Chemical waste
Template:Short description Template:Multiple issues Template:Pollution sidebar Chemical waste is any excess, unused, or unwanted chemical.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chemical waste may be classified as hazardous waste,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> non-hazardous waste, universal waste, or household hazardous waste, each of which is regulated separately by national governments and the United Nations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hazardous waste is material that displays one or more of the following four characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. This information, along with chemical disposal requirements, is typically available on a chemical's Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Radioactive and biohazardous wastes require additional or different methods of handling and disposal, and are often regulated differently than standard hazardous wastes.
Laboratory chemical waste in the US
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prohibits disposing of certain materials down drains.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Therefore, when hazardous chemical waste is generated in a laboratory setting, it is usually stored on-site in appropriate waste containers, such as triple-rinsed chemical storage containers<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> or carboys, where it is later collected and disposed of in order to meet safety, health, and legislative requirements. Many universities' Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) divisions/departments serve this collection and oversight role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Organic solvents and other organic waste is typically incinerated.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some chemical wastes are recycled, such as waste elemental mercury.<ref>pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1196u/Circ_1196_U.pdf</ref>
Laboratory waste containment
Packaging
During packaging, chemical liquid waste containers are filled to no greater than 75% capacity to allow for vapor expansion and to reduce potential spills that can occur from transporting or moving overfilled containers. Containers for chemical liquid waste are typically constructed from materials compatible with the hazardous waste being stored, such as inert materials like polypropylene (PP) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). These containers are also constructed of mechanically robust materials in order to minimize leakage during storage or transit.
In addition to the general packaging requirements mentioned above, precipitates, solids, and other non-fluid wastes are typically stored separately from liquid waste. Chemically contaminated glassware is disposed of separately from other chemical waste in containers that cannot be punctured by broken glass.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
Labelling
Containers may be labelled with the group name from a list of chemical waste categories, along with an itemized list of the contents. All chemicals or materials contaminated by chemicals pose a significant hazard, and as such regulations require that the identity of the chemicals in a waste container is obvious.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Storage
Chemical waste containers are kept closed to prevent spillage, except when waste is being added. Suitable containers are labeled in order to inform disposal specialists of the contents as well as to prevent the addition of incompatible chemicals.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> Liquid waste is stored in containers with secure screw-top or similar lids that cannot be easily dislodged in transit. Solid waste is stored in various sturdy, chemically inert containers, such as large, sealed buckets or thick plastic bags. Secondary containment, such as trays or safety cabinets, are used to capture spills and leaks from the primary container and to segregate incompatible hazardous wastes, such as acids and bases.
Chemical compatibility guidelines
Many chemicals react adversely when combined. Incompatible chemicals are therefore stored in separate areas of laboratories.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Acids are separated from alkalis, metals, cyanides, sulfides, azides, phosphides, and oxidizers, as when acids combine with these types of compounds, violent exothermic reactions can occur. In addition, some of these reactions produce flammable gases, which, combined with the heat produced, may cause explosions. In the case of cyanides, sulfides, azides, phosphides, etc. Toxic gases are also produced.
Oxidizers are separated from acids, organic materials, metals, reducing agents, and ammonia, as when oxidizers combine with these types of compounds, flammable and sometimes toxic compounds can be created. Oxidizers also increase the likelihood that any flammable material present will ignite, seen most readily in research laboratories with improper storage of organic solvents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Environmental pollution
Pharmaceuticals
PPCPs
River pollution
Textile industry
The textile industry is one of the largest polluters in the globalized world of mostly free market dominated socioeconomic systems.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Chemically polluted textile wastewater degrades the quality of the soil and water.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The pollution comes from the type of conduct of chemical treatments used e.g., in pretreatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing operations<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> that many or most market-driven companies use despite "eco-friendly alternatives". Textile industry wastewater is considered to be one the largest polluters of water and soil ecosystems, causing "carcinogenic, mutagenic, genotoxic, cytotoxic and allergenic threats to living organisms".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The textile industry uses over 8000 chemicals in its supply chain,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> also polluting the environment with large amounts of microplastics<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and has been identified in one review as the industry sector producing the largest amount of pollution.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
A campaign of big clothing brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma to voluntarily reform their manufacturing supply chains to commit to achieving zero discharges of hazardous chemicals by 2020 (global goal)<ref name="destin">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> appears to have failed.
The textile industry also creates a lot of pollution that leads to externalities which can cause large economic problems. The problem usually occurs when there is no division of ownership rights. This means that the problem of pollution is largely caused because of incomplete information about which company pollutes and at what scale the damage was caused by the pollution.
Planetary boundary
A study by "Scienmag" defines a 'planetary boundary' for novel entities such as plastic and chemical pollution. The study reported that the boundary has been crossed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Regulation of chemical waste
Chemicals waste may fall under regulations such as COSHH in the United Kingdom or the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in the United States. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as state and local regulations, also regulate chemical use and disposal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Chemical waste in Canadian aquaculture
Template:More citations needed section Chemical waste in oceans is becoming a major issue for marine life. There have been many studies conducted to try and prove the effects of chemicals in oceans.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In Canada, many of the studies concentrated on the Atlantic provinces, where fishing and aquaculture are an important part of the economy. In New Brunswick, a study was done on sea urchins in an attempt to identify the effects of toxic and chemical waste on life beneath the ocean, specifically the waste from salmon farms. Sea urchins were used to check the levels of metals in the environment. Green sea urchins have been used as they are widely distributed, abundant in many locations, and easily accessible. By investigating the concentrations of metals in the green sea urchins, the impacts of chemicals from salmon aquaculture activity could be assessed and detected. Samples were taken at 25-meter intervals along a transect in the direction of the main tidal flow. The study found that there were impacts to at least 75 meters based on the intestine metal concentrations.
See also
- Industrial waste
- List of waste types
- Municipal solid waste
- Radioactive waste
- Toxic waste
- Waste management
- Water pollution
References
Further reading
External links
- Industrial Materials Recycling – US EPA