risk assessment Articles
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We are running out of water - now what?
Last weekend, Jessica Yu’s new water documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” took us on tour of the impacts water scarcity is creating around the globe, from the parched pastures of Australia’s farmlands to the sewage-polluted banks of the Jordan River. This film shines a much-needed light on the various water challenges we all now face at a critical time. The numbers alone ...
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2011 Predictions for EPA`s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
The Acta Group, L.L.C.'s (Acta) thoughts are below on what may be headed our way in 2011 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP). In short, the general trends established by the Obama Administration during the past two years are expected to continue notwithstanding the 2010 election results. At the same time, the impact of ...
By Acta Group
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FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel considers nanosilver
On November 3-5, 2009, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) met “to consider and review a set of scientific issues related to the assessment of hazard and exposure associated with nanosilver and other nanometal pesticide products.” The decision to convene an SAP was nominally motivated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ...
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Why monitor dust in the workplace?
Almost any place of employment can present a potential threat to health and safety from airborne particulates and aerosols. It is important to note, however, that dust hazards are not necessarily visible to the human eye and that the finest particles can represent the greatest threat because of their ability to travel deepest into the lungs. Effective monitoring is therefore key to the ...
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FTIR gas analysis improves container safety
Introduction Entry to freight containers represents a significant hazard to staff responsible for inspection, stuffing or destuffing because of the large number of airborne chemicals that can be present. Research in Germany and the Netherlands found hazardous levels of gases and vapours in around 20% of all containers and this level of contamination is now accepted as commonplace. It is ...
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The New Environmental Insurance Products: When Does it Make Sense to Buy Them?
Part One Introduction Real estate transactions with environmental problems often founder on attempts to shift the liabilities from one party to the other. In transactions with other types of problems, insurance is a popular risk transfer mechanism, and is regularly used for that purpose, but it is used far less often when there are environmental risks. This so-called 'environmental insurance ...
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Gas Analysis Improves Container Safety - Case study
Entry to freight containers represents a significant hazard to staff responsible for inspection, stuffing or destuffing because of the large number of airborne chemicals that can be present. Research in Germany and the Netherlands found hazardous levels of gases and vapours in around 20 percent of all containers and this level of contamination is now accepted as commonplace. Introduction ...
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5 Things We Learned in 2013 that Could Move the Needle on Sustainability
Two and a half millennia ago, Plato announced that “Human behavior flows from three things: desire, emotion, and knowledge.” Unfortunately, our human and corporate behavior on climate change is not even close to where it needs to be. But if the great philosopher was right (and he usually was), 2013 may have been a game changer. Gains in “desire” and “emotion” ...
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Interview with Ronald Ebelhar, 2015 Chairman of the ASTM Board
Ron Ebelhar has provided leadership in civil engineering projects and ASTM technical committee work since the 1970s. This year, he brings his experience to his elected position as chairman of the ASTM board of directors. You have worked on dozens of engineering projects since getting your degrees in civil engineering. What are some of the most interesting and challenging jobs you have been ...
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Navigating NSPS subpart Db for boilers: a case study
Over the past year, Trinity assisted a chemical company with the permitting and installation of a new 220 MMBtu/hr package boiler. The new natural gas-fired boiler replaces coal-fired units that were installed in the 1940s. Navigating through the numerous, and at times conflicting, regulatory requirements applicable to such a unit has been challenging. With careful planning and implementation, ...
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Fire Codes: A Foundation of Safety for a Rapidly Changing World
Chief among these safety features is fire protection. There are myriad codes and regulations relating to fire safety in commercial buildings, from standards on portable fire extinguishers to the installation of stationary pumps for fire protection — the U.S.- based National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) alone has more than 300 consensus codes that have been adopted in whole or in part in ...
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Ionising Radiation
Introduction The energy level of some types of radiation is high enough so that when they interact with matter they cause the formation of electrically charged particles or ion-pairs and break molecular bonds. These so-called ionising radiations are by their nature potentially harmful to life; at high doses they can be lethal and at lower doses can cause genetic damage. Ionising radiation occurs ...
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Release of the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reveals ongoing decline of the status of plants and animals
The number of known threatened species reaches 16,119. The ranks of those facing extinction are joined by familiar species like the polar bear, hippopotamus and desert gazelles; together with ocean sharks, freshwater fish and Mediterranean flowers. Positive action has helped the white-tailed eagle and offers a glimmer of hope to Indian vultures. Geneva, Switzerland, 2 May 2006 (IUCN) – The ...
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What are we doing to our children’s brains?
Environmental chemicals are wreaking havoc to last a lifetime The numbers are startling. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.8 million more children in the U.S. were diagnosed with developmental disabilities between 2006 and 2008 than a decade earlier. During this time, the prevalence of autism climbed nearly 300 percent, while that of attention deficit ...
By Ensia
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Greening the Built Environment
ASTM Standards and Products Form the Foundation of Sustainable Construction Efforts Today, a major focal point for the worldwide building industry is the growing demand for sustainable construction. Sustainable, or “green,” construction is focused on the more effective use of resources and ultimately the creation of healthier, energy efficient, more environmentally friendly homes and ...
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Canada’s environmental guidelines and policies
Canada's environmental guidelines Canada has signed many international environmental agreements and has developed environmental guidelines, policies and programs to help protect the environment. Canada has a variety of environmental standards and guidelines designed to protect the countrys natural resources and promote sustainable development. These standards and guidelines cover many issues, ...
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The shifting sands of GHG regulation
So far this year, there have been significant developments on U.S. climate change policy, including movement toward mandatory reporting and regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the federal level via either a cap-and-trade program or possibly existing Clean Air Act mechanisms. While the specifics are still uncertain regarding how these regulatory developments and legislative actions ...
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Sample Handling Strategies for Accurate Lead-In-Soil Measurements in the Field and Laboratory
ABSTRACT The inhomogenous lead-in-soil matrix can present serious obstacles to accurate sample collection and handling. In typical lead-in-soil measurement, particle size related errors in sampling and sample handling often exceed all other sources of error. The magnitude of error can vary widely depending on the particulate nature of the lead contaminant and the effectiveness of control ...
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10 Reasons why you should continuously monitor low temperature and liquid chemical sterilants for worker safety
1. Sterilant chemicals are highly toxic Low temperature and liquid chemical sterilants are designed to kill all microorganisms including resistant spores and if they were not toxic, they would not be effective in sufficiently high concentration to destroy all microbial life including the chemically resistant sporicidal forms of certain bacteria. There are two main classes of sterilant chemical, ...
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