Hazardous potential of chemicals

Brasie, W. C. 1976. The hazard potential of chemicals. AIChE Loss Prevention. 10 135-140. 

ASTM E 1445-02. Standard Terminology Relating to Hazardous Potential of Chemicals. West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania ASTM International. 

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems, and services.67 One ASTM committee (E27) develops standardized physical and chemical test methods on the hazard potential of chemicals, including but not limited to reactive hazards. The committee has developed standard analytical methods for calorimetry studies in addition to a standard guide for determining binary chemical compatibility (ASTM, 2000). 

Hntchinson, T.H., Jha, A.N., and Dixon. D.R. The polychaete Platynereis dumerilil (Andonin and Milne Edwards) a new species for assessing the hazardous potential of chemicals in the marine environment, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf., 31 (3) 271-281, 1995. 

The MAK values are mean concentrations over the complete time of exposure. Allowable concentration peaks are restricted to limited values of concentration highs, period of exposure and frequency of these events per shift. In rating the hazardous potential of chemical exposure, animal experiments arc used and in addition compared with those of known human exposure, thus a high safety standard is guarantied. 

Table 2 lists some of the physical, toxicity, flammability, and reactivity properties of common chemicals (10,13,42,45—51). Also given are some of the quantities specified for reporting spills and for compliance with legislated requirements. The OSHA regulations require that material safety data sheets (MSDS) be developed for all process materials, so that the hazard data can be communicated to employees (52). Characteristics of toxicity, flammability, chemical instability, reactivity and reaction energy, operating conditions, and corrosive properties of construction materials must all be considered in analyzing hazard potentials of chemicals and chemical operations. 

Roller, G., Fischer, U. and Hunger-biihler, R. (2001) Comparison of methods suitable for assessing the hazard potential of chemical processes during early design phases. Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, 79 (Part B), 157-66. 

ICCVAM (2010) Test method evaluation report current validation status of in vitro test methods proposed for identifying eye injury hazard potential of chemicals and products. National Institutes of Health Publication Number 10-7553A. National Toxicology Program, North Carolina, USA. Available at http //iccvam.niehs.nih.gov/ methods/ocutox/Transmit-2010.htm. Accessed 31 July 2013... 

Committee E-27, Hazard Potential of Chemicals, was formed in 1967, in response to the need for some agency to develop standardization techniques for the evaluation of the potential of chemicals to cause fires and explosions. Several subcommittees were formed and the one on Condensed Phase Reactions was given the assignment of devising a computational method for screening chemicals for their ability to cause an explosion. The task group that wrote the program, now... 

Discussions have also been held with ASTM E27 Committee (On The Hazard Potential of Chemicals) members regarding the use of the CHETAH (Chemical Thermodynamics and Hazards Estimation Program) software to aid in the classification process. Work is proceeding (by E27.07 Estimation Methods) on both a PC version of the existing CHETAH program (with considerable updating) and a new mainframe (and possible PC) version with expanded capabilities. CHETAH is described in detail in references 43a, b, c. 

Information concerning the hazard potential of chemicals and their products is one of the pre-requisite components of a comprehensive control system. This requirement calls for setting of appropriate toxicity testing, a notification scheme and the setting up of an inventory of chemical substances. 

One might think that the popularity of enclosed machines is ever-expanding. After all, their use circumvents the hazardous potential of chemicals from being realized to either human users or the environment. This is an outcome everyone would favor. 

The object of toxicological studies is to assess the hazard potential of chemical products in order to asses the risks to the health of the user and to prevent possible adverse effects, even after improper use. The biological endpoints which have to be considered in toxicological studies follow the state of science and, for the most part, are included in current legal regulations (EC Directive 93/35/EEC). 

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