This calculator was created by the MN Small Business Environmental Assistance Program.

We provide free, confidential, environmental assistance to small businesses.

For help call us at: 651/282-6143
800/657-3938
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/sbeap

Instructions:
Read through the information below before using the "Abrasive Blasting PTE" tabs across the bottom to enter information for your business.

The following spreadsheet is designed to help determine potential emissions from abrasive blasting equipment. When determining if a permit is
required, it is important to include other sources of emissions from the facility to see if your combined activities exceed the potential to emit
thresholds.

More information about permits and their thresholds can be found on the MPCA webpage
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/yhiz482
"All About Air Permits"

Even if a permit is not required for the facility, additional regulations may apply. An example includes, but is not limited to, preventing particulate
matter from becoming airborne (MN Rules 7011.0150) by taking reasonable measures to prevent particulate matter from becoming airborne and
reasonable precautions to prevent dust emissions beyond the property line.

More information about some of these requirements can be found on the MPCA Factsheet: "Facts About General Air Quality Rules"

Important note: If your blasting activity is part of, or connected with, manufacturing or processing, it may be subject to the Industrial Process
Equipment Rule. An example is a booth used to blast the paint off a manufacturerd product so it can be repainted.

More information about this requirement can be found in the MPCA factsheet: "The Industrial Process Equipment Rule"

Color Key
Blue Enter information for your facility in the blue boxes
Orange Orange boxes are filled with standard values, but you may change them if you have site specific information, e.g. test results.
White White boxes contain intermediate calculations for determining emissions. Do not change the values/formulas in white boxes
Green Emission Totals
Yellow Permit and Insignificant Activity Thresholds
document number p-sbap5-19
Last updated 10/29/11
Can the blasting emissions be considered exempt because they are "insignificant"?
i.e. Does it meet one the following criteria?

Insignificant Activities List. Minnesota Rules 7007.1300

Plant upkeep (Subpart 2 B.)

(1) routine housekeeping or plant upkeep activities not associated with primary production processes at the stationary
source, such as painting buildings, retarring roofs, or paving parking lots, but excluding use of spray paint equipment…

(2) routine maintenance of buildings, grounds, and equipment;

OR

Processing Equipment (Subpart 2 D.)

(3) equipment venting particulate matter (PM) or particulate matter less than ten microns (PM-10) inside a building (for
example: buffing, polishing, carving, cutting, drilling, machining, routing, sanding, sawing, surface grinding, or turning
equipment) provided that emissions from the equipment are:
(a) is vented inside of the building 100 percent of the time; and
(b) does not use air filtering systems used to control indoor air emissions;

(4) blast cleaning operations using suspension of abrasive in water.

OR (if there are no other sources of significant emissions at the site)

Conditionally Insignificant PM and PM10 emitting operations. (Minnesota Rules 7008.4110)

Subpart 1. This
Applicability
part applies to any stationary source claiming particulate matter (PM) or particulate matter of less than ten
microns (PM10) venting equipment as a conditionally insignificant activity.

Subp. 2. Requirements
Emissions from equipment venting PM or PM10 inside a building, for example: buffing, polishing, carving, cutting, drilling,
machining, routing, sanding, sawing, surface grinding, or turning equipment, must be:

A. filtered through an air cleaning system; and

B. vented inside of the building 100 percent of the time.

If the blasting activity meets the criteria as an insignificant activity, retain records to to show how this determination was made.

If not, calculate the annual Potential To Emit (PTE) for this activity
Potential to Emit Calculation
Abrasive Blasting: Gun #1

Facility Name
Date

GUN 1

Enter the Internal Nozzle

Diameter inches
Enter the Nozzle Pressure psig

Determine the flow rate: Using the values above and the chart below, determine the flow rate of abrasive material through the gun.
Flow Rate (lb of abrasive/hr) of Abrasive through the nozzle*

Internal Nozzle Diameter (in) Nozzle Pressure (psig)

30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
1/ 8 28 35 42 49 55 63 70 77
3/16 65 80 94 107 122 135 149 165
1/ 4 109 138 168 195 221 255 280 309
5/16 205 247 292 354 377 420 462 507
3/ 8 285 355 417 477 540 600 657 720
7/16 385 472 560 645 755 820 905 940
1/ 2 503 615 725 835 945 1050 1160 1265
5/ 8 820 990 1170 1336 1510 1680 1850 2030
3/ 4 1140 1420 1670 1915 2160 2400 2630 2880
1 2030 2460 2900 3340 3780 4200 4640 5060

Flow rate (from the chart

above):

Select the type of Abrasive

Material

The flow rates in the above chart are for sand. If you are using steel or aluminum oxide as your abrasive blast material, the spreadsheet will automatically convert the flow rate listed
in the blue box above to these other abrasive material types.

Sand Aluminum Oxide Grit Steel

(flow rate of sand x (flow rate of sand x
(density of aluminum (density of steel/density of
(lb of abrasive/hour) oxide/density of sand))* sand))*
If needed, correct the flow rate
from Sand to Aluminum Oxide
or Steel: 0 0 0

Potential to Emit
Potential to Emit (PTE)
(PTE) for Gun 1 (in
Calculate Maximimun Emissions (Potential to Emit) Emission Rate for Gun 1 (in lbs) tons)***

(flow rate x emission emission rate x 8,760 Insignificant PTE in lbs/2000 lb

Flow Rate of Gun(1) Emission Factor(2) factor) hours/year Activity (3) per ton
(lb pollutant/ lb of
Pollutant (lb abrasive/hr) abrasive) (lb pollutant/hour) (lb pollutant/year) (lbs/year) (tons pollutant/year)
PM (Particulate Matter) 0 0 0 0.0 2,000 0.0

PM 10 (PM < 10 microns) 0 0 0 0.0 2,000 0.0

1 Enter the flow rate of the gun based on the abrasive material used.
 2 Pick your emission factors from the choices below.
Emission Factors for PM10 (lb PM10/lb of
Abrasives* PM (lb PM/lb abrasive) Abrasive)**
Sand 0.041 0.029
Grit 0.010 0.007
Steel Shot 0.004 0.0034
Other 0.01 0.01

3 Per MN Rule 7007.1300, Subpart 3.I, individual emission units at a stationary source, each of which have a potential to emit
the following pollutants in amounts less then 4000 pounds per year of carbon monoxide and 2000 pounds per year each of
SO2, NOx, VOC, PM, and PM10 are considered insignificant activities. These do not need to be counted toward the PTE
calculation unless there are other significant sources of emissions at the site.

* Flow rates, material densities, and emission factors for abrasives taken from STAPPA/ALAPCO Abrasive Blasting guidance (5/91)
** PM10 emissions derived from STAPPA/ALAPCO PM10 factors which were based on the amount of PM generated:
sand = 0.7 lbs PM10 per lb of PM; grit= 0.7 lb PM10 per lb of PM; Steel shot = 0.86 lb PM10 per lb of PM
For "Other", assume PM10=PM
***
To determine if a permit is needed, add up all potential emissions from the facility. For example, if you are able to operate two blasting guns at the
same time, or if you also have a paint spraying booth or other source of emissions at your facility, include these as well. Your total Potential to
Emit should be below the levels referenced in the All About Air Permits website noted above.