The treatment of the air pollution problem within the chemical industry of West Germany.

1. Legislation and consequences. Federal Law for Preservation of Clean Air 1959, Technical Instructions 1964, Provisional Law 1965, Law for Protection from Ground Pollution; Smog Warning System. Monetary consequences. 2. Principal problems in the chemical industry. Characterization: manifold, non-uniform production; alterable products; modification of processes; temporary and quantitative fluctuations. Main pollutants, meteorological influences. General causes of emission leakages, div. basic operations. Problems of waste gas purification: large amounts of air, low concentrations of impurities, limits of treatment by catalytic and adsorption processes; problems arising from waste incineration, flares and filters. 3. Examples for the abatement of air pollution. By modification of the production process: manufacture of sulphuric acid, of nitric acid, of calciumcarbide, chlorination by means of waste gas. By purification of waste gases, originating from the production of electrodes, rayon, nitric acid, naphthol, phosphoric acid, dyestuffs; deodorisation. 4. Control of the emissions and the atmosphere. Special departments in the factories. Control of individual plants. Extramural control. Control of the purification equipments. Development of analytical methods. Research work on plant damages from waste gases. Reports to operators and to the management. Exchange of experiences between firms. Collaboration with the authorities. 5. Philosophy of clean air work under the view of the chemist: promotion of international exchange of practical experience, international s tandardisalion of analytical methods. Use of the best practicable means for the attainment of clean air, but no irrational and one-sided perfectionism. GENERAL CONDITIONS WHICH ARE OF SIGNIFICANCE IN THE TREATMENT OF THE AIR POLLUTION PROBLEM IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY The chemical production processes and the associated emission phenomena are essentially the same or very similar in all countries. Differences in the treatment of the emission problem arise from the size of these industries, from local conditions and from the legislation in the particular countries.