Hazardous Chemicals in the Environment

HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS
IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
What are the hazardous
chemicals in the environment?
Hazardous chemicals in the environment refers to any waste products that
could pose a threat to both human life and the environment. Typically, hazardous
waste is classified as such since it exhibits at least one of these characteristics:
Ignitability – Waste that combusts/burns easily.

Corrosivity – Waste that can cause damage or corrode any other substances it
comes into contact with.
Reactivity – Highly reactive Waste.
Toxicity – Waste that contains or releases dangerous toxins.
https://www.businesswaste.co.uk/hazardous-waste/types-of-hazardous-waste/
Types of Hazardous Waste
1. Universal Waste
1. Universal Waste
Universal Waste can be produced both within the home

and the workplace and includes items such as:
Examples:
Batteries
TVs, lamps and other WEEE products
Pesticides
Aerosol cans
Equipment containing mercury
2. Mixed Waste
2. Mixed Waste
Mixed waste refers to any waste that contains

hazardous or radioactive components, and it is often
produced in laboratories or similar facilities. Mixed
wastes are split into three sub-categories such as
Low-level mixed waste, intermediate-level waste and
high-level mixed waste.
2. Mixed Waste
Low-Level Mixed Waste (LLMW) is waste produced in

nuclear facilities that have come into contact with potentially
hazardous or toxic materials. As a result, it could contain
items such as:
Examples:
Plastic
Paper
Scrap metal
2. Mixed Waste
Intermediate-Level Waste (ILW) is produced at
numerous different facilities and contains higher
levels of radioactivity than LLMW. This includes
items such as:
Examples:
Sludge
Resins
Some forms of cladding
2. Mixed Waste
High-Level Mixed Waste is typically classified as

such as it contains large amounts of radioactivity. It is
produced through the reprocessing of nuclear fuel and
is typically in the form of a liquid. This form of waste
is harder to dispose of but typically accounts for less
than 1% of mixed waste.
3. Chemical Waste
3. Chemical Waste
Chemical waste is any waste products that contain or may
have come into contact with dangerous chemicals. By
nature, they are typically corrosive, toxic or highly
reactive. This includes items such as:
Examples:
Waste oils
Chemical waste containers
Lithium-sulfur batteries
Asbestos
4. Listed Waste
4. Listed Waste
Listed Wastes are waste products created in the

manufacturing or industrial process and are
divided into two sections – the F-List and the K-
list – and are determined by the EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency).
4. Listed Waste
F-list Wastes are forms of common manufacturing waste.
This could include:

Solvents
Pesticides
Sludge
Metal fishing waste
Wood-preserving waste
Pharmaceutical waste such as acetone and methanol
4. Listed Waste
K-List wastes refer to specific industry waste products.
This could include:

 Waste from the production of metals such as iron, steel and
aluminium.
 Veterinary waste products.
Waste produced in the production of petroleum and similar products.
 Lead waste.
Inorganic & organic chemicals.
Treatment/Disposal of Hazardous Waste
Business owners have a legal responsibility

to appropriately handle, store and dispose of any
hazardous waste produced on their facility or as
part of the daily running of their business. In
fact, it is a criminal offence for hazardous waste
to be mixed with general waste.
When taken to the correct facilities, hazardous

waste is disposed of in a variety of ways. For
example, some products, such as certain types of
batteries or electronic circuit boards, can be recycled
and turned into new products. In fact, most forms of
Universal Waste are disposed of in this manner.
Chemical waste and some forms of Listed Waste

undergo specific forms of treatment before disposal, such as
chemical or thermal treatments, which work to make the
chemicals less dangerous and therefore easier to dispose of
or recycle. By prioritizing recycling, fewer waste products
need to be disposed of in landfills or through incineration –
thus reducing the impact we have on the environment.
Cleanup of Contaminated Sites
I. Soil Treatments
 Bioremediation
Bioremediation uses microorganisms (such as bacteria) to
break down organic contaminants, like petroleum products,
in soil or groundwater.
cleanup-methods.pdfhttps://dec.alaska.gov
I. Soil Treatments
 Landfarming
Landfarming involves placing contaminated soil in a biocell. The
biocell consists of a liner surrounded by a berm. The soil is placed on
the liner, fertilized, and turned periodically to help bacteria break
down the contaminant.
I. Soil Treatments
 Landspreading
Landspreading consists of tilling contaminated soil into the
surface layer of a field and letting natural biological action
and aeration clean up the contamination.
II. Mechanical/Engineered Methods
 Soil Vapor Extraction
This method involves putting perforated pipes into the
contaminated soil and pulling air through the soil and into
the pipes.
 Soil Washing
As its name suggests, this method involves removing contamination
from soil, gravel, or rocks through washing. Washing can be with
water or a solvent that dissolves the contaminant.
 Natural Attenuation and Monitoring
Naturally occurring physical, chemical, and biological processes in
soil and water can slowly break down contamination into non-
hazardous components and reduce contaminant concentrations to
acceptable levels.
 Incineration
Soil contaminated with hazardous substances that can be burned at
moderately low temperatures and result in safe byproducts are good
candidates for incineration.
III. Groundwater Treatment
 Natural attenuation and bioremediation
Those are the most commonly used treatment methods for
groundwater.
 Air Sparging
A method in which air is forced downward into a
contaminated aquifer.
 Pump and Treat
This method involves pumping contaminated water out of the
ground, running it through a filter or other treatment system to
remove the contamination, and returning the water to the
ground.
Biomagnification
Biomagnification is the process by which toxic
chemicals build up within predators. This typically occurs
across an entire food chain and affects all of the organisms
but animals higher up in the chain are more impacted.
https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Biomagnification
Relevant Laws
 Republic Act 6969: Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990.
 Environmental Impact Assessment Law (PD 1586)
 Clean Air Act of 1999 (RA 8749)
 DENR MC 2002-12: Delegation of Authority to the EMB Regional Offices to issue “Permit to Transport” for
Hazardous Wastes, and “Certification” and “Importation Clearance” for Chemicals and Chemical Substances
 Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003)
 Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2009 (RA 9512)
https://chemical.emb.gov.ph/?page_id=121
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Economic Impact
Impacts on the environment can be just as
devastating: killing organisms in a lake or river,
destroying animals and plants in a contaminated
area, causing major reproductive complications in
animals, or otherwise limit the ability of an
ecosystem to survive. Certain hazardous substances
also have the potential to explode or cause a fire,
threatening both animals and human populations.
https://www.epa.gov/emergency-response/health-and-ecological-hazards-caused-hazardous-substances
Cost-benefit Analysis
Cost-benefit analysis evaluates the

social gain associated with a given
intervention by comparing the benefits (any
increase in welfare) and the costs (any
decrease in human well being).
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/17447
Cost-benefit Analysis
Cost-benefit Analysis is used in environmental
regulation to determine acceptable levels of risk.
Acceptable risk denotes a level that maximizes the
difference between total social cost and total social
benefits, or in other words, where the marginal
social benefits associated with the risk reduction
are equal to the marginal social costs of pollution
abatement.
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/17447
Externalities
Externalities are costs imposed on third parties. The
paradigmatic example is pollution. A firm manufactures a
product that generates toxic waste, and dumps the waste;
society pays for the associated cost, including, for
instance, the community’s health problems caused by the
waste. Profit is supposed to measure the firm’s revenues
in excess of the associated costs; because this cost is not
included, the firm’s profits are higher than they should be,
and there is more pollution than there should be.
https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/sulr/vol39/iss2/14/
Marginal Costs
Marginal cost of pollution is the
additional environmental cost that results
due to the production of one additional
unit. Marginal abatement cost is the cost
associated with eliminating a unit of
pollution. As the amount of pollution
released goes down, the marginal
abatement cost tends to go up.
https://study.com
Sustainability Action Why? How
Existing concentrations of chemicals Change culture on use of chemicals.
1. Reduce and minimize releases of
are harming people, wildlife and Make chemical use a last, not first,
chemicals into the environment.
ecosystems. resort.
Chemicals that bio accumulate may

reach thresholds in target species
Use advances in chemical design and
2. Remove from use chemicals that where they become toxic.
green chemistry to deliver active but
bio accumulate Additionally, future generations
non-accumulating chemicals.
become responsible for pollution they
$
did not discharge.
Allow sale only of products and

Prevent further accumulation of
3. A step change in recycling and chemicals that can be recycled.
chemicals and waste in the
reuse of chemicals. Investment in technological advances
environment.
in processing waste.
Advances will reduce threats to Ensure all chemicals in use are easily
4. Use more green chemistry to ecosystem and human health by degradable OR fully recyclable and
manufacture greener chemicals. reducing bioaccumulation and environmental impacts considered
toxicity. when chemicals are designed.
Give confidence to stakeholders that Commit to long-term integrated

5. Commit to combined chemical and
policy measures are having chemical and biological monitoring
wildlife monitoring.
detectable and beneficial impacts with the results made public.
Anticipated pollution consequences

Legal and financial deterrents should
6. Disincentivize pollution and of chemical use need to be
be aimed at pollution, and sanctions
penalize polluters discouraged. Unanticipated pollution
consistently imposed on polluters.
damages need to be compensated.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019317854
Sustainability
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019317854
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!

Hazardous Chemicals in the Environment

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HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

Ignitability – Waste that combusts/burns easily.

Reactivity – Highly reactive Waste.

Toxicity – Waste that contains or releases dangerous toxins.

Universal Waste can be produced both within the home

Mixed waste refers to any waste that contains

Low-Level Mixed Waste (LLMW) is waste produced in

High-Level Mixed Waste is typically classified as

Listed Wastes are waste products created in the

F-list Wastes are forms of common manufacturing waste.

This could include:

K-List wastes refer to specific industry waste products.

This could include:

Business owners have a legal responsibility

When taken to the correct facilities, hazardous

Chemical waste and some forms of Listed Waste

 Environmental Impact Assessment Law (PD 1586)

 Clean Air Act of 1999 (RA 8749)

 Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003)

 Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2009 (RA 9512)

Cost-benefit analysis evaluates the

Chemicals that bio accumulate may

Allow sale only of products and

Give confidence to stakeholders that Commit to long-term integrated

Anticipated pollution consequences

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