Existing chemicals risk reduction

OECD Chemicals Group and Management Committee, Co-Operation on Existing Chemicals Risk Reduction. Country Report on Lead, OECD Environment Directorate, Paris, 1991 (draft). 

Promotes pollution prevention, the use of safer chemicals through regulatory and vohmtaiy efforts, risk reduction so as to minimize exposure to existing substances such as lead, asbestos, dioxin, and polychlorinated biphenyls, promotes the public understanding of risks by providing understandable, accessible and complete information on chemical risks. 

Under the Existing Substances Regulation, which was passed in 1993, individual member states are allocated substances for which they are responsible for the risk assessment. To date, three priority fists for assessment have been drawn up, which cover just over 100 chemicals. Following the conclusion of four risk assessments, the European Commission has recently issued a recommendation on the results on the risk evaluation and on the risk reduction strategies for the following substances 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol 2-,(-methoxyethoxy) ethanol alkanes, C10-13, chloro and benzene, C 10-13-alkyl derivatives. For two of the substances, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol and 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethanol it is concluded that there is a need for specific measures to limit the risks to workers... 

The Swedish expression of the principle is that actors should replace chemicals with less harmful ones when the costs are not unreasonable. While this may appear to be a little more than common sense, the principle and its application are quite controversial. The principle is not mentioned in the Rio Declaration and is not considered to be an established principle in international environmental law, although Agenda 21 (19.41) refer to the substitution of hazardous substances for less hazardous substances as the classical example of risk reduction. So why is the principle not established in international environmental law Several reasons exist. The application of the principle has several limitations. Apart from the cost issue, it can of course be difficult to evaluate whether a chemical is a better option than another one if none of them are properly tested, or if only one of them have been properly tested. 

OECD Decision-Recommendation on the Co-operative Investigation and Risk Reduction of Existing Chemicals (Chemicals (1990) C(90)163/Final). 

OECD (1991). Decision-recommendation of the Council on the co-operative investigation and risk reduction of existing chemicals. C(90)163/Final, http //webdominol.oecd.org/horizontal/oecdacts.nsf/... 

OECD operates a programme for chemicals control and risk reduction [1]. Within this programme it coOTdinates a database, EXICHEM containing details of work on existing chemicals. EXICHEM is produced as a printed version and is also available on diskette. The database can be used, together with other records of ongoing work, both to avoid duplication and to identify possible contacts for cooperative exercises. 

Initial Thought-Starter How Can EPA More Efficiently Identify Potential Risk and Facilitate Risk Reduction Decisions for Non-HPV Existing Chemicals October. Available at http //www.epa.gov/oppt/npptac/pubs/finaldraftnonhpvpa-per051006.pdf (accessed July 14,2013). 

Due to the decentralized nature of many parts of the chemical supply chain, coordinating risk reduction measures across the system may prove difficult. To adequately integrate these risk reduction methods into such a decentralized industry, effort should be expended to identify those places within the chemical infrastructure where interdependencies exists and to understand the need to incorporate risk reduction techniques in these areas. 

The HAZOP study was originally developed for the chemical process industry. The analysis team applies a set of so-called guidewords (like OTHER THAN or MORE ) to each combination of a process step (for instance a vessel) with a parameter (e.g. temperature) and analyses possible deviations fi-om design or process intent expressed by the combinations with respect to causes, consequences, and existing detection as well as risk mitigation measures finally, further risk reduction measures are recommended if necessary. 

Examples of procedures for conducting hazard studies are shown but these serve only as an introduction to the subject and do not cover the depth of knowledge needed by an individual to conduct such studies. Specialized textbooks and training courses exist for this work, which are largely the responsibility of a process or chemical engineer. The objective here is to show how such studies are used to provide a means of identifying hazards and specifying the requirements for risk reduction. 

Manufacturing processes have evolved dramatically over the last few years. In the late 1980s, 76 /o of hemophiliacs were HCV positive, ° and between 1979 and 1985, approximately 50 /o of hemophiliacs had acquired HIV from plasma-derived FVIII. Since then, however, most U.S.-licensed plasma derivatives have not transmitted HBV, HCV, or HIV as a result of improvements in donor screening and test methods, and the inclusion of effective upstream virus-reduction and terminal virus-inactivation steps in manufacturing processes. Residual risks of virus transmission from plasma-derived products are now largely associated with non-enveloped viruses. " Thus, the need for additional terminal or upstream virus inactivation/removal steps still exists, but the current challenge is to develop cost effective methods against physico-chemically resistant non-enveloped viruses, such as human parvovirus B19. 

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