賓州小型企業可從15萬美元的州預算中獲取經費，以採用可減少空氣污染的電子束（electron beam）技術。
賓州州長雷恩德（Ed Rendell）22日表示，州政府撥出經費給北安普敦社區大學的電子技術應用中心，讓他們實地測試電子束在工廠環境中的應用性。
實驗結果顯示花費較低能量的電子束可摧毀許多揮發性有機氣體（VOC）。這些有機物質會在地表形成臭氧層，而造成氣喘病患的呼吸困難，和加速惡化其他健康問題。
賓州環保局撥給這筆經費，目的在補助使用電子束的尖端技術，希望減少揮發性有機氣體的排放。工廠生產時加熱、乾燥、度表和硬化過程，使用這些有機溶劑。在產品上使用油漆和其他塗料的企業，在控制這些溶劑的氣體排放上，特別重要。
北安普敦社區大學的電子技術應用中心是賓州唯一協助小型企業減少揮發性有機氣體排放的非政府組織，他們協助這些企業達到聯邦和州政府的空氣品質標準。
Small manufacturers in Pennsylvania are expected to benefit from a $150,000 state grant to implement new electron beam technology that will reduce air pollution.
Governor Ed Rendell today awarded the funds to the Electrotechnology Application Center at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, to test the applicability of electron beams in actual factory environments.
Lab tests show electron beam technology can destroy many volatile organic compounds, VOCs, and do so using less energy than other methods. Volatile organic compounds are precursors to the formation of ground level ozone which can cause breathing difficulties for people with existing conditions such as asthma, and can exacerbate other health problems.
The grant is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection and it will fund demonstrations of state-of-the-art technologies using electron beams to reduce emissions of VOCs that are used in heating, drying, coating and curing processes. Controlling these emissions is particularly important to companies using paints and other coatings on manufactured products.
The Electrotechnology Application Center is the only nonprofit organization in Pennsylvania that has an operating mission to help small businesses reduce VOC emissions to comply with federal and state government air quality standards.
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