Control measure

Much emphasis has been placed in this chapter on the use of survey information as a source of information in controlling chemical contamination of food. This has helped governments around the world to assess problems in this area. They have found that surveillance can stimulate action as well as press coverage. The key is to ensure that action is taken when problems are found. In no particular order the main options are  

The respective committees in the Codex Alimentarius for chemical contaminants are as follows  

The secretariats of these Codex Committees are based at the Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome. The secretariat of JECFA is based in Geneva at WHO headquarters. 

Theoretically, if one corner of the fire triangle is eliminated a fire or explosion is impossible. However, in practice, if flammable gases or vapours are mixed with air in flammable concentrations, sooner or later the mixture is likely to catch fire or explode because of the difficulty of eliminating every source of ignition. For reliable control of flammable materials, including combustible dusts, the aim is to remove two corners from the fire triangle. This can include some combination of  

Fire detection and suppression form the basis of fire control, with emergency back-up procedures to mitigate the consequences. Selected key tactics for working with flammable chemicals are summarized in Table 5.11. 

The avoidance, and mitigation of the effects, of a dust explosion may involve some combination of  

Substitute with less volatile/flammable material where possible (i.e. higher flash point/autoignition temperature, lower vapour pressure) 

Check on legal requirements and relevant standards/codes etc. 

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Selection of film systems for the random sample control measurements... 

Maintenance of conditions ia the culture environment that keep stress to a minimum is one of the best methods of a voiding diseases. Vacciaes have beea developed agaiast several diseases and more are under development. Selective breeding of animals with disease resistance has met with only limited success. Good sanitation and disiafection of contaminated faciUties are important avoidance and control measure. Some disiafectants are Hsted ia Table 6. Poad soils can be sterilized with burnt lime (CaO), hydrated lime [Ca(OH)2], or chlorine compounds (12). 

Selection of pollution control methods is generally based on the need to control ambient air quaUty in order to achieve compliance with standards for critetia pollutants, or, in the case of nonregulated contaminants, to protect human health and vegetation. There are three elements to a pollution problem a source, a receptor affected by the pollutants, and the transport of pollutants from source to receptor. Modification or elimination of any one of these elements can change the nature of a pollution problem. For instance, tall stacks which disperse effluent modify the transport of pollutants and can thus reduce nearby SO2 deposition from sulfur-containing fossil fuel combustion. Although better dispersion aloft can solve a local problem, if done from numerous sources it can unfortunately cause a regional one, such as the acid rain now evident in the northeastern United States and Canada (see Atmospheric models). References 3—15 discuss atmospheric dilution as a control measure. The better approach, however, is to control emissions at the source. 

Most emphasis is placed on a program of rigorous preventive maintenance. Appropriate climate conditions can help to prevent mold attack, which typically only occurs at elevated relative humidity. Storage furniture which provides an effective barrier for insects, regular inspection of the collections, monitoring of all collection areas with insect traps, and access control measures which minimize the chance of insect entry into the collection areas, are some aspects of an effective pest control management program (175). 

Specialized equipment for industrial measurements and automatic control have been developed (18) (see Process control). In general, the pH of an industrial process need not be controlled with great accuracy. Consequendy, frequent standardization of the cell assembly may be uimecessary. On the other hand, the ambient conditions, eg, temperature and humidity, under which the industrial control measurements are made, may be such that the pH meter must be much more robust than those intended for laboratory use. To avoid costiy downtime for repairs, pH instmments may be constmcted of modular units, permitting rapid removal and replacement of a defective subssembly. 

The horn fly Haematobia irritans an important bloodsucking pest of catde, was found to be completely controlled by ear tags which slowly released permethrin and fenvalerate. These were found to give almost 100% control for 24 weeks. However, following almost universal appHcation of this ideal control measure, control failures of the pyrethroid insecticides were widely reported in North America in 1982 ndash 1983 and the practice is now abandoned. 

Air Quality Criteria forTead Supplement to the 1986 Addendum, U.S. EPA, Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office, Washington, D.C., 1990. Technical Support Document to Proposed Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Emissions of Toxic Metalsfrom Non-Ferrous Metal Melting, State of California Air Resources Board, Stationary Source Division, Sacramento, Calif., 1992. 

Of the three worldwide manufacturers of poly(ethylene oxide) resins. Union Carbide Corp. offers the broadest range of products. The primary quaUty control measure for these resins is the concentrated aqueous solution viscosity, which is related to molecular weight. Specifications for Polyox are summarized in Table 4. Additional product specifications frequendy include moisture content, particle size distribution, and residual catalyst by-product level. 

Statistical Control. Statistical quahty control (SQC) is the apphcation of statistical techniques to analytical data. Statistical process control (SPC) is the real-time apphcation of statistics to process or equipment performance. Apphed to QC lab instmmentation or methods, SPC can demonstrate the stabihty and precision of the measurement technique. The SQC of lot data can be used to show the stabihty of the production process. Without such evidence of statistical control, the quahty of the lab data is unknown and can result in production challenging adverse test results. Also, without control, measurement bias cannot be determined and the results derived from different labs cannot be compared (27). 

Rotational viscometers often were not considered for highly accurate measurements because of problems with gap and end effects. However, corrections can be made, and very accurate measurements are possible. Operating under steady-state conditions, they can closely approximate industrial process conditions such as stirring, dispersing, pumping, and metering. They are widely used for routine evaluations and quahty control measurements. The commercial instmments are effective over a wide range of viscosities and shear rates (Table 7). 

In the early 1970s, air pollution requirements led to the adoption of the double contact or double absorption process, which provides overall conversions of better than 99.7%. The double absorption process employs the principle of intermediate removal of the reaction product, ie, SO, to obtain favorable equiUbria and kinetics in later stages of the reaction. A few single absorption plants are stiU being built in some areas of the world, or where special circumstances exist, but most industriali2ed nations have emission standards that cannot be achieved without utili2ing double absorption or tad-gas scmbbers. A discussion of sulfuric acid plant air emissions, control measures, and emissions calculations can be found in Reference 98. 

Ha2ard is the likelihood that the known toxicity of a material will be exhibited under specific conditions of use. It follows that the toxicity of a material, ie, its potential to produce injury, is but one of many considerations to be taken into account in assessment procedures with respect to defining ha2ard. The following are equally important factors that need to be considered physicochemical properties of the material use pattern of the material and characteristics of the environment where the material is handled source of exposure, normal and accidental control measures used to regulate exposure the duration, magnitude, and frequency of exposure route of exposure and physical nature of exposure conditions, eg, gas, aerosol, or Hquid population exposed and variabiUty in exposure conditions and experience with exposed human populations. 

Agricultural mnoff is a large contributor to etrophication in lakes and other natural bodies of water. Effective control measures have yet to be developed for this problem. Runoff of pesticides is also receiving increasing attention. 

Proven Control Measures. Experience has shown that risks in the occupational environment can be economically controUed (38). 

Operations capable of generating airborne beryUium particulate, such as melting, machining, welding, grinding, etc, are effectively controUed by local exhaust ventilation or other control measures. To assure a safe environment and measure compliance with the OSHA standards, employee exposures should be periodicaUy measured by prescribed air sampling and analytical methods. 

Removal of metal chlorides from the bottoms of the Hquid-phase ethylene chlorination process has been studied (43). A detailed summary of production methods, emissions, emission controls, costs, and impacts of the control measures has been made (44). Residues from this process can also be recovered by evaporation, decomposition at high temperatures, and distillation (45). A review of the by-products produced in the different manufacturing processes has also been performed (46). Several processes have been developed to limit ethylene losses in the inerts purge from an oxychlorination reactor (47,48). 

Measurements of the concentrations and characteristics of dust dispersed in air or other gases may be necessary (1) to determine the need for control measures, (2) to establish compliance with legal requirements, (3) to obtain information for collector design, and (4) to determine collec tor performance. 

Static charge generation causes an ignition hazard only if the accumulated charges create an electric field sufficient to produce an electrical discharge in a flammable atmosphere. In most processes, this means that the electric field intensity at some location must reach the breakdown strength of air (nominally 3 X lO " V/m). The objective of static-control measures is to ensure that electric field intensities cannot reach this value. 

The primaiy purpose of materials selection is to provide the optimum equipment for a process application in terms of materials of construction, design, and corrosion-control measures. Optimum here means that which comprises the best combination of cost, life, safety, and reliability. 

Various polymers and latexes ai e used in manufacturing different articles for medical use. Safety measures in using such articles require strict control measures which provide for detecting toxic substances on hygienic standard levels or on the permissible migration level (PML) (mg/dm ). Chromatographic reaction methods ai e used to reveal formaldehyde, phenol, and epichlorhydrin. 

EPA is required to issue guidance on reasonably available control measures (RACM) and best available control measures (BACM) for other sources of particulate matter emissions. 

As mentioned, nonattainment areas will have to implement different control measures, depending on their classification. Marginal areas, for example, are the closest to meeting the standard. They will be required to conduct an inventory of their ozone-causing emissions and institute a permit program. Nonattainment areas with more serious air quality problems must implement various control measures. The worse the air quality, the more controls areas will have to implement. 

Most petrochemical processes are essentially enclosed and normally vent only a small amount of fugitive emissions. However, the petrochemical processes that use air-oxidation-type reactions normally vent large, continuous amounts of gaseous emissions to the atmosphere (10). Six major petrochemical processes employ reactions using air oxidation. Table 30-5 lists the atmospheric emissions from these processes along with applicable control measures. 

Replacement of orchard heaters by wind machines is the most desirable control measure. These large propellers force the warmer air aloft to the ground, where it mixes with the cold air, minimizing frost formation. 

Control of atmospheric emissions from petroleum refining can be accomplished by process change, installation of control equipment, and improved housekeeping and maintenance. In many cases, recovery of the pollutants will result in economic benefits. Table 30-26 lists some of the control measures that can be used at petroleum refineries. 

Control Measures for Air Pollutants from Petroleum Refining... 

By a combination of the two control handles, one can affect component specification in the product streams, but there is always some maximum possible extent of separation (value of Fenske ratio) in a given system. Nearly all control measures are designed to permit control of the two handles. It should be realized that column operation needs to be kept reasonably smooth, otherwise separation already achieved may in the following five minutes (or six hours) partially be undone by surging in the system. 

Installation of a pressure controller measurement tap is shown in Figure 1. 

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