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Hazardous Materials HAZMATs

Hazardous Materials HAZMATs. Chemicals That Present Hazard or Risk Ignitability: catch fire readily; gasoline Corrosivity: may corrode storage tanks (e.g. acids) Reactivity: unstable and may explode or create toxic fumes when mixed with water; explosives, concentrated sulfuric acid

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Hazardous Materials HAZMATs

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  1. Hazardous MaterialsHAZMATs • Chemicals That Present Hazard or Risk • Ignitability: catch fire readily; gasoline • Corrosivity: may corrode storage tanks (e.g. acids) • Reactivity: unstable and may explode or create toxic fumes when mixed with water; explosives, concentrated sulfuric acid • Toxicity: injurious to health; pesticides, chlorine

  2. Toxics Release Inventory • Emergency planning and community right-to-know act (EPCRA) 1986; • Industries must report locations and quantities of toxic chemicals stored on site and releases of toxic chemicals: • Inventory results from 1996: • 722,000 tons of toxic chemicals released to the air • 86,500 tons of toxic chemicals released to the water • 11,702,500 tons of hazardous wastes resulting from production of goods • 1,066,000 tons of toxic chemicals released to the environment • 1,600,000 tons of toxic chemicals from household hazardous wastes

  3. Product Life Cycle

  4. Fate of Toxins • Many are broken down by natural processes • Two types persist in the environment • Heavy metals • Synthetic organics

  5. Heavy Metals • Lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, tin, chromium, zinc, copper. • Used in metal-working, paint, and pesticides, among other products • Soluble in water and readily absorbed by body. • Interfere with enzyme function. • Example: mental retardation from lead poisoning.

  6. Synthetic Organics • Chemical basis for plastics, synthetic fibers and rubber, solvents, and pesticides. • Resistant to biodegradation. • Major health effects: carcinogenic and mutagenic. • Halogenated hydrocarbons

  7. Toxic Chemical Waste Problems • Cleaning up old wastes • Managing new wastes • Avoiding future wastes

  8. Deep-well Injection

  9. Surface Impoundments

  10. Landfills

  11. How Super Is The Superfund? • Advanced cleanup technology • Incineration to burn off contaminants in soil • Cleaning soil with detergent • Bioremediation • Phytoremediation • Brownfields • Costly and slow

  12. Major Hazardous Waste Laws

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