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Hazardous Materials Characterization and Assessment

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Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology

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Definition of the Subject

Some materials can be safely produced with minimal environmental and human health concerns during its use or disposal. Other materials are hazardous to manufacture or use and, when disposed, can contaminate and persist in the environment. These toxicity issues can depend on the chemical traits of the substances, such as polymers, metals and other compounds, in question. Characterization and assessment methods are needed to correctly identify substances of concern and to evaluate in a systematic way the degree of hazard they pose to ecological systems and human health. Building upon toxicological studies, hazardous materials management requires assessment tools that integrate toxicity data to support decision making for the proper handling, treatment, and/or elimination of toxic substances from industrial processes and manufactured products.

Historically, through regulatory or corporate efforts, environmental protection has addressed hazardous materials...

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Abbreviations

Hazardous materials assessment:

Systematic review or aggregation methods to consider evidence for material toxicity and hazards to support waste management or pollution prevention priority setting for high-impact substances.

Hazardous materials characterization:

Identification of environmental, health, and physical hazard traits in materials.

Hazard traits:

Environmental, health, and physical adverse effects posed by materials to surroundings and living organisms.

Material life cycle:

The journey a material goes through during its entire life including stages of raw material production, product manufacturing, use, and end-of-life.

Materials selection:

A design process by which materials are compared and chosen for use according to their functional and environmental attributes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, 2017 Kemper Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Dr. Julie M. Schoenung

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, 3010 Kemper Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Dr. Carl W. Lam

Authors
  1. Dr. Julie M. Schoenung
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  2. Dr. Carl W. Lam
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Correspondence to Julie M. Schoenung .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. RAMTECH LIMITED, Larkspur, CA, USA

    Robert A. Meyers

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Schoenung, J.M., Lam, C.W. (2012). Hazardous Materials Characterization and Assessment . In: Meyers, R.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3_91

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