Every year many millions of tons of chemicals and toxic substances are manufactured or produced as by products when other products are manufactured. These chemicals and toxins have to be stored safely and unfortunately, transported to the places where it is needed. When accidents happen the results can be devastating. It is particularly difficult and expensive to clean up chemical spills. When a spill occurs, the highest priority is to prevent the spread of the contamination. This is where containment berms prove to be invaluable.
Preventing the pollution from spreading is only the first step in a complicated process of cleaning up the scene. No single method can be used to deal with all spills and it is therefore necessary to assess each incident individually before plans can be made to neutralize the chemicals and to remove it to facilities where safe disposal can take place in a controlled environment.
Continuing research has led to some new methods of dealing with spills. Agents that are able to completely absorb many types of chemicals are now commonly used. Other agents act as bio degrading accelerators. Once applied to a spill the toxins degrade at a much faster rate. This means that the toxins can be handled with safety and removed from the scene of the spill without endangering cleaning crews.
Environmentalists are particularly excited about the development of another new agent that not only absorb many different types of toxins and chemicals, but that can actually transform them into a harmless substance. As an added bonus the resultant mass can be used productively in the manufacture of bitumen and rubber products. In this way cleaning up operations becomes cheaper because they produce a substance that can be sold again.
Not every spill can be cleaned up by using neutralizing and absorbing agents. Some chemicals simply do not degrade and absorbing some chemicals is extremely difficult, especially if the spill took place in a body of water. In these cases efforts are made to separate the water from the chemicals. This can be done because there is a weight difference between the water and the pollutants. The chemicals are then pumped into containers.
It is impossible to deal with all spills. Authorities have to deal with extremely high cost and a shortage of people trained in dealing with chemical spills. Spills that occur in sensitive areas, historical sites, tourism hot spots and densely populated areas are therefore treated as a priority. Many spills that occur in sparsely populated areas and are simply ignored.
There are strict regulations governing the manufacture, storage, transport and use of dangerous substances. However, many companies are still not prepared to deal with disasters. It is vital to develop policies addressing these issues and to make sure that staff knows exactly what to do when an accident occur. It is also important to make sure that suitable containing equipment is available at all times.
Activists have long argued that the manufacture and use of harmful chemicals and toxins should be even more strictly controlled. The fact remains, however, that there are numerous manufacturers of these substances and that it would be almost impossible to monitor adherence to legislation. In the meantime, most people use products containing chemicals almost every day.
Preventing the pollution from spreading is only the first step in a complicated process of cleaning up the scene. No single method can be used to deal with all spills and it is therefore necessary to assess each incident individually before plans can be made to neutralize the chemicals and to remove it to facilities where safe disposal can take place in a controlled environment.
Continuing research has led to some new methods of dealing with spills. Agents that are able to completely absorb many types of chemicals are now commonly used. Other agents act as bio degrading accelerators. Once applied to a spill the toxins degrade at a much faster rate. This means that the toxins can be handled with safety and removed from the scene of the spill without endangering cleaning crews.
Environmentalists are particularly excited about the development of another new agent that not only absorb many different types of toxins and chemicals, but that can actually transform them into a harmless substance. As an added bonus the resultant mass can be used productively in the manufacture of bitumen and rubber products. In this way cleaning up operations becomes cheaper because they produce a substance that can be sold again.
Not every spill can be cleaned up by using neutralizing and absorbing agents. Some chemicals simply do not degrade and absorbing some chemicals is extremely difficult, especially if the spill took place in a body of water. In these cases efforts are made to separate the water from the chemicals. This can be done because there is a weight difference between the water and the pollutants. The chemicals are then pumped into containers.
It is impossible to deal with all spills. Authorities have to deal with extremely high cost and a shortage of people trained in dealing with chemical spills. Spills that occur in sensitive areas, historical sites, tourism hot spots and densely populated areas are therefore treated as a priority. Many spills that occur in sparsely populated areas and are simply ignored.
There are strict regulations governing the manufacture, storage, transport and use of dangerous substances. However, many companies are still not prepared to deal with disasters. It is vital to develop policies addressing these issues and to make sure that staff knows exactly what to do when an accident occur. It is also important to make sure that suitable containing equipment is available at all times.
Activists have long argued that the manufacture and use of harmful chemicals and toxins should be even more strictly controlled. The fact remains, however, that there are numerous manufacturers of these substances and that it would be almost impossible to monitor adherence to legislation. In the meantime, most people use products containing chemicals almost every day.
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