Explosives environmental effects

D. Layton and co-workers. Conventional Weapons Demilitarisation, A Health and Environmental Effects Data Base Assessment Explosives and Their Co-Contaminants, UERL-21109, Livermore National Lab., University of California, Livermore, Dec 1987. 

Because solvents are required in such high volumes compared to all other materials used in a synthetic transformation, hazards associated with solvents and safety issues associated with their use have always been a consideration in the development and selection of solvents. Some of the earliest and most obvious hazards, that if solvents were found to possess would cause them to be selected against, include properties such as high flammability or explosivity. With the greater understanding of the health and environmental effects that could be caused by other hazardous properties that solvents may possess or by their use in such large volumes, alternative solvents are... 

It is convenient to consider reactor accidents alongside weapon explosions so that the release of fission products can be compared, but the mode of dispersion is quite different. The configuration and thermal capacity of power reactors are such that bomb-like explosions are not possible. In the Chernobyl accident, nuclear overheating, a steam explosion and steam/zirconium reactions all contributed to the disruption of the reactor (U.S.S.R. State Committee, 1986), but the longdistance environmental effects were due to the subsequent releases of fission products from the damaged reactor. 

Army. 1987d. Conventional weapons demilitarization A health and environmental effects data base assessment Explosives and their co-contaminants. Frederick, MD U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick. Document no. AD A220588. 

Environmental effects. Pollutants from explosives are primarily produced during manufacture of explosives and the acids used in nitration. They may also be produced during incorporation in munitions or industrial explosives and in cleanup and disposal operations. 

Provide information on other hazards which do not result in classification but may contribute to the overall hazards of the material, for example, formation of air contaminants during hardening or processing, dust explosion hazards, suffocation, freezing or environmental effects such as hazards to soildwelling organisms. 

Comparisons of lethal and sublethal endpoints with different categories of explosives suggest that the use of sublethal endpoints could be useful for the interpretation of potential long-term environmental effects of energetic materials. Concentrations associated with reproductive effects were substantially lower than those promoting mortality of the cladocerans D. magna [22] and C. dubia [34], and the marine poly-chaete D. gyrociliatus [15] for a variety of explosives and related compounds. 

Since explosions usually occur outdoors, there are possible environmental effects that should be accounted for, such as atmospheric pressure. Sachs scaling law [3] accounts for some of these effects but a fidl discussion of this is beyond the scope of this chapter. 

This technique is known to avoid explosion risks under certain circumstances. The positive environmental effect is limited to those cases when the off-gas is burning autothermally most of the time. Otherwise, the energy consumption will counterbalance the CO reduction. 

Environmental Not expected to cause any adverse environmental effect Precaution May present a dust explosion hazard static charges may ignite flamm. atmospheres melts in proximity to tires causing slippery floors/stairs spillages may be slippeiy incompat. with strong oxidizing agents... 

Since the list of plasma processing chemicals is limited only by the imagination, it is imperative that the researcher or process engineer assess the hazards of each process and process chemical change to eliminate fires, explosions or business interruption, adverse environmental effects, and most importantly, assure the safety of persormel. 

The determination of hazards for LNG begins with an understanding of the properties of the fuel. The following characteristics are important to identifying LNG hazards storage parameters, tendency to form combustible mixture, ignition and explosion characteristics, means of controlling combustion and environmental effects. 

Explosives and fuze safety is the process used to prevent premature, unintentional, or unauthorized initiation of explosives and devices containing explosives and to minimize the effects of explosions, combustion, toxicity, and any other deleterious effects. Explosives safety includes all mechanical, chemical, biological, electrical, and environmental hazards associated with explosives or EM environmental effects. Equipment, systems, or procedures and processes whose malfunction would cause unacceptable mishap risk to manufacturing, handling, transportation, maintenance, storage, release, testing, delivery, firing, or disposal of explosives are also included. 

The evaluation of consequence should consider, as a minimum process fluid properties and operating conditions, and flammability, explosive, toxic, and environmental effects. 

Searle, W.R, Moody, D.H., 1985. Explosive remnants of war at sea technical aspects of disposal. In Westing, A.H. (Ed.), Explosive Remnants of War, Mitigating the Environmental Effect. Sipri, Taylor Francis, London, pp. 61-69. 

Consequence Phase 3 Develop Detailed Quantitative Estimate of the impacts of the Accident Scenarios. Sometimes an accident scenario is not understood enough to make risk-based decisions without having a more quantitative estimation of the effects. Quantitative consequence analysis will vary according to the hazards of interest (e.g., toxic, flammable, or reactive materials), specific accident scenarios (e.g., releases, runaway reactions, fires, or explosions), and consequence type of interest (e.g., onsite impacts, offsite impacts, environmental releases). The general technique is to model release rates/quantities, dispersion of released materials, fires, and explosions, and then estimate the effects of these events on employees, the public, the facility, neighboring facilities, and the environment. 

The Chemical Process Industry (CPI) uses various quantitative and qualitative techniques to assess the reliability and risk of process equipment, process systems, and chemical manufacturing operations. These techniques identify the interactions of equipment, systems, and persons that have potentially undesirable consequences. In the case of reliability analyses, the undesirable consequences (e.g., plant shutdown, excessive downtime, or production of off-specification product) are those incidents which reduce system profitability through loss of production and increased maintenance costs. In the case of risk analyses, the primary concerns are human injuries, environmental impacts, and system damage caused by occurrence of fires, explosions, toxic material releases, and related hazards. Quantification of risk in terms of the severity of the consequences and the likelihood of occurrence provides the manager of the system with an important decisionmaking tool. By using the results of a quantitative risk analysis, we are better able to answer such questions as, Which of several candidate systems poses the least risk Are risk reduction modifications necessary and What modifications would be most effective in reducing risk ... 

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