinant of growth patterns and trends in the leather chemicals market. Pace of growth in meat consumption and slaughter rates significantly influence the demand scenario in the leather chemicals market. In addition, the demand for specialty leather chemicals is largely dependent on the changing scenario in the fashion industry. The main pollution generated by leather industry is emissions in athmosphere of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and poluttion of soil and water with several chemical dangerous substances such like Chromium sulphate, Sulphuric and formic acid Sodium metabisulphite and so on. European regulations are translated in national regulation

The VOC Solvents Emissions Directive VOC Summary of the Directive 1999/13/EC on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations ( VOC Solvents Emissions Directive )VOC Solvents Emissions Directive The VOC Solvents Emissions Directive is the main policy instrument for the reduction of industrial emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the European Union. It covers a wide range of solvent using activities, eg printing, surface cleaning, vehicle coating, dry cleaning and manufacture of footwear and pharmaceutical products. The VOC Solvents Emissions Directive requires installations in which such activities are applied to comply either with the emission limit values set out in the Directive or with the requirements of the so-called reduction scheme. The Directive sets out emission limit values for VOCs in waste gases and maximum levels for fugitive emissions (expressed as percentage of solvent input) or total emission limit values. The purpose of the reduction scheme is to allow the operator the possibility to achieve by other means emission reductions, equivalent to those achieved if the emission limit values were to be applied. This could be typically achieved by substituting products with a high content of solvents for low-solvent or solvent-free products and changing to solvent free production processes. New installations have to comply with the requirements of the VOC Solvents Emissions Directive at the time they are starting the activity. The final implementation date for existing installations was 31 October 2007 Legislation The Original VOC Solvents Emissions Directive has been amended through article 13 of the Paints Directive (Directive 2004/42/EC) The Original VOC Solvents Emissions DirectivePaints Directive (Directive 2004/42/EC)

Key implementation measures The Commission is following the implementation of the VOC Solvents Emissions Directive in Member States. According to the Directive Member States are obliged to report to the Commission periodically on the implementation of the Directive. The Commission has been organizing an Exchange of Information on Substitution of solvents. The Commission has also published a set of Frequently Asked Questions providing guidance for the implementation of the Directive.Exchange of Information on Substitution of solvents Frequently Asked Questions In addition, some of the plants covered by the VOC Solvents Emissions Directive are also covered by the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive. In these cases, the VOC Solvents Emissions Directive only sets minimum obligations which are not necessarily sufficient to comply with the IPPC Directive. Such compliance may involve more stringent emission limit values, emission limit values for other substances and other media, and other appropriate conditions.the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive

Future developments and contacts The interaction of the VOC Solvents Emissions Directive and IPPC Directives is considered within the scope of the Commission's proposal for a Directive on Industrial Emissions that recasts the VOC Solvents Emissions Directive and six other existing Directives related to industrial emissions into a single clear and coherent legislative instrument. Commission's proposal for a Directive on Industrial Emissions Regulations Gouvernment Rezolution nr. 735/2006-limitation of emissions of VOC, modified by 372/2010 GR Gouvernment Rezolution n.r 374/2003 looking restrictions for put on the market and use of some dangerous chemical substances Environmental law nr. 195/2005 modified and completed Water law nr. 107/1999 modified and completed

Chemicals Used in Leather Processing The following is a list of chemicals commonly used in leather making: Biocides - Biocides prevent the growth of bacteria which can damage the hides or skins during the soaking process Surfactants - Surfactants are used to help with the wetting back of the hides or skins Degreasers - Degreasers help with the removal of natural fats and greases from the hides or skins Swell regulating agents - Swell regulating agents help prevent uneven swelling of the hides or skins during liming Lime - Lime is used to swell the hides or skins Sodium sulphide - Sodium sulphide chemically destroys the hair on hides or skins Sodium hydrosulphide - Sodium hydrosulphide chemically destroys the hair on hides or skins. It does not create as much swelling as sodium sulphide Low sulphide unhairing agents - Low sulphide unhairing agents help to reduce the amount of sulphides used in a tannery thus reducing the environmental impact of tanneries Caustic soda - Caustic soda is used during the liming process to help swell the hides or skins Soda ash - Soda ash is used during the soaking or liming processes to help raise the pH of the hides or skins Ammonium sulphate - Ammonium sulphate is used during the deliming process and helps remove lime from the hides or skins

Ammonium chloride - Ammonium chloride is used during the deliming process and helps remove lime from the hides or skins Sodium metabisulphite - Sodium metabisulphite is used during the deliming process and helps prevent the formation of toxic hydrogen sulphide gas during deliming. It also acts as a bleaching agent Formic acid - Formic acid is used during the pickling process to lower the pH of the hides or skins Sulphuric acid - Sulphuric acid is used during the pickling process to lower the pH of the hides or skins Salt - Salt is used during the pickling process to prevent acid swelling of the hides or skins Sodium formate - Sodium formate is used during the tanning process to assist with the penetration of chromium tanning salts into the hides or skins Aldehyde tanning agents - Aldehydes are tanning agents used to make wet white Magnesium oxide- Magnesium oxide is used during basification and raises the pH of the hide or skin to allow the chromium or aldehyde to chemically bind to the skin protein Fungicide - Fungicides are chemicals that are used to prevent the growth of moulds or fungi on tanned hides or skins Chemicals Used in Leather Processing

Dyehouse Surfactants / Wetting agents - Surfactants help in the wetting back of the wet blue in the dyehouse Degreasers - Degreasers help remove grease or fats that may be present on the wet blue as a result of the wet blue coming into contact with machinery Sodium formate - Sodium formate helps raise the pH during the neutralization process Sodium bicarbonate - Sodium bicarbonate helps raise the pH during the neutralization process Formic acid - Formic acid reduces the pH for the rechroming process or helps with chemically fixing dyehouse chemicals to the leather at the end of the dyehouse processes Chrome syntans - Chrome syntans are used during rechroming to improve the softness of the final leathet Chromium sulphate - Chromium sulphate is used during rechroming to improve the softness of the final leather Syntans - Syntans are used to give properties such as softness, fullness, roundness to the leather Resins - Resins are used to give fullness and a tight grain to the leather Polymers - Polymers are used to give fullness and a tight grain to the leather Dyes - Dyes are used to give the leather a colour desired by the customer Dyeing auxiliaries - Dyeing auxiliaries help disperse the dyes evenly Fatliquors - Fatliquors are oils that are added to leather to give softness to the final leather

Chemicals Used in Leather Processing Finishing Acrylic resins - Acrylic resins give specific properties to the leather finish such as adhesion, water resistance Butadiene resins - Butadiene resins give specific properties to the leather finish such as good coverage Polyurethane resins - Polyurethane resins give specific properties to the leather finish such as good toughness and good lightfastness Fillers - Fillers help fill small blemishes on the leather surface Dullers - Dullers help reduce the gloss of the finish Crosslinkers - Crosslinkers are used to toughen the leather finish and improve the water resistance properties of polyurethanes Handle modifiers - Handle modifiers are used to give the leather surface a waxy or slippery feel Nitrocellulose lacquers - Nitrocellulose lacquers are used in the top coat of a leather finish Acrylic lacquers - Acrylic lacquers are used in the top coat of a leather finish Polyurethane lacquers - Polyurethane lacquers are used in the top coat of a leather finish Viscosity modifiers - Viscosity modifiers are used to increase the viscosity of a finish mixture Pigments - Pigments are colouring agents that help hide defects on the leather surface Dyes - Dyes are colouring agents that are used to slightly change the colour of the leather finish or to give the leather finish a more natural look Defoamers - Defoamers are used to prevent bubbles from forming in the finish mixture