Hazardous Materials Created by Elise Waltman June 2006

Hazardous Materials Created by: Elise Waltman, June 2006 Updated by: Anthony Makielski, March 2007

Programs Hazardous materials emergency management Underground storage tanks Land use planning Contaminated sites and hazardous waste control Facilities and transporters Community Education

Terms to know Hazardous Materials – Hazardous waste (pg 872 -885 Salvato) – Toxic waste – Caustic material – Poisonous material

Hazardous Waste Under RCRA of 1976 means a solid waste or combo of solid wastes that because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics, may – Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible illness or – Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of or otherwise managed Pg 873 Salvato

Hazardous wastes Include – Chemical, biological, flammable, explosive and radioactive substances Solid, liquid, sludge or gaseous (contained) state Further defined in various federal acts designed to protect public health and welfare Lethal, nondegradable, and persistent in the environment, can biomagnify or cause detrimental cumulative effects Pg 873 Salvato

4 characteristics (EPA) Ignitibility – Pose a fire hazard Corrosivity – Require special containers because corrode standard materials or dissolve toxic contaminants Reactivity (or explosiveness) – Tend to react spontaneously, react vigorously with air or water, unstable, generate toxic gases or explode Toxicity – Pose substantial hazard to human health or the environment when released; harmful when ingested or absorbed; based on Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) Pg 873 Salvato

Not included in RCRA Domestic sewage Irrigation waters Industrial discharges permitted under the federal Water Pollution Control Act Certain nuclear materials as defined by the Atomic Energy Act Household wastes (toxic and hazardous waste) Certain mining wastes Agricultural wastes (excluding some pesticides) Small quantity wastes (<220 lb per month) Pg 873 -875 Salvato

3 Types of Hazards Biological Hazards – 5 Categories: viral, rickettsial / chlamydial, bacterial, fungal and parasitic Radiation Hazards – Ionizing radiation includes alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays Chemical Hazards (majority) – Possess inherent properties that determine type and degree of hazard

Hazard Classes Categorized by physical and chemical properties Most substances have multiple hazards The following classes are similar to those used by DOT: flammability/combustibility, corrosiveness, acids, bases, reactivity, explosiveness, oxidizers, cryogenic liquids and compressed gases, and toxic substances

Toxicology Study of Poisons Toxicity – Acute vs Chronic – Reversible vs irreversible – Local vs systemic Many types of toxicologists – Mechanistic, descriptive, environmental, etc

Effects of Toxicants on the Body Respiratory system – Only organ system has primary functional components in direct and continuous exposure to environment – Fate of inhaled particulates depends on size Particles >5 microns captured by cilia & mucus Particles 1 -5 microns go to trachea, bronchi and bronchioles Particulates <1 micron go to alveoli (worst) – Irritants (damage point of contact) – gases like chlorine, ammonia and HF – Gases can produce system effects like carbon monoxide and mercury poisoning

System Responses Skin = largest organ – Toxicants absorbed through skin Local effects: irritation and necrosis (accidental death of cells or tissues) Systemic effects: dermatitis and photosensitization Eyes – more sensitive than skin and affected by many irritants – Surface contact affects cornea and lens – Inhaled, ingested or absorbed chemicals can result in cataracts, optic nerve damage or retina damage Kidneys – Filter blood, remove wastes, excrete wastes – Very susceptible to toxic agents like heavy metals, organohalogens, carbon disulfide (solvent for waxes & resins), and ethylene glycol (automobile antifreeze) Blood – Manufacturing, recycling, repairing functions as well as oxygen and nutrient transportation – Arsenic, benzene, bromide, and methyl chloride suppress bone marrow production – Benzene and tetrachloroethane affect blood clotting

Important toxicity terms Reproductive sterility – Infertility, abnormal sperm, low sperm, altered hormone activity. Males and females affected by many different chemicals Teratogen – Substance or condition results in congenital malformations (birth defects) – Methyl mercury, thalidomide, anesthetic gases – Radiation, German measles, maternal malnutrition Mutagen – Causes chromosomal damage or rearrangement – Ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide, benzene, ethyleneimine Carcinogen – Carcinogenesis: process leading to dev of cancer (multiple factors) – May have toxic effects on genes, interacts with DNA or effect outside of genetic material

EPA Cancer Classes A – human carcinogen B 1 – probable human carcinogen, limited evidence in humans B 2 – probable human carcinogen, inadequate evidence in humans C – possible human carcinogen D – inadequate evidence to classify E – no evidence of carcinogenicity

3 Biological Fate Pathways Absorption, distribution and storage – Point of contact damage – Absorption and distribution by bloodstream to cause systemic damage or harm to target organs far from exposure site Biotransformation – Transformed or metabolized by body to become other chemicals – Wood alcohol to formaldehyde – causes blindness – Ethanol to acetaldehyde – causes hangovers Elimination – Body eliminates many toxicants naturally through function of liver and kidneys though VOCs are often excreted through lungs

Factors influencing toxicity Substance factors – Physical and chemical composition Exposed organ and person factors – Route substance enters (inhalation, ingestion, dermal) determines amount absorbed and organs exposed to largest concentration Which determines metabolism and excretion – Age, sex, genetics, health status, weight, tolerance, hypersensitivity Environmental factors – Temperature and humidity affect physical behavior of chemical and physiology of exposed person – Increased respiration, water loss, electrolyte imbalance, etc

Dose-response relationship Depends on the following: – Amount and concentration of substance – Duration of exposure to substance – Toxicity of substance – In addition to the other factors mentioned on the previous slide

Dose – Response terms Most are based on lethal effect (LD = lethal dose) or toxic effect (TD = toxic dose) LD 50 is median lethal dose causing death in 50% of organisms exposed by swallowing a substance LC 50 is median lethal concentration causing death in 50% of organisms exposed in water or air Relative ranking pg 118 in Study Guide 3 rd Edition Limitations – usually comparing very controlled situations on rats, etc to uncontrolled situations on humans

Personal Protective Equipment Used to achieve acceptable isolation of worker from hazards present Need written PPE program that defines hazards for which equipment is intended Medical monitoring, prescribed continuous environmental surveillance, training in equipment selection, use, maintenance and decontamination

Threshold Limit Values (TLV) Most common criteria for assessing exposure to airborne chemicals Developed by ACGIH Based on workplace exposure to normal, healthy, adult workers Not for use to evaluate community exposure Not for use to evaluate relative hazard

Types of TLVs TLV-TWA – Average concentration most workers can be exposed to during a 40 hour work week and a normal 8 hour day without showing toxic effects TLV-STEL – 15 -minute time-weighted average short-term exposure limit TLV-C – Ceiling level that should never be exceeded, even instantaneously

Nonchemical Hazard Identification Deficiency of oxygen in work area? Threat of explosion or fire? Abnormally high levels of ionizing radiation? Potential for exposure to biological hazards? Physical hazards present? Hazards posed by ambient conditions?

Environmental Surveillance PPE selection based on initial determination of exposure and ambient conditions – these may change, review work environment periodically Select environmental surveillance instrument based on its ability to provide desired data as well as portability, reliability, response time, sensitivity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, intrinsic safety and ease of operation Field survey vs. area samples or personal samples List of instruments used on page 121 of Study Guide 3 rd Edition

Select and Use Appropriate Equipment PPE ensembles consist of protective clothing and respiratory protection coinciding with the dermal and inhalation exposure pathways (most common) Underprotection is bad, but so is overprotection Don’t use respiratory protective equipment without the MSHA or NIOSH insignia Use respiratory protective equipment with fumes, mists, gases, vapors, dusts and fibers

PPE Equipment, cont. Protection factor and fit testing – Refers to a number indicating the level of protection a respirator provides Air-purifying respirators (APRs) – Use ambient air that is cleaned through filtration, adsorption, absorption, and/or chemical reaction prior to inhalation – Prohibited under some circumstances – SCBA provide max respiratory protection – Supplied-air respirators (SARs) / air-line respirators supply air to the face-piece through a hose from a stationary source Chemical protective clothing – Ranges from safety glasses, hard hats, safety shoes to fully encapsulated suits with supplied air – Must resist degradation, penetration, and permeation – No gov’t standards, must use own best judgment

EPA Protection Levels A – highest level of protection, including gases and vapors B – same respiratory protection as A, but less skin protection C – same skin as B, but less respiratory D – little more than basic work clothes, indicated when no respiratory protection is needed and minimal skin protection

Transportation Requirements 5 categories of hazardous material transportation, determines which agencies are involved in regulating the shipments Highway transportation – Federal Highway Administration’s Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety Rail transport – Federal Railroad Administration (DOT) Water transport – International Maritime Dangerous Goods code Air transport – Federal Aviation Administration Pipeline transportation – DOT specialists

Transportation cont. Appropriate DOT label Proper shipping name Identification number Name and address of shipper Additional markings may be required

Emergency Management Prevention or mitigation Preparedness Response Recovery SARA Title III (EPCRA) is the federal law that applies to hazardous waste emergency management mostly to do with chemicals that can become airborne

Response Phase EPA State Emergency Response Commission Local Emergency Planning Districts Local Emergency Planning Committee If release exceeds reportable quantity, must notify LEPC, SERC, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) National Response Team – planning and preparedness Regional Response Teams – offer advice US Coast Guard and EPA On-Scene Coordinators if incident exceeds expertise or financial resources

Resources Salvato Environmental Engineering 5 th Edition REHS/RS Study Guide 3 rd Edition