Equipment and Methods for Monitoring Potential Air Emissions in CIPP Installations

Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) is a commonly used method for pipeline renewal but raises concerns about volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and their environmental and health impacts. CIPP technology, extensively used for rehabilitating aging sewer and water pipelines, involves inserting and curing a resin-impregnated liner within the existing pipeline, which can emit VOCs during installation. This paper quantifies and characterizes emissions before, during, and after lining phases of three CIPP installations using hot water, steam, and UV light curing systems with different types of resin. Samples were collected using the TO-15 passive sorbent tube cartridges and the summa canister method and promptly analyzed in commercial laboratories. Over 67 VOCs were detected, providing a comprehensive profile of emissions during the installation process. The average concentration of total VOCs during the lining phase was 0.634 ppm at the insertion manhole and 0.237 ppm at the termination manhole. During the curing phase, these concentrations were 2.56 ppm and 31.77 ppm, respectively. VOC concentrations at the termination maintenance hole were higher during the curing phase (0.037–25.5 ppm) compared to the lining phase (0.04–0.3 ppm). The findings provide essential data for developing strategies to reduce and control VOC emissions in CIPP rehabilitation projects in the US, to protect workers' health, and to minimize environmental impacts.