Course Outline

ENV364
Pollution Prevention
Faculty of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Program
Semester 2020
Properties and Fates of
Environmental
Contaminants

Week 2
 Background

• Source Reduction can be done by product change design (product reformulation) or production line change
(process modification).
• To effectively evaluate the usefulness of a proposed product design or production line change, the
environmental impacts of the changes must be known.
Anyone contemplating such changes should investigate the properties of the existing by-products
and any new by-products anticipated from the changes and determine their environmental
implications
 Background
• This means that engineer or the decision maker must have
some basic understanding of the materials involved and their
environmental and public health impacts.
• He or she must also understand the fate of these materials in
the environment, since these fates will often dictate the
long-term risks and costs associated with disposal of a
particular material
• Types of environmental engineering decision:
• Decisions Based on Technical Analyses
• Decisions Based on Cost Effectiveness Analyses
• Decisions Based on Benefit/Cost Analyses
• Decisions Based on Risk Analyses
• Decisions Based on Environmental Impact Analyses
• Decisions Based on Ethical Analyses
Decision based on Technical Analysis

• When performing technical analyses, we often do not have all the

information we need to make decisions. Therefore, we must make
assumptions. These assumptions, of course, must be made using the
best available data with a (sometimes liberal) sprinkling of good
judgment.
• One characteristic of technical decisions is that they can be checked
by other engineers.
Decision Based on Cost Effectiveness
• Engineers typically find themselves working for an employer or client
who requires that various alternatives for solving an engineering
problem be analyzed on the basis of cost.
• If the project clearly worthwhile, and the projects with the highest
benefit/cost ratios should be constructed first because these will
provide the greatest returns on the investment
Decision Based on Risk Analysis
• Often the benefits of a proposed project are not such simple items as
recreational values but the more serious concern of human health.
When life and health enter benefit/cost calculations, the analyses are
generally referred to as risk/benefit/cost analyses to indicate that
people are at risk. They have become more widely known as simply
risk analyses
Problem
You are an engineer for a large manufacturing facility. One of your
responsibilities is to evaluate pollution emissions at your plant and to
suggest ways to minimize them.
The company previously produced and emitted large quantities of a toxic
chemical from one of its processes. To reduce emissions, the company
recently replaced the process with a new system that produces only
negligible quantities of the chemical. You are told that since this is a new
low-polluting process, you do not need to investigate it.
However, during your inquiries into another process line, you discover that
the new process is emitting another potentially harmful compound. This
compound has not yet been proven harmful and is not on any regulation,
but recent literature you have read indicates that it may be a potential
endocrine disrupter.
Should you report this to your supervisor? The process cost millions of
dollars to install and its shutdown would cause irreparable damage to the
company. If you do report it and your supervisor tells you to ignore it until
firm evidence proves its harmful, what should you do?
 Decision based on Technical Analysis
 Decision based on Cost Effectiveness
 Decision Benefit Cost Analysis
Properties and Fates of
Environmental
Contaminants

Week 2
Properties and Fates of Environmental
Contaminants
Background (Engineering
Decision)
Organic & Inorganic Chemical
Contaminant Transport and
Transformation in the Environment
Contaminant
Concentrations
Transport Processes
Partitioning Processes
Transformation Processes
 ORGANIC CHEMICAL
• Organic compounds are those that contain carbon
and usually hydrogen
• Organic compounds can be divided into two main
groupings by their structure
•Aliphatic compounds
•Aromatic compounds
• Aliphatic compounds contain straight or branched
chains of carbon atoms, or are formed into rings
containing single bonds between the carbons
• Aromatic compounds are a special group of organic
compounds which contain carbon-based rings or
multi-rings with alternating single and double carbon-
carbon bonds
Organic Compounds (Solvent)

Short-term exposure to solvents is known to cause lack of coordination, dizziness, headaches,

nausea, stomach pains, skin rashes, cracking or bleeding skin and irritation to the eyes, nose and
throat. Continued exposure to solvents can also cause blindness, harm the liver and kidneys,
increase risk for irregular heartbeats and affect the nervous system. Some solvents have also been
identified as carcinogens, and research from the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences has recently linked solvent exposure to breast cancer
• Aliphatic compounds
1. Alkanes are aliphatic hydrocarbon compounds in
which all bonds between carbon atoms are single
bonds. The names of all alkanes end in –ane. (i.e
methane, ethane etc)
2. Alkenes are aliphatic compounds in which double
bonds exist between two adjacent carbon atoms.
The names of alkenes all end in -ene or in the past
–ylene.
3. Alkynes are denoted by triple bond between two
carbon atoms. Names of aklynes end in (-yne)
4. Organic acids ussually have a carboxylic acid group
(-COOH) attached to one end of the molecule. The
compound’s name ends in (-anoic acid)
5. Esters are compounds formed by the reaction of
alcohols and organic acids
• Aromatic compounds
All aromatic compounds are ring compounds with
alternating single and double bonds between the ring
carbons. The simplest aromatic compound is benzene
(C6H6).
Two or more benzene rings can be fused together, sharing
pairs of carbon atoms. These compounds are referred to as
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PARs). The simplest two-
and three-ring PAR com- pounds are naphthalene and
anthracene.
 Metal (Inorganic compounds)
• Heavy metals are defined as those with atomic
numbers greater than that of iron and with densities
greater than 5.0 g/cm3.
• Many heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, chromium,
mercury) are of great environmental concern because
of their toxicity.
 CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT AND
TRANSFORMATION IN THE ENVIRONMENT
• Because of the potential hazard that exposure to hazardous
compounds poses to humans and the environment, the
levels of toxic and carcinogenic substances in the
environment have become important criteria for evaluating
environmental quality.
• The amount of a material which enters the environment,
though, is not always indicative of the amount that will be
found there.
• The concentration of a contaminant at any point in
the environment depends on the quantity added and
the processes that influence its fate.

• This can include both transport and transformation

mechanisms.
• Transport processes tend to move materials from one point
to another and may involve intermedia exchanges between
atmospheric, aquatic, and soil environments, as well as
movement within each of these media. Transport may be
due to advective, dispersive, or diffusional processes.

• Transformation processes within each media chemically

alter the contaminants to new compounds that may have
lower, equal, or greater toxicity. Transformations may be due
to chemical, photochemical, or biological processes
• The rates at which chemicals are transformed are critical to
an understanding of the seriousness of a particular
pollution incident.
• In this lecture, we will only superficially describe these
processes so that we will better understand why avoiding
introduction of these materials into the environment
through pollution prevention techniques may be desirable.
• In addition, we will develop a better understanding of the
process of establishing priorities for waste reduction.
Transport processes
Transport processes can be subdivided into:
 loading processes
 advective processes
 dispersive processes, and
 diffusive processes.
 Loading processes
• Loading processes are mechanisms by which
contaminants are introduced into the environment
• Contaminants can reach the environment through
emissions into air or water or application to land.
• Once the contaminant reaches the environment, it is
acted on by many other processes that tend to cause
it to move within that medium or to move to another
medium
Industrial contaminants can enter the environment
from a wide variety of sources.

• Point sources
• air emissions from smoke stacks
• process wastewaters discharged

• Fugitive emission
unintentional emissions from leaking process equipment
such as valves and pumps
Point source vs non point source
Point Source vs fugitive emission
• There are many sources of waste loads on the environment
associated with a particular industrial process.

• It is the responsibility of industry and its pollution prevention

experts to evaluate all potential environmental inputs caused
by its products, from the raw materials processing stage
through production and use (and possible reuse) of the
product to final disposal, in order to minimize the total life-
cycle environmental impacts
 advective processes
• Advection is the movement of a contaminant away
from the source due to the physical movement of the
medium in which it is contained
• Contaminants in the air are moved from the source by
winds; those in water by currents, and those in
groundwater by pore water movement
• These factors tend to move the contaminant away
from the source and prevent the buildup of high
concentrations at that point
 dispersive processes
• Pure advection never occurs. There is always some
mixing of contaminants in a unit of air or water with
surrounding uncontaminated air or water, resulting in
a reduction of contaminant concentration in the
original unit of medium.
• This spreading of a contaminant as it moves
downwind, downstream, or downgradient is termed
dispersion
• In the atmosphere, this dispersion is usually due primarily to
atmospheric turbulence, which causes units of air to mix
with surrounding units of air. It may also be caused by
thermal or density differences between the air in the
contaminant plume and the surrounding air. Similar effects
can be seen in surface or groundwaters.
• The most significant consequences of dispersive processes
are the spreading of the contaminant over a greater area and
the dilution (reduction) of the contaminant concentration in
the plume
• Computer models are available for predicting the impact of
dispersive processes on a contaminant plume, but discussion
of these is beyond the scope of this book.
 diffusive processes
• Dispersion processes are concerned with the movement and
mixing of the air or water carrier of the contaminants.
• However, the individual contaminant molecules or ions will
also move in response to concentration gradients in the air
or water.
• They will tend to move from a point of higher concentration
to one of lower concentration. This movement is termed
diffusion
• To assess the impact of a contaminant release into the
environment and the potential effects on the general public,
it is essential that valid predictions of actual exposure
concentrations be made.
• This requires that the combined effects of advection,
dispersion, and diffusion of the contaminants in the plume
be determined.
• The analysis is made more complicated by the fact that the
form and properties of the contaminant may change during
transport.
Diffusive effects can also be modeled, but again
discussion of this is beyond the scope of this book. The
effects of molecular diffusion are again to dilute the
contaminant over a greater area and to reduce its
concentration within the plume.
 Partitioning Processes
• Compounds in the environment are rarely found in their
pure form. Rather, they dissolve and diffuse through media,
trying to achieve a minimum concentration difference with
the surrounding material.
• Many factors govern the rate of dispersion of the com-
pound, as described above. Other factors that govern
dispersion are based on the tendency of a material to want
to be associated with one phase or another. This division
between two phases is termed partitioning.
• Partitioning is dependent on the properties of the
compound and media it is in contact with.
• There are many properties that can affect partitioning,
but we limit this discussion to solubility, acid-base
effects, adsorptive effects, and volatilization effects.
 Solubility
• The water solubility of a hazardous material often dictates its
fate in the environment.
• Water solubility is defined as the maximum (or saturation)
concentration of a substance that will dissolve in water at a
given temperature.
• Solubility is very important because dissolved and
undissolved fractions of a material act quite differently
Example:
assume that naphthalene and anthracene, both polyaromatics, are
added to water in an amount capable of producing 5 mg/L of each
compound. Naphthalene has a water solubility of 32 mg/L, while
anthracene has a solubility of only 0.031 mg/L.
Essentially all of the naphthalene will dissolve into the water and
its fate will largely be that of a dissolved compound, but only a
very small fraction of the anthracene should dissolve in the water.
The remainder will stay in the free form, sinking to the bottom of
the container because of its greater density than water. Its fate will
largely be determined by different factors than those for the
naphthalene
• The undissolved fraction of a material in water will float or sink, depending on its
density. Undissolved fractions are called Nonaqueous Phase Liquids (NAPLs).
Dense NAPLs (those with a density greater than water) are called DNAPLs. They
will sink to the bottom of a container filled with water or to the bottom of a
groundwater aquifer. Light NAPLs (LNAPLs) will float on the surface of water,
whether in a container or in groundwater
•
The water solubility of a compound is controlled by a number of factors,
especially its size and structure
 Acid Base Ionization
• The classical definition of an acid is a compound that yields a
hydrogen ion (H+) upon addition to water
• A base yields a hydroxyl ion (OH-) upon addition to water
• The degree of ionization of these materials (acid and base)
may play a significant role in their transport and eventual
fates.
Problem
• A 5-g sample of pentachlorophenol is added to I L of water at pH 7.5.
What will be the resulting concentration of un-ionized
pentachlorophenol?
Volatilization
• Volatilization is defined as the transfer of matter from the dissolved
phase to the gaseous phase.
• Many toxic materials volatilize in the natural environment, with the
rate dependent on properties of the contaminant and the
characteristics of the water body.
• Volatilization may decrease the concentration in the atmosphere
• Volatilization is also major cause of fugitive emissions at industrial
plant
 Adsorptive effect
• Sorptive properties of a material are very important in
describing the fate of the material in the environment.
• Sorption can be defined as the transfer of a material
from one phase to another.
• Sorption can be divided into two categories:
absorption and adsorption.
• Absorption involves the movement of one material into another, for
example the dissolution of oxygen into water.
• Adsorption involves the condensation and attachment of one
material onto the surface of another material
 Transformation Processes
• Many organic compounds undergo chemical or biochemical
transformations upon entering the environment
• Transformation reactions involve the breaking of chemical
bonds in the original compound, creating new compounds
• Depending on the extent of degradation, the reaction
products may be more, less, or as toxic or harmful to the
environment or public health as the original material
• A number of transformation reactions can occur. They
may be biotic (biological) or abiotic (physical or
chemical).

• Among the more important transformation processes

are hydrolysis, elimination, oxidation-reduction,
photolysis, and biodegradation reactions.
HYDROLYSIS
• Hydrolysis reactions involve the attack of an electron-
rich water molecule on an electron-poor organic bond
in the compound.
• During attack, the water molecule is added across the
bond and the constituent originally at the bond leaves
the molecule, often with either the H+ or OH- from
the water molecule.
• Hydrolysis reactions result in the alteration of the
original compound, but the resulting products may
not necessarily be less toxic than the original
compound

• Hydrolysis reactions are often catalyzed by hydrogen

or hydroxyl ions, so the reactions are strongly pH
dependent
OXIDATION-REDUCTION REACTIONS
• The most common organic compound transformation
reactions are oxidation or reduction.
• These reactions involve the transfer of electrons.
• An example of an oxidation reaction is the biologically
mediated conversion of glucose to carbon dioxide and water.
• Both biotic and abiotic oxidation- reduction pathways are
known, but natural abiotic reactions in aquatic systems are
generally very slow and of little significance.
• Biological reactions are much more important from an
environmental standpoint. In air, though, abiotic oxidation-
reduction reactions can be significant.
• Oxidation occurs when an organic compound (electron
donor) loses one or more electrons to an oxidizing agent
(electron acceptor)
• Reduction occurs when an organic compound gains one or
more electrons from a reducing agent (electron donor)
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
• The interaction of sunlight and contaminant may either be
direct, in which the contaminant directly receives the light
energy, or
• indirect, in which another compound such as humic acids in
the water receives the energy and then transfers it to the
contaminant in question.
• In the direct case, the contaminant absorbs the light energy
and is converted into an excited state, which then releases
this energy in conjunction with a conversion into a different
compound.
BIOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS
• Most organics are, to some extent, biodegradable by
microorganisms in the environment.

• Since microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature,

biodegradation, particularly by bacteria, is often the
most important process for the destruction of organic
matter in aquatic environments and in soils.
 Decisions Based on Risk Analysis &
Environmental impact assessment
• Decisions based on risk analysis mean that decision maker must have some
basic understanding of the materials involved and their environmental and
public health impacts.
• He or she must also understand the fate of materials, products or by-
products in the environment, since these fates will often dictate the long-
term risks and costs associated with disposal of a particular material.
• Many of these risks or environmental impact assessments will need to be
made by a qualified engineer or scientist, but the plant engineer or
business manager should have enough understanding of the by-product
properties and environmental fates to be able to make an informed
judgment as to the best decision for the plant.
 Decisions Based on Risk Analysis &
Environmental impact assessment

The impacts and fates in the environment of the contaminants

commonly encountered in industrial wastes and some of their
pertinent properties are discussed in this lecture. With an
understanding of these concepts, the person contemplating a
waste minimization initiative can make a more informed
decision.
This lecture discusses common classes of industrial
contaminants, including solvents, plasticizers,
hydrocarbons, dioxins and furans, and plating metals. It
is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion of these
contaminants, but rather a brief introduction to the
nomenclature used in naming these compounds, their
properties and toxic effects, and their environmental
fates
 “We have learned the inherent limitations of treating and
burying wastes. A problem solved in one part of the
environment may become a new problem in another part. We
must curtail pollution closer to its point of origin so that it is
not transferred from place to place”

William Reilly (EPA administrator, 1990)

 The Historical Perspective (Past – Bad
Practice)

In the past, during the first industrial revolution until the second, industry showed little
concern for the types or amounts of wastes generated, and the public had little knowledge
of the impacts of these wastes on the environment. These wastes were usually just
discharged into the air or a nearby river, or they were dumped or buried on land without any
treatment.
 The Historical Perspective (Recent – Good
Practice)

In 1960’s, As these impacts became known, industries began to treat their wastes to remove the
hazardous ones. This practice known as end-of-pipe treatment or Pollution Control. In this sense,
companies utilized additional equipments in the productive process for removing pollution. However in the
most of the cases, pollution do not disappear, but just are transformed in another category of pollutants.
 Historical Perspective (Current – Best
Practice)

In 1975, Dr. Joseph Ling, vice president of 3M company, introduce a program to reduce
wastes generation known as Pollution Prevention Pays (3P). This program firstly adopted by
UK, France and Germany for their environmental policies in 1977s.
 Lesson Learn : 3M Pollution Prevention Pays

• The 3M Company, a major multinational corporation with more than 130

manufacturing sites in the United States as well as others in 41 countries,
produces everything from Magic Tape and Post-it Notes to heart-lung
machines.
• In addition to being one of the largest producers of consumer products, 3M
was also one of the largest producers of wastes, both toxic and nontoxic
• Not only were wastes produced during manufacturing processes at 3M, but
they were also produced during the processing and manufacture of the
goods and chemicals that went into 3M's products, during the
transportation of these raw materials to the manufacturing plant and of
the finished products from manufacturing to the consumer, and after the
consumer had finished with the product and discarded it
 Lesson Learn : 3M Pollution Prevention Pays

• 3M, as well as many other companies, began examining their waste

management practices as a result of public pressure & regulatory
pressure
• When 3M started looking at the company's waste, management
realized that they could never reach their goal of a clean environment
through treatment of these wastes. Most treatment technologies do
not destroy wastes, but rather move them from one medium to
another, only delaying the eventual pollution problem.
• Consequently, 3M decided that preventing the wastes from being
created in the first place was its only viable solution
 Lesson Learn : 3M Pollution Prevention Pays
• The 3P program has been a success. It has evolved into a fully
integrated, high- quality environmental management system, creating
an environmentally sensitive corporate culture.
• Environmental engineers are assigned to business unit facilities to
assist in 3P implementation, employees are given awards for
identifying ways to pre- vent waste generation or ways to recover and
recycle materials, and meetings and conferences are held throughout
the company by employee groups to exchange ideas on pollution
prevention
• Each year, 3M budgets approximately $150 million for research and
development related to environmental issues, such as reducing the
environmental impacts of products and processes
As of the end of the first quarter of 2010, 3M has
prevented more than 3 billion pounds of
pollution, which translates into nearly $1.4 billion
in savings to 3M.
 Pollution Prevention

• In the 1980s, Congress, the EPA, and environmental

professionals came to the conclusion that a new industrial
waste management philosophy was needed if the ever-
expanding industrial pollution and resource depletion
problems were to be solved.
• Indiscriminate use of virgin resources in manufacturing and
subsequent end-of-pipe treatment of resulting wastes would
not provide the resource sustainability and environmental
quality demanded by the public.
 Pollution Prevention
• As a result, a new paradigm was developed which emphasized
minimizing the use of harmful or overexploited resources and
eliminating or minimizing waste production at the source in the
industry's production area
• This philosophy became known by many names, including waste
minimization, source reduction, waste reduction, green engineering,
and sustainable engineering, but the name that is most often
associated with it is pollution prevention.
 What is pollution prevention?
Pollution prevention is a term used to describe production technologies
and strategies that result in eliminating or reducing waste streams. The
EPA defines pollution prevention as:

“the use of materials, processes, or practices that reduce or eliminate

the creation of pollutants or wastes at the source. It includes practices
that reduce the use of hazardous materials, energy, water or other
resources and practices that protect natural resources through
conservation or more efficient use.”
 What is pollution prevention?

• Thus pollution prevention includes both the modification of

industrial processes to minimize the production of wastes and the
implementation of sustainability concepts to conserve valuable
resources
• The main premise underlying pollution prevention is that it makes far
more sense for a generator not to produce waste than to develop
extensive treatment schemes to ensure that the waste poses no
threat to the quality of the environment
 Pollution Prevention Practice (3P)

1. Product reformulation
2. Process modification
3. Equipment redesign
4. Recycling and reuse of waste materials
 Waste definition

• We usually tend to think of waste as a solid product left over at

the end of a process or action, but waste is a much broader issue
than that
• It encompasses wastage of energy or water in producing or using
a product
• Industrial waste is usually described as materials coming from a
manufacturing process that are not directly used within the
corporation and that are marked for disposal or release to the
environment
“A waste is a resource out of place”
 Categories of Wastes
• Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
• Hazardous waste
• Industrial waste
• Medical waste
• Construction and demolition debris
• Radioactive waste
• Mining waste
• Agriculture waste
 Others term:
• Source reduction is an activity that reduces or eliminates the waste at the
step where the pollution is created
• Waste minimization and source reduction are often used interchangeably
• Emission reduction is an activity that reduces or eliminates pollutants
within the industry boundary limits so that they are not emitted into the
environment
• Waste reduction is any activity that reduces the amount of waste that is
generated at any step of manufacture, use, or disposal. Thus, changes to an
industrial process to increase efficiency of process chemicals utilization is
deemed source reduction, while treatment of the residual chemicals
leaving the process to either destroy them or recycle them back to the
process is emission reduction
 Pollution Prevention Hierarchy
 Pollution Prevention Hierarchy
• In almost all cases, total pollution elimination through source
reduction or recycling will not be possible. There will always be some
residuals that cannot be prevented or reclaimed.
• The remaining pollution requiring treatment after source reduction
and recycling should be greatly reduced in volume, however, thus
making treatment easier and much less expensive.
• Some will always need to be disposed of, either to a secure chemical
landfill or directly to the environment at levels that the environment
can safely assimilate
 Pollution Prevention Goal:
• The goal of pollution prevention is zero pollution, but this is
a goal only; not all waste can be prevented or recycled and
there will always be some waste to finally be disposed of.
The objective should be to make the volume of this waste
small enough that it can be managed effectively in an
environmentally safe manner.
 Problems
1. Waste can be defined as "a resource out of place." Examine the
contents of your home trash and determine the potential uses for
the materials being discarded. How difficult would it be to
recycle/reuse these materials? What fraction of your waste is
potentially recyclable/reusable?
2. The quantities of waste generated by almost all activities can
generally be reduced. Consider a typical business office, such as
your university engineering department office. What are the
sources of waste in the office and how could they be reduced?
Consider all waste sources.
 Environmental Ethics (1)
• Most pollution prevention activities are initially begun because of
regulatory pressure, an understanding that there could be cost
savings associated with minimizing waste generation, or a desire to
improve a corporate image.
• In recent years, however, some companies have moved beyond these
impetuses to espouse pollution prevention on a more moral basis.
They base their pollution management decisions on environmental
ethics.
 Environmental ethic (2)
• Environmental ethics is a systematic account of the moral
relationships between human beings and their natural environment
• Environmental ethics is concerned with humanity's relationship to the
environment, its understanding of and responsibilities to nature, and
its obligation to leave some of nature's resources to posterity
• Pollution, population control, resource use, food production and
distribution, energy production and consumption, the preservation of
the wilderness and of species diversity all fall under the purview of
environmental ethics
 Environmental ethic (3)
There are several philosophies used to describe environmental ethics:
• Conservationism: Its basis is the view that wilderness is a resource that must be
utilized and protected at the same time
• Preservationism: This philosophy promotes the ethic that nature is meant to be
enjoyed and experienced by humans and that it is our duty to protect the
wilderness for our future enjoyment
• Deep ecology: Deep ecology extends the base of morality to include all life on
Earth, including plants and animals
• Social ecology: Social ecology places a strong value on human existence while still
recognizing the uniqueness of nature

All of these philosophies have a common element there is a responsibility for all
people to minimize their impact on the environment as much as they can
 Corporate ethics
• Corporate ethics involves the moral issues and decisions confronting
corporations and the individuals working in those corporations,
including moral conduct, character, and ideals. Corporate
environmental ethics concerns the way corporations conduct
business in relation to their impact on the environment.
• In US Based on their environmental performance, Bhat (1996)
classifies companies as red, yellow, or green.
• In Indonesia, Ministry of environment classified corporate
performance using “Proper program” is Indonesian program for
pollution control, evaluation and rating. Classified as red, blue, green
and gold
 Assignment
• Using the Internet, find a corporation that has established a
corporate environmental ethics policy, then describe and
critique the main components of the policy.
Pollution Prevention Advantages:
1. Liability reduction & regulatory compliance. Facilities are
responsible for their wastes from “cradle- to-grave.” By eliminating
or reducing waste generation, future liabilities can also be
decreased. Additionally, the need for expensive pollution liability
insurance requirements may be abated.
2. Enhanced public image. Consumers are interested in purchasing
goods that are safer for the environment and this demand,
depending on how they respond, can mean success or failure for
many companies. Business should therefore be sensitive to
consumer demands and use pollution prevention efforts to their
utmost advantage by producing goods that are environmentally
friendly.
Pollution Prevention Advantages:
3. Reduced waste treatment costs. The most obvious economic benefits
associated with pollution prevention are the savings that result from the
elimination of waste storage, treatment, handling, transport, and disposal.
Waste management costs associated with recordkeeping, reporting, and
laboratory analysis are reduced or eliminated.
4. Decreased worker exposure. By reducing or eliminating chemical exposures,
businesses benefit by lessening the potential for chronic workplace exposure,
and serious accidents and emergencies. The burden of medical monitoring
programs, personal exposure monitoring, and potential damage claims are also
reduced.
5. Decreased energy consumption. As mentioned previously, energy conservation
strategies are often interrelated and complementary to each other. Energy
expenditures associated with the treatment and transport of waste are
reduced when the amount of waste generated is lessened, while at the same
time the pollution associated with energy consumed by these activities is
abated.
Barriers to pollution prevention:
1. Technical limitations. Given the complexity of present
manufacturing processes, waste streams exist that cannot be
reduced with current technology. The need for continued research
and development is evident.
2. Lack of information. In some instances, the information needed to
make a pollution prevention decision may be confidential or is
difficult to obtain. In addition, many decision makers are simply
unaware of the potential opportunities available regarding
information to aid in the implementation of a pollution prevention
program.
3. Consumer preference obstacles. Consumer preference strongly
affects the manner in which a product is produced, packaged, and
marketed. If the implementation of a pollution prevention program
results in the increase in the cost of a product, or decreased
convenience or availability, consumers might be reluctant to use it.
Barriers to pollution prevention:
4. Concern over product quality decline. The use of a less hazardous
material in a product’s manufacturing process may result in
decreased life, durability, or competitiveness
5. Economic concerns. Many companies are unaware of the economic
advantages associated with pollution prevention. Legitimate
concerns may include decreased profit margins or the lack of funds
required for the initial capital investment.
6. Resistance to change. The unwillingness of many businesses to
change is rooted in their reluctance to try technologies that may be
unproven, or based on a combination of the barriers discussed in
this section.
 Historical Perspective (Future – Ideal
Practice)