Solon Firm Investigating New Way To Measure Toxic Emissions

SOLON, OH — The Ohio Lumex facility in Solon received a nearly $100,000 grant from the EPA this month.

The grant supports the development of technologies to address environmental and public health issues, the company said in a statement on its website. Ohio Lumex will specifically investigate a new way to measure toxic metals emitted by certain industries, like power plants, incinerators and smelters.

“We are excited to watch these small companies bring innovative ideas to the marketplace and help revolutionize improving our environment, public health and the economy," said Wayne Cascio, acting principal deputy assistant administrator in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

Ohio Lumex's toxic metal measuring technology involves the use of a monitoring system called "sorbent traps," which allow facilities and regulators to measure emissions of multiple toxic metals at the same time. If the company is successful, the traps could be adopted by the EPA and used at the state and local level.

“We were very excited to receive this grant as this new method would be applicable to many industries as an alternative to EPA Method 29, which all almost universally agree is cumbersome, expensive and hazardous”, said Bennett Rubin, director of sales and new business development for Ohio Lumex. “Based on support from ASTM, we would anticipate that they would draft an analogous method and harmonize it with the new EPA method after it is adopted.”