What are hazardous waste?

Transcription

1 What are hazardous waste?

2 What are hazardous waste? Many of the products used around the home are dangerous and poisonous These products are not only dangerous in the house, but also if they are not disposed of correctly Some types of waste have an immediate or longterm harmful effect on human health or the environment Dangerous materials, such as certain chemicals, are always considered hazardous waste when they are not in use anymore Wastes fall into three categories: Always hazardous, for example, lead acid batteries Never hazardous, for example, edible oil Sometimes hazardous and in need of assessment, for example, ink and paint

3 Classification of hazardous materials The Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is an internationally agreed system to standardise the various classification and labelling systems used in different countries GHS uses the following categories: Class 1: Explosives Class 2: Gases Class 3: Flammable liquids. Class 4: Flammable solids; spontaneously combustible materials; and materials that are dangerous when wet Class 5: Oxidizers and organic peroxides Class 6: Poisons and disease-causing materials Class 7: Radioactive materials Class 8: Corrosives Class 9: Miscellaneous

4 New warning labels Explosives Acute toxicity Flammable Irritant Serious health effects Oxidizing Hazardous to the aquatic environment Corrosive Gases under pressure

5 Hazardous Waste at home By law, any household product containing hazardous substances must be labelled accordingly Hazardous products are identifiable to consumers through the following fourword rating system, listed from most to least hazardous: Poison means that a product is highly toxic and can cause injury or death if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin Danger means that a product is highly toxic, highly flammable or highly corrosive Warning and Caution both indicate that a product is toxic, corrosive, reactive or flammable

6 Hazardous waste at home, some examples: Accumulators and batteries Household cleaners and detergents Nail polish and remover Medicines Energy-saving light bulbs and fluorescent tubes Paints and Solvents Motor oil and windscreen (windshield) wash fluid

7 The Proper management of hazardous wastes means: Correctly classifying hazardous substances or items Correctly storing Being aware of the rules of utilisation and the proper sites and conditions for the disposal Sharing useful information about waste with others

8 The disposal of household hazardous waste Household hazardous wastes are to be disposed in separate special containers For batteries, special disposal bins are located for example in chain stores, fuel stations, schools and other agreed places Certain fuel stations also have special containers for disposing of household hazardous wastes Some household hazardous waste requires special treatment or disposal, and businesses exist that provide these treatment and removal services. IT and other electronic can be disposed in special sorting stations

9 Risks of hazardous wastes

10 What are the risks of hazardous wastes? At households a misuse of products is causing a risks The reasons for such misuse of products can be: The consumer doesn't bother to read the labels The labels are too difficult to read The directions are inconvenient or too difficult There are also some products that may cause significant health risks even when used as directed

11 Banned products There are many products that have been banned or taken off the market because of their environmental or health risks e.g. those containing PCBs, PCTs, asbestos fibres, lead, mercury and arsenic compound) Examples of products banned for such reasons include the following: many children's toys, after extensive testing, have been found to contain lead; the brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) used in plastics can leach out and can be found in house dust; bisphenol-a has been found in the plastic used in baby bottles and food-can liners

12 Handling hazardous waste There are also many risks in the issue of how to contain hazardous waste: Even the most technologically advanced landfills may leak one day The tanks that store petroleum or other chemicals can leak and catch fire Underground tanks may weaken over time and leak their hazardous contents There are also many risks in transporting hazardous waste, for example, when trains crash or trucks overturn People also may dump hazardous waste in sewer systems, abandoned warehouses or in remote areas ditches in order to avoid the costs of safe disposal

13 How may we exposed to hazardous substances? Humans, plants and animals can be exposed to hazardous waste through inhalation, ingestion or dermal exposure. Inhalation: by breathing Ingestion: by eating and drinking Dermal exposure: by direct contact with or be absorbed by our skin. Exposure can be acute or chronic Bioaccumulation is the accumulation of inorganic substances or organic chemicals in an organism These substances accumulate and cause harm over time, for example, pesticides

14 Hazardous wastes and health risks There are three categories of effect of health risks with hazardous waste: Mutagenic effect: permanent change in DNA may be passed on to later generations Carcinogenic effect: an increase in an individual's risk of developing cancer Teratogenic effect: the risk that a developing embryo will have physical defects