TOXICOLOGY

Toxicology

Toxicology

Introduction

Hazardous materials are often transported and stored in large quantities. An accidental release of these materials presents a potential danger to the public and the environment. The accident can be handled more quickly when the hazardous material is specifically identified and characterized (Schieler & PauzeÌ, 2006). Unfortunately, the contents of the storage tanks or trucks may not be adequately specified or identified. It may be that the shipping papers or records are not available. Even with such information, you need an experienced person to define the hazards and their severity.

Discussion and Analysis

Preliminary considerations International shipping especially toxic waste from industrialized countries to developing nations for disposal poses a threat not only to the environment of recipient countries, but also for the world's oceans and the health of the community global. The danger is compounded because the toxic waste producers find it cheaper and easier to export these products, which comply with national regulations that control their management and disposal. Beyond the risk of accidents during transport, there is an increasingly serious danger in the practice of sending toxic waste to developing countries with financial constraints, because they cannot drive safely, wastes that are generated or stored within its borders. It is responsible, from the environmental point of view, locating an industrial operation that produces hazardous waste in a place where there is no effective means for disposal. In the extreme case, this means that certain sub sectors of industry (Schieler & PauzeÌ, 2006), may not be appropriate for certain regions. Often the problem is institutional, and the site could be acceptable, conditionally, if the proposed development was accompanied by a government commitment to plan and provide transport, treatment and disposal of toxic waste.

The fundamental commitment is to ensure sustainable development, long-term and effective management of natural and human resources. With the growing threat to the environment posed by unregulated international shipments of hazardous waste, and in light of their own fundamental concerns for environmental protection in developing countries, handling, shipping and disposal of toxic waste or dangerous should be governed by the following rules devised in accordance with the recommendations of CHEMTREC, CAMEO, the NRC and the HAZCOM:

Do not risk the oceans, or any developing country, due to discharge, transfer, or disposal of toxic or hazardous wastes that are produced in one country and transported to another.

Should be strictly and completely prohibit discharges into the ocean. Using the international shipment of toxic waste, this should be only with the ...