Sep 01, 2007

Two new ASTM International standards will provide designers of wood burning appliances with a way to gage the effectiveness of technological improvements in their products. The standards, E 2515, Test Method for Determination of Particulate Matter Emissions Collected by a Dilution Tunnel, and E 2558, Test Method for Determining Particulate Matter Emissions from Fires in Low Mass Wood-Burning Fireplaces, were developed by Subcommittee E06.54 on Solid Fuel Burning Appliances, part of ASTM International Committee E06 on Performance of Buildings.
 
Rick Curkeet, chief engineer, hearth products, Intertek Testing Services, and chair of E06.54, says that ambient air quality requirements recently promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency led to the development of the new standards. “These requirements tightened 24-hour and annual standards and will put many heavily populated areas of the United States into non-compliance based on current levels,” says Curkeet. “States will soon be required to submit implementation plans to the EPA detailing the steps that will be taken to attain compliance.”
 
According to Curkeet, E 2515 provides a procedure that can accurately measure particulate emissions from virtually any wood-burning appliance. “Combined with the appliance operating and fueling test procedures in E 2558, the results will provide a realistic assessment of the appliance emissions performance,” says Curkeet. “Manufacturers of wood burning appliances as well as air quality planners and regulators will find the standards useful.”
 
Curkeet says that the interested parties, especially users and consumers, are always welcome in the standards developing activities of Subcommittee E06.54.
 
ASTM International standards are available for purchase from Customer Service (phone: 610/832-9585; https://www.astm.org/contact/) or at www.astm.org. For further technical information, contact Rick Curkeet, Intertek, Middleton, Wis. (phone: 608/824-7412; rick.curkeet@intertek.com). Committee E06 will meet Oct. 28-31 at October Committee Week in Tampa, Fla. For membership or meeting information, contact Stephen Mawn, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9726; smawn@astm.org).

Release #7750