Environmental risk minimization

Airborne particulate matter emissions can, to a great extent, be minimized by pollution prevention and emission control measures. Prevention is frequently more cost-effective than control and, therefore, should be emphasized. Special attention should be given to pollution abatement measures in areas where taxies and buses associated with particulate emissions may pose a significant environmental risk. 

Within the broad framework of sustainable development, we should strive to maximize resource efficiency through activities such as energy and nonrenewable resource conservation, risk minimization, pollution prevention, minimization of waste at all stages of a product life-cycle, and the development of products that are durable and can be re-used and recycled. Sustainable chemistry strives to accomplish these ends through the design, manufacture and use of efficient and effective, more environmentally benign chemical products and processes". 

The environmental risk assessment approach most commonly adopted consists of estimation of the risk quotient (RQ) (as suggested by Hernando et al. [103]), which is defined as the ratio between the environmental concentration (measured or predicted, respectively MEC and PEC) and the predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC), and can be used to collocate compounds in one of three risk bands RQ < 0.1, minimal risk to aquatic organisms 0.1 < RQ < 1, median risk and RQ > 1, high risk [103—105]. In their risk assessment calculations, [106], further to [107], estimated PNEC values at 1,000 times lower than the most sensitive species assayed, so as to take into account the effect on other, potentially more sensitive, aquatic species to those used in toxicity studies. 

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health and environmental risks. 

Assessment of a company s waste minimization needs includes examining the content of and volume of hazardous waste streams it generates, and the processes or operations that generate them. The object of this step is to prioritize the needs of the company, based on environmental risk, liability, and economic criteria. 

A hazard is anything that will produce an adverse effect on human health and the environment. In environmental risk assessment, the hazard component generally refers to toxicity. Exposure is the quantitative or qualitative assessment of contact to the skin or orifices of the body by a chemical. Traditional pollution prevention techniques focus on reducing waste as much as possible however, risk assessment methods used in pollution prevention can help quantify the degree of environmental impact for individual chemicals. This approach provides a powerful tool that enables engineers to better design processes and products by focusing on the most beneficial methods to minimize all aspects of risk. 

Hasselrijs F (1988), How control of combustion, emissions and ash residues from municipal solid waste can minimize environmental risk" p.154-167 in AICHE Symposium Serie 84(265), Resource Recovery Municipal Solid Waste... 

A. Wegener Sleeswijk, General Prevention and Risk Minimization in LCA A Combined Approach, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2003, 10, 69. 

Identifying options for preventing releases and minimizing health and environmental risks. 

As Indicated earlier, our needs are sound data and technology for appropriately minimizing health and environmental risks. To accomplish this we need specialized skills, interdisciplinary interpretation and Judgment. 

The Army has taken steps to minimize the potential environmental risks of high-temperature incineration at Johnston Island. Army policy requires an immediate halt to the flow of chemical agents to the incinerator and the orderly shutdown of furnaces if as little as 20% of EPA s allowable agent emission is detected in the exhaust stack. The Army has also taken steps to monitor and control toxic emissions, including dioxins and furans. 

Chronic health or ecological impacts are often not immediately evident and may therefore require evaluation of long-term, future exposure patterns in order to establish appropriate site cleanup standards. Under a risk-based approach, response actions are prioritized at near-term, high-risk sites, and remedial measures are designed to minimize health/environmental risks by preventing exposure to harmful levels of site constituents. 

There are obviously many questions yet be answered concerning the interactions between QDs and biofitms. The complex nature of this research and extensive investigations needed to understand these interactions require an interdisciplinary approach. This approach will need to connect unique QD properties with observed cellular responses. A thorough recognition of the correlation between QD properties and human and environmental toxicity will allow the benefits of QD applications to be realized and potential risks minimized. 

Such qualified specialists could be persons (1) who, because of education, training, or experience, or a combination of these factors, is capable of understanding the health and environmental risks associated with the chemical substance which is handled under his or her supervision, (2) who is responsible for enforcing appropriate methods of handling, treating and disposing of chemicals to minimize risks, and (3) who is responsible for the safety assessments and clearances related to the procurement, storage, use, and disposal of the chemical substance as may be appropriate or required. 

Inherent safety is enhanced, and environmental and health risks minimized, by using sound standards, procedures, and management systems for facility design, construction, and startup activities. ... 

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