RA 6969 : EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
and
RA 6969 or also known as the "Toxic Substances
and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act
of 1990 is the policy of the State to regulate,
restrict or prohibit the importation,
manufacture, processing, sale, distribution, use
and disposal of chemical substances and
mixtures that present unreasonable risk and/or
injury to health or the environment; to prohibit
the entry, even in transit, of hazardous and
nuclear wastes and their disposal into the
Philippine territorial limits for whatever purpose;
and to provide advancement and facilitate
research and studies on toxic chemicals.
This Act covers the importation, manufacture,
processing, handling, storage, transportation,
sale, distribution, use and disposal of all
unregulated chemical substances and mixtures
in the Philippines, including the entry even in
transit, as well as the keeping or storage and
disposal of hazardous and nuclear wastes into
the country for whatever purposes. RA 6969 has
four main objectives:
a) To keep an inventory of chemicals that are
presently being imported, manufactured, or
used; indicating, among others, their existing
and possible uses, test data, names of firms
manufacturing or using them, and such other
information as may be considered relevant to
the protection of health and the environment;
b) To monitor and regulate the importation,
manufacture, processing, handling, storage,
transportation, sale, distribution, use and
disposal of chemical substances and mixtures
that present unreasonable risk or injury to health
or to the environment in accordance with
national policies and international
commitments;
c) To inform and educate the populace
regarding the hazards and risks attendant to the
manufacture, handling, storage, transportation,
processing, distribution, use and disposal of toxic
chemicals and other substances and mixtures;
d) To prevent the entry, even in transit, as well
as the keeping or storage and disposal of
hazardous and nuclear wastes into the country
for whatever purpose.
The acts that will be considered as violations
under RA 6969 include knowingly use in chemical
substance or mixture which is imported,
manufactured, processed or distributed in
violation of this Act or implementing rules and
regulations or orders, failure or refusal to submit
reports, notices or on the information, access to
records as required by this Act, or permit
inspection of establishment where chemicals are
manufactured, processed, stored or otherwise
held failure or refusal to comply with the pre-
manufacture and pre-importation requirements;
and cause, aid or facilitate, directly or indirectly,
in the storage, importation or bringing into
Philippine territory, including its maritime
economic zones, even in transit, either by means
of land, air or sea transportation or otherwise
keeping in storage any amount of hazardous and
nuclear wastes in any part of the Philippines.
Penalties are to be given to anyone or to any
corporation caught to be violating the act which
includes imprisonment and fines.
HOUSHOLD ITEMS THAT ARE HAZ WASTES! Miscellaneous
Batteries
sometimes called retail hazardous waste or Compact fluorescent tubes
"home generated special materials', is post- Driveway sealer
consumer waste which qualifies as hazardous Fluorescent light bulbs
waste when discarded. It includes household Mercury thermostats or thermometers
chemicals and other substances for which the Sharps (hypodermic needles, pen
owner no longer has a use, such as consumer needles, intravenous needles, lancets)
products sold for home care, personal care,
automotive care, pest control and other
purposes. These products exhibit many of the Automotive Products
Air conditioning refrigerants
same dangerous characteristics as fully
Antifreeze
regulated hazardous waste due to their potential
Automotive batteries
for reactivity, ignitability, corrosivity, toxicity, or Carburetor and fuel injection cleaners
persistence. Improper disposal of household Fuel additives
hazardous wastes includes pouring them down Motor oil
the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or Starter fluids
putting them in the trash. The dangers of such Transmission and brake fluid
disposal methods might not be immediately
obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes
can pollute the environment and pose a threat to Other Flammable Products
human health. CO2 cartridges (lecture bottle or smaller)
Diesel fuel
Common Household Hazardous Waste: Fire extinguishers under 40 lbs.
Gas/oil mix
Cleaning Products Helium tanks
Bleach (laundry) Home heating oil
Drain cleaners Kerosene/lighter fluid
Oven cleaners Propane tanks (5-gallon or smaller)
Pool chemicals
Toilet cleaners
Tub, tile, shower cleaners
Wood and metal cleaners and polishes

Workshop/Painting Supplies
Adhesives and glues
Aerosol cans
Fixatives and other solvents
Furniture strippers
Oil or enamel-based paint
Paint strippers and removers
Paint thinners and turpentine
Photographic chemicals
Stains and finishes
MERCURY ON EARTH! People are exposed to methylmercury almost
entirely by eating contaminated fish and wildlife
Mercury is a highly toxic element that is found
that are at the top of aquatic foodchains. The
both naturally and as an introduced contaminant
National Research Council, in its 2000 report on
in the environment. Although its potential for
the toxicological effects of methylmercury,
toxicity in highly contaminated areas such as
pointed out that the population at highest risk is
Minamata Bay, Japan, in the 1950's and 1960's,
the offspring of women who consume large
is well documented, research has shown that
amounts of fish and seafood. The report went on
mercury can be a threat to the health of people
to estimate that more than 60,000 children are
and wildlife in many environments that are not
born each year at risk for adverse
obviously polluted. The risk is determined by the
neurodevelopmental effects due to in utero
likelihood of exposure, the form of mercury
exposure to methylmercury. In its 1997 Mercury
present (some forms are more toxic than
Study Report to Congress, the U.S.
others), and the geochemical and ecological
Environmental Protection Agency concluded
factors that influence how mercury moves and
that mercury also may pose a risk to some adults
changes form in the environment.
and wildlife populations that consume large
The toxic effects of mercury depend on its amounts of fish that is contaminated by mercury.
chemical form and the route of exposure.
Methylmercury [CH3Hg] is the most toxic form.
It affects the immune system, alters genetic and
enzyme systems, and damages the nervous
system, including coordination and the senses of
touch, taste, and sight. Methylmercury is
particularly damaging to developing embryos,
which are five to ten times more sensitive than
adults. Exposure to methylmercury is usually by
ingestion, and it is absorbed more readily and
excreted more slowly than other forms of
mercury. Elemental mercury, Hg(0), the form
released from broken thermometers, causes
tremors, gingivitis, and excitability when vapors
are inhaled over a long period of time. Although
it is less toxic than methylmercury, elemental
mercury may be found in higher concentrations
in environments such as gold mine sites, where
it has been used to extract gold. If elemental
mercury is ingested, it is absorbed relatively
slowly and may pass through the digestive
system without causing damage. Ingestion of Sources of mercury!
other common forms of mercury, such as the salt Alkali and metal processing, incineration of coal,
HgCl2, which damages the gastrointestinal tract and medical and other waste, and mining of gold
and causes kidney failure, is unlikely from and mercury contribute greatly to mercury
environmental sources. concentrations in some areas, but atmospheric
deposition is the dominant source of mercury
over most of the landscape. Once in the effective management responses to the Nation's
atmosphere, mercury is widely disseminated and growing mercury problem.
can circulate for years, accounting for its wide-
PRO TIP:
spread distribution. Natural sources of
atmospheric mercury include volcanoes, How can I avoid consuming mercury in
geologic deposits of mercury, and volatilization fish?
from the ocean. Although all rocks, sediments,
water, and soils naturally contain small but Options for avoiding the mercury in mercury-
varying amounts of mercury, scientists have contaminated fish are more limited than for fish
found some local mineral occurrences and contaminated with PCBs, dioxins and other
thermal springs that are naturally high in organic contaminants. Younger fish tend to have
mercury. lower concentrations of mercury than older,
larger fish within the same waterbody. Mercury
concentrates in the muscle tissue of fish. So,
unlike PCBs, dioxins and other organic
Mercury Contamination contaminants that concentrate in the skin and
In highly polluted areas where mercury has fat, mercury cannot be filleted or cooked out of
consumable game fish.
accumulated through industrial or mining
activities, natural processes may bury, dilute, or
erode the mercury deposits, resulting in declines
in concentration. In many relatively pristine
areas, however, mercury concentrations have
actually increased because atmospheric
deposition has increased. For instance,
concentrations of mercury in feathers of fish-
eating seabirds from the northeastern Atlantic
Ocean have steadily increased for more than a
century. In North American sediment cores,
sediments deposited since industrialization have
mercury concentrations about 3-5 times those
found in older sediments. Some sites may have
become methylmercury hot spots inadvertently
through human activities. Lake acidification,
addition of substances like sulfur that stimulate
methylation, and mobilization of mercury in soils
in newly flooded reservoirs or constructed
wetlands have been shown to increase the
likelihood that mercury will become a problem in
fish. Although scientists from USGS and
elsewhere are beginning to unravel the complex
interactions between mercury and the
environment, a lack of information on the
sources, behavior, and effects of mercury in the
environment has impeded identification of

NUCLEAR WASTE 101
The most significant high-level waste from a
nuclear reactor is the used nuclear fuel left after
it has spent about three years in the reactor
generating heat for electricity. Low-level waste is
made up of lightly-contaminated items like tools
and work clothing from power plant operation
and makes up the bulk of radioactive wastes.
Items disposed of as intermediate-level wastes
might include used filters, steel components
from within the reactor and some effluents from
reprocessing.
Volume Radioactive
content
High-level 3% 95%
waste
Intermediate- 7% 4%
level waste
Low-level 90% 1%
waste
Generating enough electricity for one person
produces just 30 grams of used fuel each
year.High-level wastes make just 3% of the total
volume of waste arising from nuclear
generation, but they contain 95% of the
radioactivity arising from nuclear power. Low-
level wastes represent 90% of the total volume
of radioactive wastes, but contain only 1% of the
radioactivity.Managing used fuel Used nuclear
fuel is very hot and radioactive. Handling and
storing it safely can be done as long as it is cooled
and plant workers are shielded from the
radiation it produces by a dense material like
concrete or steel, or by a few metres of
water.Water can conveniently provide both
cooling and shielding, so a typical reactor will
have its fuel removed underwater and
transferred to a storage pool. After about five
years it can be transferred into dry ventilated
concrete containers, but otherwise it can safely
remain in the pool indefinitely - usually for up to
50 years.
Used nuclear fuel is very hot and radioactive.
Handling and storing it safely can be done as long
as it is cooled and plant workers are shielded
from the radiation it produces by a dense
material like concrete or steel, or by a few
metres of water.Water can conveniently provide
both cooling and shielding, so a typical reactor
will have its fuel removed underwater and
transferred to a storage pool. After about five
years it can be transferred into dry ventilated
concrete containers, but otherwise it can safely
remain in the pool indefinitely - usually for up to
50 years.
DisposalThe categorization - high, intermediate,
low - helps determine how wastes are treated
and where they end up. High-level wastes
require shielding and cooling, low-level wastes
can be handled easily without shielding.
All radioactive waste facilities are designed with
numerous layers of protection to make sure that
people remain protected for as long as it takes
for radioactivity to reduce to background levels.
Low-level and intermediate wastes are buried
close to the surface. For low-level wastes
disposal is not much different from a normal
municipal landfill. High-level wastes can remain
highly radioactive for thousands of years. They
need to be disposed of deep underground in
engineered facilities built in stable geological
formations. While no such facilities for high-level
wastes currently operate, their feasibility has
been demonstrated and there are several
countries now in the process of designing and
constructing them.
HEALTH CARE WASTE!
Of the total amount of waste generated by
health-care activities, about 85% is general, non-
hazardous waste. The remaining 15% is
considered hazardous material that may be
infectious, toxic or radioactive. Every year an
estimated 16 billion injections are administered
worldwide, but not all of the needles and
syringes are properly disposed of afterwards.
Open burning and incineration of health care
wastes can, under some circumstances, result in
the emission of dioxins, furans, and particulate
matter. Measures to ensure the safe and
environmentally sound management of health
care wastes can prevent adverse health and
environmental impacts from such waste
including the unintended release of chemical or
biological hazards, including drug-resistant
microorganisms, into the environment thus
protecting the health of patients, health
workers, and the general public.
The major sources of health-care waste are:
-hospitals and other health facilities
-laboratories and research centres
-mortuary and autopsy centres
-animal research and testing laboratories
-blood banks and collection services
-nursing homes for the elderly
High-income countries generate on average up
to 0.5 kg of hazardous waste per hospital bed per
day; while low-income countries generate on
average 0.2 kg. However, health-care waste is
often not separated into hazardous or non-
hazardous wastes in low-income countries
making the real quantity of hazardous waste
much higher.
Waste and by-products cover a diverse range of
materials, as the following list illustrates:
Infectious waste: waste contaminated with
blood and other bodily fluids (e.g. from
discarded diagnostic samples),cultures and
stocks of infectious agents from laboratory work
(e.g. waste from autopsies and infected animals
from laboratories), or waste from patients with
infections (e.g. swabs, bandages and disposable
medical devices);
Pathological waste: human tissues, organs or
fluids, body parts and contaminated animal
carcasses;
Sharps waste: syringes, needles, disposable
scalpels and blades, etc.;
Chemical waste: for example solvents and
reagents used for laboratory preparations,
disinfectants, sterilants and heavy metals
contained in medical devices (e.g. mercury in
broken thermometers) and batteries;
Pharmaceutical waste: expired, unused and
contaminated drugs and vaccines;
Cyctotoxic waste: waste containing substances
with genotoxic properties (i.e. highly hazardous
substances that are, mutagenic, teratogenic or
carcinogenic), such as cytotoxic drugs used in
cancer treatment and their metabolites;
Radioactive waste: such as products
contaminated by radionuclides including
radioactive diagnostic material or
radiotherapeutic materials;
Health risks!
Health-care waste contains potentially harmful
microorganisms that can infect hospital patients,
health workers and the general public. Other
potential hazards may include drug-resistant
microorganisms which spread from health
facilities into the environment.
Adverse health outcomes associated with health
care waste and by-products also include:
-sharps-inflicted injuries;
-toxic exposure to pharmaceutical products, in
particular, antibiotics and cytotoxic drugs
released into the surrounding environment, and
to substances such as mercury or dioxins, during
the handling or incineration of health care
wastes;
-chemical burns arising in the context of
disinfection, sterilization or waste treatment
activities;
-air pollution arising as a result of the release of
particulate matter during medical waste
incineration;
-thermal injuries occurring in conjunction with
open burning and the operation of medical
waste incinerators; and
-radiation burns.
Environmental Impact
-Treatment and disposal of healthcare waste
may pose health risks indirectly through the
release of pathogens and toxic pollutants into
the environment.
-The disposal of untreated health care wastes in
landfills can lead to the contamination of
drinking, surface, and ground waters if those
landfills are not properly constructed.
-The treatment of health care wastes with
chemical disinfectants can result in the release of
chemical substances into the environment if
those substances are not handled, stored and
disposed in an environmentally sound manner.
-Incineration of waste has been widely practised,
but inadequate incineration or the incineration
of unsuitable materials results in the release of
pollutants into the air and in the generation of
ash residue. Incinerated materials containing or
treated with chlorine can generate dioxins and
furans, which are human carcinogens and have
been associated with a range of adverse health
effects. Incineration of heavy metals or materials
with high metal content (in particular lead,
mercury and cadmium) can lead to the spread of
toxic metals in the environment.
-Only modern incinerators operating at 850-
1100 °C and fitted with special gas-cleaning
equipment are able to comply with the
international emission standards for dioxins and
furans.
-Alternatives to incineration such as autoclaving,
microwaving, steam treatment integrated with
internal mixing, which minimize the formation
and release of chemicals or hazardous emissions
should be given consideration in settings where
there are sufficient resources to operate and
maintain such systems and dispose of the
treated waste.
BEFORE WE END: STATISTICS
Worldwide, an estimated 16 billion injections are
administered every year. Not all needles and
syringes are disposed of safely, creating a risk of
injury and infection and opportunities for reuse.
Injections with contaminated needles and
syringes in low- and middle-income countries
have reduced substantially in recent years, partly
due to efforts to reduce reuse of injection
devices. Despite this progress, in 2010, unsafe
injections were still responsible for as many as 33
800 new HIV infections, 1.7 million hepatitis B
infections and 315 000 hepatitis C infections (1).
A person who experiences one needle stick
injury from a needle used on an infected source
patient has risks of 30%, 1.8%, and 0.3%
respectively of becoming infected with HBV, HCV
and HIV.
Additional hazards occur from scavenging at
waste disposal sites and during the handling and
manual sorting of hazardous waste from health-
care facilities. These practices are common in
many regions of the world, especially in low- and
middle-income countries. The waste handlers
are at immediate risk of needle-stick injuries and
exposure to toxic or infectious materials.

In 2015, a joint WHO/UNICEF assessment found

that just over half (58%) of sampled facilities
from 24 countries had adequate systems in place
for the safe disposal of health care waste.
BE CAREFUL! ALL ABOUT ASBESTOS tissue plaques on the surface of the pleura (lung
linings). It can be a precursor to the onset of
Asbestos refers to six naturally occurring fibrous
mesothelioma.
minerals that have the ability to resist heat, fire
and electricity.

Although asbestos fibers are microscopic in

nature, they are extremely durable and resistant
to fire and most chemical reactions and
breakdowns. These properties of asbestos
supported its use for many years in a number of
different commercial and industrial settings, as
well as in a wide range of consumer products.
Although its use has diminished in recent
decades, there are still many products that
contain asbestos, especially in older homes,
schools, and public buildings.
ASBESTOS FACTS:
Asbestos is perhaps best known for its role in
causing mesothelioma, a rare and deadly cancer -Asbestos has been declared a “known human
that can develop in linings of the lungs, carcinogen,” having been commonly associated
abdomen, or heart. with asbestos cancer.

Why Is Asbestos Hazardous?
Asbestos is made up of microscopic fibers that
can easily become airborne and inhaled. Because
of their shape, the asbestos particles cling to
tissues of the lungs and other areas of the
respiratory system.
Over time, these tiny fibers can cause
inflammation, causing a number of health
problems, the three biggest of which are:
-The peak of asbestos use occurred from the late
1930s through the end of the 1970s.
-Though anyone who was exposed to asbestos
can develop asbestos-related diseases, US Navy
veterans who served during World War II and the
Korean Conflict have the highest incidence of
these diseases.
-Some 30 million pounds of asbestos are still
used each year in the United States.

Mesothelioma — This aggressive cancer forms in
the thin membrane (mesothelium) that protects
vital organs in the chest and abdomen. Exposure
to asbestos is the only medically-verified cause
of the disease.
Lung Cancer — Most commonly associated with
factors like smoking and radon, lung cancer is
also known to be exacerbated by exposure to
asbestos.
Asbestosis — This degenerative respiratory
condition results from the formation of scar
-The number one cause of occupational cancer in
the United States is asbestos, even more than 30
years after its use was essentially halted.
Asbestos accounts for 54 percent of all
occupational cancers, according to the Asbestos
Disease Awareness Organization.
-Since asbestos guidelines were issued in 1979,
approximately 45,000 Americans have died of
asbestos-related diseases, including asbestosis
and mesothelioma.
-10,000 Americans will die this year of asbestos-
related diseases (including lung cancer and
mesothelioma cancer) and 200,000 are currently
living with asbestosis.

-Asbestos is still mined in several countries

throughout the world, including Canada, and is
exported to many industrialized and developing
countries.

-No amount of asbestos exposure is safe;

however, the longer and more intense the
exposure, the more likely an individual is to
develop mesothelioma cancer or another
asbestos disease.

-Exposure to asbestos can also increase the

likelihood of other types of lung cancer. Smoking
also exacerbates asbestos-related diseases.

-Asbestos can still be found in myriad homes,

schools, and commercial or industrial buildings.

-Asbestos was once used in more than 3,000

consumer products, including common
household items such as toasters and hair
dryers, some of which may still be in use.