Elements of Toxicology and Chemical Safety

The environmental impact of waste disposal and of chemical use in Europe has led to three legislative actions that, in today s global economy, greatly affect flame-retardant use and research. These actions go by the acronyms of RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances), WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemical substances). These actions are discussed in detail in Chapter 22, but need to be mentioned here as they are clear examples of how changing regulations affect flame-retardant use, selection, and new fire-safety developments. The first one, RoHS, refers to how new items are manufactured, and specifically bans chemicals and elements of environmental and toxicological concern in Europe. One fall-out item of RoHS is the move from a lead-based solder on circuit... 

Boron is an ubiquitous element that is present, naturally combined with oxygen, in seawater, freshwater, rocks, soils and all plants (Woods 1994, International Programme on Chemical Safety 1998, European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals 1996). Boron does not accumulate in any environmental compartment, neither does it bioaccumulate. Boron in the environment eventually is transported to the oceans which have a relatively high content of borates. Seawater contains about 4.5 mg Bkg h... 

Table 2.5 details a typical MSDS for acetone, where the eight sections give the chemical s identity, physical properties, fire hazards, reactivity, and health hazards, along with safe handling and exposure control methods for the chemical. The chemical, physical, and toxicological data presented in the MSDS will many times provide the workers with sufficient information to make their own safety judgments. This chapter discusses the various elements of safe laboratory and plant practices as they relate to the information given on a typical solvent MSDS. 

The adoption of the inherent concept to health started later than safety and environment due to its more complicated underlying principle. Its need to consider both toxicological and technical design disciplines makes the occupational health element receive much less interest in the design of chemical plants rather, active works have been done dominantly from the medical point of view (Hassim, 2010). Health hazards are actually as threatening as, if not more threatening than, process safety hazards. Many do not realize the fact that each year, more people die from occupational-related diseases than by industrial accidents (Wenham, 2002). 

Fishbein L. Critical elements in priority selections and ranking systems for risk assessment of chemicals. In Mehlman MA, editor, Advances in modem environmental toxicology Safety evaluation Toxicology, methods, concepts and risk assessment, Vol. X. Princeton, NJ Princeton Scientific Publications, 1987. p. 1-50. 

---