GOVERNMENT
Federal Alert— new regulations
Tougher rules for transport of volatile toxic chemicals
This listing highlights regulations as published in the Federal Register from Aug. 12 to Oct. 4. Complete information is available on the appropriate page number. PROPOSED
One consequence of the tragic chemical leak in Bhopal, India, last December was a cry for greater awareness and protection from chemicals that are serious hazards if inhaled. Responding to that plea, the Department of Transportation has issued tougher safety standards for all vehicles carrying poisonous volatile liquids. The DOT Research & Special Programs Administration rules will apply to all motor vehicles, railcars, portable tanks, and freight containers that carry these volatile chemicals. All will be required to display "Poison" placards when carrying any of 36 listed chemicals. Also required will be shipping labels and papers carrying the warning "Poison—Inhalation Hazard." In announcing the new safety regulations, DOT Secretary Elizabeth H. Dole commented, "The action will assure that methyl isocyanate and other volatile liquids are carried in stronger containers to reduce the risk of a discharge in the event of an accident." Among the changes facing shippers are special packaging requirements for these materials. Rail tank cars and tank trucks carrying some of the substances will have to be of greater strength than is presently
specified. Special containers also may be required. Motor vehicles and freight containers carrying less than 1000 lb of highly toxic substances are currently exempt from special placarding requirements. The new regulations remove this exemption and require the "Poison" placard. Basically, DOT has put together a subgroup of poisons based on their inhalation hazard. Under current regulations, liquids are listed as hazardous only if they are flammable or corrosive. The result is that emergency response personnel or transportation workers handle the materials as corrosive or flammable and are unaware of the inhalation hazard. In urging DOT to formulate the new rules, the National Transportation Safety Board used methyl isocyanate as an example, pointing out that the lower flammability limit of MIC is 53,000 ppm, but that a concentration of MIC as low as 5 ppm can be fatal if inhaled. Determining just which chemicals will be labeled as inhalation hazards, aside from those listed by DOT, will be the responsibility of those who wish to ship the chemicals. DOT has devised a definition for such a hazard: Any liquid having a saturated vapor concentration (SVC) at 20 °C equal to or greater
DOT lists 36 chemicals requiring special handling Acetone cyanohydrin Acrolein, inhibited Allyl alcohol Allylamine Bromine trifluoride n-Butylisocyanate Chlorine trifluoride Chloroacetonitrile Chloropicrin Crotonaldehyde Dimethyl hydrazine, unsymmetrical Ethyl chloroformate
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October 21, 1985 C&EN
Ethyl isocyanate Ethylene chlorohydrin Ethyleneimine Isopropyl chloroformate Mesitylene Methacrylonitrile Methyl bromide Methyl chloroformate Methyl chloromethyl ether Methyl hydrazine Methyl isocyanate Monochloroacetic acid, liquid
Nickel carbonyl Nitric acid, red fuming tert-Octylmercaptan Pentaborane Phosphorus oxychloride Phosphorus trichloride Propionitrile n-Propyl chloroformate Tetramethoxy si lane Tetran itromethane Titanium tetrachloride Trimethoxy silane
Environmental Protection Agency—Proposes placing regulations on volatile priority pollutants emitted during pharmaceutical manufacturing; comments by Nov. 3 (Sept. 9, page 36638). Intends to add 38 hazardous waste sites to Superfund national priority list; comments by Nov. 18 (Sept. 18, page 37950). Internal Revenue Service—Updates regulations on excise taxes on gasohol and other alcohol mixture fuels; comments by Oct. 21 (Aug. 22, page 33977). FINAL Agriculture Department—No longer permits use of ethylene dibromide to fumigate mangoes imported into U.S.; effective Sept. 17 (Sept. 17, page 37637). Environmental Protection Agency—Amends Superfund regulations to allow listing of sites where health hazards exist even if sites otherwise would not qualify; effective Oct. 16 (Sept. 16, page 37624). Promulgates environmental standards for management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and transuranic radioactive wastes; effective Oct. 3 (Sept. 19, page 38066). Sets rules for waste disposal facilities with interim status so they may comply with groundwater monitoring and liability insurance requirements; no fixed effective date (Sept. 25, page 38946). Requires pesticide manufacturers to limit water pollution by using best available technology and pretreatment methods; effective Oct. 18 (Oct. 4, page 40672). International Trade Administration—Revises list of chemical and petroleum manufacturing equipment subject to export controls; effective Sept. 11 (Sept. 11, page 37112). Nuclear Regulatory Commission—Allows physicians to use several technetium-99 compounds without special permits for imaging tests; effective Sept. 10 (Sept. 10, page 36866). Occupational Safety & Health Administration—Adds new rules for research and for use of respirators for coke-oven emissions following court order; effective Sept. 13 (Sept. 13, page 37352). Veteran's Administration—Promulgates rule for assessing claims for compensation from veterans exposed to agent orange or ionizing radiation; effective Sept. 25 (Aug. 26, page 34452).
Reverse Osmosis and Ultrafiltration
NEW! S. Sourirajan and Takeshi Matsuura, Editors National Research Council of Canada Reports significant advances in the technological improvement and fundamental understanding of reverse-osmosis-ultrafiltration membranes and processes. Features topics such as new studies in gas separations and pervaporation by RO membranes, fundamental studies in membrane formation and membranes transport, progress in development and industrial use of inorganic membranes, and more. CONTENTS Materials Science of Reverse-Osmosis-Ultrafiltration Membranes • Polyethersulfone Ultrafiltration Membranes • Nature of Dynamically Formed Ultrafiltration Membranes • Polyblend Membranes in Hyperfiltration of Electrolyte Solutions • Structure, Permeability, and Separation Characteristics of Porous Alumina Membranes • Plasma-Polymerized Membranes of 4-Vinylpyridine • Gamma RayInduced Enhancement Effect on Salt Rejection Properties of Irradiated Membranes • Polyether Composite-1000 Spiral-Wound Membrane Element • Transport in Pressure-Driven Membrane Separation Process • Physicochemical Interpretation of Behavior of Pressure-Driven Membrane Separation Process • Effect of Hydrolysis on Cellulose Acetate RO Transport Coefficients • Application of Multicomponent Membrane Transport Model to RO Separation Processes • Predictability of Membrane Performance in RO Systems Involving Mixed Ionized Solutes in Aqueous Solutions • Solute Separation and Transport Characteristics Through Polyether Composite-1000 RO Membranes • Hydrodynamic Properties of Skin and Bulk of Asymmetric RO Membranes • Limiting Flux in Ultrafiltration of Macromolecular Solutions • Mineral Ultrafiltration Membranes in Industry • Membrane Bioreactors for High-Performance Fermentation • Single-Stage Seawater Desalting with Thin-Film Composite Membrane Elements • Boiler-Feed Quality Water from Bitumen-Heavy Oil-Oil-in-Water Emulsions • Treatment of Paper-Plant Wastewater by Ultrafiltration • Concentration and Recovery of e-Caprolactam from Process Waste Stream • Sanitary Design RO Systems for Pharmaceutical Industry • Ultrafiltrative Solute Rejection Behavior of Black Liquor • RO and Ultrafiltration Applied to Processing of Fruit Juices • Halogen Interaction with Polyamide RO Membranes • RO Membrane Fouling at Yuma Desalting Test Facility • Fluid Mechanics of Dilute Solutions • RO and Ultrafiltration Membrane Compaction and Fouling Studies Using Ultrafiltration Pretreatment • Gel Volume Deposits on Ultrafiltration Membranes • Pretreatment, Fouling, and Cleaning in Membrane Processing of Industrial Effluents • Gas Permeability of Polypeptide Membranes • SolventExchange Drying of Cellulose Acetate Membranes for Separation of Hydrogen-Methane Gas Mixtures • Pervaporation Membranes • Dehydration of AlcoholWater Mixtures Through Composite Membranes by Pervaporation Based on a symposium sponsored by the Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry of the American Chemical Society ACS Symposium Series No. 281 501 pages (1985) Clothbound LC 85-0921 -9 ISBN 0-8412-0921 -9 U.S. & Canada $89.95 Export $107.95 Order from: American Chemical Society Distribution Office Dept. 36 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Washington, DC 20036 or CALL TOLL FREE 800-424-6747 and use your credit card.
Government than 10 times its LC50 vapor value (if that value is 1000 ppm or less) will be considered to be an inhalation hazard. [SVC is the concentration in parts per million of vapor at equilibrium with liquid phase at 20 °C and standard atmospheric pressure. The LC50 vapor value is the concentration of vapor that will kill within 14 days 50% of the test animals—albino rats that have continuously inhaled the vapor for one hour.] LC50 data will be based on one-hour exposures with observation of the animals for 14 days. Until January 1988, however, DOT says an observation period of 48 hours can be substituted for the 14-day period. The department suggests that LC50 data published in the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances from the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health be used as a source. The rule is set up mainly for large shipments of chemicals and not to burden those moving very small
quantities. The rule, therefore, does not apply to material packaged in original packages of quantities of 1 L or less. These small volumes must still be labeled as poisons in accordance with current rules, but no special designation is required. DOT says that many of those involved in transporting toxic chemicals wanted the agency to list each chemical requiring special treatment in a table on hazardous materials. DOT says this is not its job. Instead, it's the company's responsibility to comply with the rule if the chemical is toxic, DOT says, because more than 30,000 different chemicals and mixtures are being shipped in commerce, most not even identified by chemical name. The new rules will go into effect May 1, 1986, for shipment of materials in bulk quantity containers. For nonbulk shipments—that is, quantities of less than 110 gal—the effective date is Oct. 1,1986. David Hanson, Washington
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ENCSELHJAF9D October 21.1985 C&EN 21
