Hazards from Various Processes

Table A-l (Continued) Hazards from Various Processes... 

The testing of chemicals/wastes to establish the nature of their hazard capacity/threat in accordance with regulatory requirements falls into four categories (1) reactivity, (2) ignitability/flammability, (3) corrosivity, and (4) EP toxicity. Commercial chemical products, specific wastes, and wastes from specific processes may be listed as hazardous wastes because they are known to present toxic hazards in the manner of the tests above and/or are known to present serious toxic hazards to mammals/humans. In the discussion to follow, various chemical groups will be examined primarily in the context of reactivity, ignitability, and corrosivity. 

EPA has developed standards for lead paint hazards, lead in dust, and lead in soil. To educate parents, homeowners, and tenants about lead hazards, lead poisoning prevention in the home, and the lead abatement process, EPA has published several general information pamphlets. Copies of these pamphlets can be obtained from the National Lead Information Center or from various Internet sites, including http //www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead. 

In addition, oily sludge from a wastewater treatment facility that results from treating sour wastewaters may be a hazardous waste (unless recycled in the refining process). These include API separator sludge, primary treatment sludge, sludge from various gravitational separation units, and float from dissolved air flotation units. 

The future will bring further increase in concern over the environmental impact of chemical operations. The liquid effluents must not only be controlled, they must also be rendered harmless to the environment. This requires removal of the hazardous substances. For many of the dilute waste solutions, solvent extraction has proved to be an effective process. This is even more true for recycling of mixed metals from various industries. Nevertheless, the increasing amounts of wastes from human activities require much more to be done in this field. 

Abatement (technology) Various processes and methods (e.g., incinerators) designed to eliminate or reduce the amount of hazardous waste, environmental emissions, or effluents from a facility. 

Chlorinated aromatic compounds are hazardous compounds that result from various industrial and agricultural activities. Water disinfection, waste incineration, and uncontrolled use of biocides are the major sources of chlorinated aromatics in the environment. Chlorinated compounds are also formed as subproducts of the biochemical reactions of herbicides containing chlorophe-noxy compounds. Treatment of chlorinated compounds has been studied using biological treatment, adsorption, air stripping, and incineration. Biodegradation of chlorinated compounds is a slow process that is ineffective for extremely low concentrations. Air stripping and adsorption simply trans-... 

Generic wastes produced by manufacturing and industrial processes are included in the list of hazardous wastes from non-specific sources. Spent halogenated solvents, bottom sludge from electroplating operations, wastes from various chemicals manufacturing, and the like are examples of hazardous wastes from non-specific sources. These are designated by prefix F [2-4],... 

Two of the standards directly related to worker health and important in design work are Toxic Hazardous Substances and Occupational Noise Exposure. The first of these two concerns the normal release of toxic and carcinogenic substances, carried via vapors, fumes, dust fibers, or other media. Compliance with the Act requires the designer to make calculations of concentrations and exposure time of plant personnel to toxic substances during normal operation of a process or plant. These releases could emanate from various types of seals and from control-valve packings or other similar sources. Normally, the designer can meet the limits set for exposure to toxic substances by specifying special valves, seals, vapor-recovery systems, and appropriate ventilation systems. 

Laboratory analysers in turn have some advantages over process analysers. Thus, (a) they allow the analysis of solids or samples requiring complex pretreatments of difficult automation —this will no doubt be solved by the growing advances in robotics (b) they require less protection from hazardous environments and allow for frequent calibration and maintenance and (c) they are fit for the analysis of various samples from different process lines. 

---