1st Edition

Toxic Chemicals Risk Prevention Through Use Reduction

    352 Pages 14 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    352 Pages 14 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Catastrophic events such as the Bhopal, India tragedy and rising incidences of cancer in areas neighboring industrial facilities have heightened concern over the use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing and industry, particularly with respect to long-term exposure. While legislation and publicity have reduced the use of some chemicals, risks remain that continue to threaten the health of individuals worldwide. Based on the authors’ research conducted through their development of a program in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Toxic Chemicals: Risk Prevention Through Use Reduction examines various toxicity factors and proposes a plan to reduce the toxic impact of these hazardous substances.

    Explores all factors that contribute to toxicity

    The book begins by exploring the history of toxic chemical release reporting programs, a trend growing out of the Bhopal tragedy. It surveys their impact both in the United States through the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program and in the 29 other countries that maintain similar programs. Then, with the goal of developing a rational method of prioritizing toxic chemicals for reduction, the authors discuss mobility, persistence, and bioconcentration adjustment factors and present a method for integrating all of these factors to estimate the relative impact of chemical release.

    Compares alternate emphases in existing programs

    The book describes programs that concentrate on reducing the release of chemicals with the greatest adverse toxic impact and those that require companies to prepare pollution prevention plans and set goals for reducing use or release. It also examines technical assistance programs that help companies search for alternative chemicals to use or process changes that eliminate the use of toxic chemicals. In addition, it explores alternative market-based approaches for achieving environmental protection.

    Presents a workable plan for the future

    In the final chapters, the authors lay out their proposed program for reducing the use of toxic chemicals. This plan builds on the existing TRI program and uses lessons learned from this and other programs. The combined research assembled by the authors and their multifaceted approach to the issue of chemical toxicity enables companies and policy makers to move to the next level of toxic chemical use reduction, resulting in a safer environment for future generations.

     

    Introduction
    Toxic Chemical Composition Reporting

    California: Proposition
    Basis for Program
    Program Requirements
    Role of Stakeholders
    Financial Impacts
    Effectiveness of Program
    European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and
    Restriction of Chemicals Program
    Basis for Program
    Program Requirements
    Registration
    Toxics Release Inventory
    Toxic Chemical Release Reporting
    Basis for the Program
    Program Requirements
    Refinements to TRI
    Role of Stakeholders
    Financial Impacts
    Limitations of TRI Program
    TRI Programs in Other Countries
    Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory Program
    Australian National Pollutant Inventory
    European Union
    European Pollutant Emission Register
    European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register
    Japan
    Accessing PRTR Data
    North American Data
    European Data from E-PRTR
    International PRTR Data from OECD
    TRI Program Impacts on Reducing Toxic Chemical Releases
    TRI Success Stories
    Quantifying Toxicity
    Ingestion Carcinogenicity
    Inhalation Carcinogenicity
    Ingestion Noncarcinogenic Toxicity
    Inhalation Noncarcinogenic Toxicity
    Development of a Single Toxicity Factor
    Ingestion Carcinogenic Toxicity Factor Development
    Inhalation Carcinogenic Toxicity Factor Development
    Ingestion Noncarcinogenic Toxicity Factor Development
    Inhalation Noncarcinogenic Toxicity Factor Development
    Single Combined Relative Toxicity Factor Development
    Quantifying Mobility
    Air Mobility Factor
    Water Mobility Factor
    Combined Mobility Factor
    Quantifying Persistence
    Persistence Factor
    Quantifying Bioconcentration
    Bioconcentration Adjustment Factor
    Developing Effective Toxicity Factors
    Effective Toxicity Factor
    Toxicity Impact
    Focusing on Impact Chemicals
    US Environmental Protection Agency 33/50 Program
    Basis for Program
    Program Requirements
    Role of Stakeholders
    Financial Impacts
    Effectiveness of Program
    Washington Department of Ecology Persistent,
    Bioaccumulative Toxins Program and Other Targeted (Mercury)
    Chemicals Programs
    Basis for the Mercury Reduction Program
    Program Requirements
    Role of Stakeholders
    Financial Impacts
    Effectiveness of Program
    Registration, Evaluation Authorization, and Restriction of
    Chemicals Program of the European Union
    Basis for Program
    Program Requirements
    Evaluation
    Authorization
    PBT Substances
    Very Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Substances
    Restriction
    Use versus Release Reporting
    Comparison of Use and Releases
    Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act
    Reporting Requirements
    Maine Toxics and Hazardous Waste Reduction Program
    Reporting Requirements
    New Jersey Pollution Prevention Program
    Pollution Prevention Planning
    Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act
    Maine Toxics and Hazardous Waste Reduction Program
    Washington State Department of Ecology Pollution
    Prevention Program
    New Jersey Pollution Prevention Program
    Lessons Learned by New Jersey Companies
    California: Hazardous Waste Source Reduction and
    Management Review Act of 1989 (Senate Bill 14)
    Texas
    Minnesota
    Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
    Voluntary Technical Assistance Programs
    Technical Assistance
    Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act
    Maine Toxics and Hazardous Waste Reduction Program
    Technical Resources for Engineering Efficiency Program
    Basis for Program
    Program Requirements
    Role of Stakeholders
    Financial Impacts
    Effectiveness of Program
    Lean and the Environment Program (Washington State)
    Basis for Program
    Program Requirements
    Role of Stakeholders
    Financial Impacts
    Effectiveness of Program
    Company Examples
    New Jersey Technical Assistance Program
    Basis for Program
    Program Requirements
    Role of Stakeholders
    Financial Impacts
    Effectiveness of Program
    California Technical Assistance Program
    Market-Based Approaches to Environmental Protection
    Command without Control
    Cap and Trade
    Pollution Taxes or Fees
    A Program to Reduce Toxic Chemical Use
    Target Impact Chemicals
    Chemical Composition Reporting
    Chemical Toxicity Rating
    Chemical Use Reporting
    Public Disclosure
    Toxic Chemical Use Fee
    Incentives
    Chemical Use Reduction Planning
    Technical Assistance
    Costs and Benefits
    Costs of the Program
    Toxic Chemical Use Fees
    Health Benefits of a Successful Toxic Chemical Usage
    Reduction Program
    Environmental Impacts
    Direct Benefits to Businesses
    Human Capacity Building
    Technology Transfer and Productivity Enhancement
    Positive Publicity and Associated Increased Revenue
    Reduced Regulatory Burden
    Other Benefits
    Appendix A: Chemicals List with CAS Numbers
    Appendix B: CAS Numbers with Chemical Names

    Biography

    Dr. Tom Higgins is one of the early founders and shapers of waste minimization and pollution prevention. He is a frequently invited speaker at technical conferences, company workshops, and board of directors to talk about Pollution Prevention. He has assisted companies and governmental agencies in setting up Pollution Prevention programs in the US, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Uzbekistan, Taiwan, Mainland China, Australia, and Brazil.

    Higgins, Sachdev, and Engleman are environmental engineers with a career-long mission to control hazardous waste by minimizing waste releases rather than just treating wastes. The existing Toxics Release Inventory program (TRI) requires reporting release of chemicals as poundage, with no regard for risk factors. ... truly effective waste reduction programs require application of additional factors, including toxicity factors, air/water mobility factors, environmental persistence, and bioconcentration. Integration of all of these factors with the poundage released yields meaningful relative impact data or effective toxicity factors. This book provides tables of all of these data for hundreds of reportable chemicals. The authors also describe TRI programs for foreign countries, pollution prevention and waste reduction programs for eight states, and program costs. An appendix provides lists of chemicals with their CAS Registry Numbers. Valuable for safety and environmental engineers, toxicologists, ecologists, those in environmental policy positions, legislators, journalists, and the concerned public, as well as students in the relevant disciplines. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; general audiences.
    —R.E. Buntrock, formerly University of Maine, in CHOICE, June 2011, Vol. 48, No. 10