LABORATORY ACTIONS, DECISIONS & SAFETY WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION Kardzhali,, 7-9 7 9 December 2012 Research Center Environment and Health-Regional Health inspectorate George Papageorgiou Chemical Analyst of CPHL/HCDCP
The European Regulations, Directives & Decisions as a Guideline for the National Laws of the Member States in the Fields of Water and Waste Examination & Handling, Laboratory Safety from Chemical Hazards
PART A EUROPEAN LAWS Regulations, Directives and Decisions
What are EU Regulations? Regulations are the most direct form of EU law - as soon as they are passed, they have binding legal force throughout every Member State, on a par with national laws. National governments do not have to take action themselves to implement EU regulations. What are EU Directives? EU directives lay down certain end results that must be achieved in every Member State. National authorities have to adapt their laws to meet these goals, but are free to decide how to do so. Directives may concern one or more Member States, or all of them. Directives are used to bring different national laws into line with each other. What are EU Decisions? Decisions are EU laws relating to specific cases. They can require authorities and individuals in Member States either do something or stop doing something, and can also confer rights on them.
PART B WATER POLICY & WATER QUALITY
Water for Human Consumption Main Directive: 98/83/EC (Consolidated Version: 2009-08-07) Concerns the quality of water intended for human consumption. The objective of this Directive shall be to protect human health from the adverse effects of any contamination of water intended for human consumption by ensuring that it is wholesome and clean. Definition: Water Intended for Human Consumption 1. all water either in its original state or after treatment, intended for drinking, cooking, food preparation or other domestic purposes, 2. all water used in any food-production undertaking for the manufacture, processing, preservation or marketing of products or substances intended for human consumption Exceptions: natural mineral waters & waters which are medical products within the meaning of the Directives 80/777/EEC and 65/65/EEC respectively.
General obligation of the Directive Water free from any micro-organisms and parasites and from any substances which, in numbers or concentrations, constitute a potential danger to human health and meets the minimum requirements set out in Annex I of the Directive. Annex I è contains some critical parameters. Microbiological Parameters Chemical Parameters Indicator Parameters
Chemical parameters Substances that should not exceed the parametric values. If so Member State should take actions. Parameter Parametric Value Unit Acrylamide 0,10 μg/l Benzene 1,0 μg/l Boron 1,0 mg/l Cadmium 5,0 μg/l Chromium 50 μg/l Cyanide 50 μg/l Epichlorohydrin 0,10 μg/l Fluoride 1,5 mg/l Nitrate 50 mg/l Nitrite 0,50 or 0,10 mg/l Pesticides Total 0,50 μg/l Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 0,10 μg/l
Indicator parameters The values need to be fixed only for monitoring purposes. In the event of non-compliance with these parametric values or with the specifications, Member States shall consider whether that noncompliance poses any risk to human health. Parameter Parametric Value Unit Ammonium 0,50 mg/l Chloride 250 mg/l Conductivity 2500 μs/cm at 20 C Hydrogen ion concentration 6,5 and 9,5 ph units Iron 200 μg/l Odor Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change Sodium 200 mg/l Sulphate 250 mg/l Total Organic Carbon (TOC) No abnormal change
Natural Mineral Water Main Directives: 80/777/EEC (Consolidated Version 2003-11-20) & 2003/40/EC 80/777/EEC Concerns the exploitation and marketing of natural mineral water. Definition: Natural Mineral Water is the microbiologically wholesome water originated in an underground water table or deposit and emerging from a spring tapped at one ore more natural or bore exits. Exceptions: Waters which are medical products within the meaning of the Directive 65/65/EEC Natural mineral waters used at source for curative purposes in thermal or hydromineral establishments.
2003/40/EC This Directive establishes the list of constituents of natural mineral waters which may present a risk to public health. These constituents must be present in the water naturally and may not result from contamination at source. Parameter Parametric Value Unit Arsenic 0,010 (as total) mg/l Boron 1,0 mg/l Cadmium 0,003 mg/l Chromium 0,050 mg/l Cyanide 0,070 mg/l Fluoride 5,0 mg/l Nitrate 50 mg/l Nitrite 0,10 mg/l It also defines the conditions for using ozone-enriched air and the labelling requirements for waters which have undergone such treatment.
PART C POLLUTION & WASTE
The IPPC Directive 2008/1/EEC Concerning Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Towards a future policy on industrial emissions Defines the obligations with which industrial and agricultural activities with a high pollution potential must comply. The aim is to prevent or reduce pollution of the atmosphere, water and soil, as well as the quantities of waste arising from industrial and agricultural installations, to ensure a high level of environmental protection.
The Directive applies to: Energy Industry mineral oil and gas refineries Mineral Industry installations for the production of asbestos and the manufacture of asbestos-based products Chemical Industry simple & oxygen-containing hydrocarbons, ammonia, chlorine & sulphuric acid Some of the main polluting substances are: Air: Sulphur dioxide, oxides of Nitrogen, Carbon monoxide, metals & their compounds, etc Water: Organohalogen compounds, metals & their compounds, cyanide, etc
2008/98/EC Waste hierarchy - From the cradle to the grave In order to better protect the environment, the Member States should take measures for the treatment of their waste in line with the following hierarchy which is listed in order of priority.
Properties of waste which render it hazardous Directive 67/548/EEC toxic (and very toxic) harmful corrosive irritant carcinogenic toxic to reproduction mutagenic and eco-toxic Dangerous waste must be stored and treated in conditions that ensure the protection of health and the environment.
Concerning Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EC (Consolidated Version 2012) This Directive concerns the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water and the treatment and discharge of waste water from certain industrial sectors. Urban waste water means domestic waste water or the mixture of domestic waste water with industrial waste water and/or run-off rain water. Domestic waste water means waste water from residential settlements and services which originates predominantly from the human metabolism and from household activities. Industrial waste water means any waste water which is discharged from premises used for carrying on any trade or industry, other than domestic waste water and run-off rain water. Parameter Concentration Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD 5 at 20 C) 25 mg/l O 2 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) 125 mg/l O 2 Total Suspended Solids (TSS) 35 mg/l
PART D LABORATORY SAFETY
Two dominant Regulations: CLP & REACH Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 (Consolidated Version 2011) Is the European Regulation for Classification Labeling & Packaging of chemical substances and mixtures. It was created by the EU in order to be aligned with the Globally Harmonized System Why do we need such a System? Over the past 40 years there have been globally too many different labeling schemes for hazard classification.
THE SOLUTION ê GHS THE AIM CREATION OF A HAZARD SYMBOL FOR A SUBSTANCE GLOBALLY ACCEPTED & RECOGNIZED: HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED
CLASSIFICATION THE PICTOGRAMS, THE SIGNAL WORDS & THE CLP STATEMENTS 1. PICTOGRAMS The Classification is according to the three following types of Hazard: Physical: Human Health: Environment: 2. SIGNAL WORDS Attention or Danger Danger, depending on the potential hazard of the substance or mixture.
3. STATEMENTS OF HAZARD A long list of Statements has been created to define the possible hazard and precaution, indicating how the product should be handled to minimize risks to the user from chemical substances. These statements are coded phrases, such as: P402 STORE IN A DRY PLACE, where: P è Precautionary Statement 4 è Group Number è Storage 02 è Sequential Number F The CLP doesn t refer to: radioactive substances, non-isolated intermediates, food, waste, etc. F This Directive repeals the Directives 67/548/EEC & 1999/45/EC with effect from 1 st June 2015.
REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 (Consolidated Version 2012) Is the European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use. It deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances. The aim ê to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances.
CLP and REACH shall ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment. These two Directives are reflected to the: Safety Data Sheets or Material Safety Data Sheets ê MSDS includes all the information of a pure substance or a mixture needed for safe use in the laboratory. It is a guideline for every laboratory dealing with potentially hazardous chemical agents for safe handling and storage.
Other important Directives: Directive 2000/60/EC (Consolidated Version: 2009-06-25) è Inland Waters Directives 80/68/EEC (Consolidated Version: 1991-12-31) & 2006/118/ECè Groundwater Directive 2006/7/EC è Bathing Water Directives 75/440/EEC, (Consolidated Version: 2004-05-01) & 79/869/EEC (Consolidated Version: 2007-12-22)è Surface Water Directive 2004/35/EC è Environmental liability is an application of the principle "polluter pays" Directive 2006/21/EC è Extractive industries. Directives 96/62/EC, 2004/107/EC & 2006/96/EC è Air Pollution
Thank you!