In an effort to communicate the vital role that standards play in daily life, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) publishes snapshots of the diverse standards initiatives undertaken in the global and national standards arena, many of which are performed by ANSI members and ANSI-accredited standards developers. Two of the latest selections follow:
Wastewater Treatment Systems
According to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA), nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plants, but excessive levels in surface waters can have detrimental ecological effects on humans, plants, and animals. Treatment of wastewater is required to prevent dangerous levels of nitrogen and other toxins from contaminating water supplies. NSF International has published ANSI/NSF 245-2013, Wastewater treatment systems - Nitrogen reduction, to facilitate the complex process of removing excess nitrogen from wastewater treatment plants.
This new American National Standard (ANS) establishes minimum materials, design and construction, and performance requirements for residential wastewater treatment systems providing for nitrogen reduction. ANSI/NSF 245-2013 also specifies the minimum literature that manufacturers shall supply to authorized representatives and owners, as well as the minimum service-related obligations that manufacturers shall extend to owners.
NSF International, an ANSI accredited standards developer and audited designator, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of food, water, and indoor air through standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health, safety, and protection of the environment.
Commercial Air Heaters
Direct gas-fired process air heaters are utilized primarily in industrial and commercial buildings to replace heat loss, pressurize air, and provide optimal conditions for finishing applications such as material drying and paint curing. These types of heaters have become increasingly popular due to the cost-savings they offer, their simplicity of operation, and their energy efficiency.
To reduce risk of injury to manufacturers and operators of direct gas-fired process air heaters, the CSA Group recently released a revised ANS. ANSI Z83.25-2008/CSA 3.19-2008 (R2013), Direct Gas-Fired Process Air Heaters, provides guidelines for safe operation, substantial and durable construction, and acceptable performance of direct gas-fired process air heaters. The ANS applies to newly produced, direct gas-fired process air heaters of the recirculating or non-recirculating type whose primary purpose is to provide process heating to non-occupied spaces within commercial and industrial buildings and may also include operation as a non-recirculating ventilation air heater, if the heater is operated during periods when the space is occupied.
CSA Group, an ANSI accredited standards developer and organizational member, is a non-profit membership association dedicated to safety, social good, and sustainability through standards development, training, global testing, consumer product evaluation services, and certification services covering industries such as plumbing, construction, medical, safety, technology, appliances, gas, alternative energy, and lighting.