Definition
Hazardous substances have a potential ability to cause harm. A substance being hazardous is a consequence of one or more of its intrinsic physicochemical, toxicological, and ecotoxicological properties.
To define what is “hazardous,” criteria are needed. The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is an internationally agreed-upon standard managed by the United Nations (2017). It has been enacted in many countries in the world, including European Union (in the CLP Regulation) and the United States (in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards). According to it, a hazardous chemical is any substance or mixture fulfilling the criteria relating to one or more physical hazards, health hazards, or environmental hazards, and such a chemical shall be classified in relation to the respective hazard classes provided for in GHS (or, in...
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Kruopienė, J. (2019). Hazardous Substances. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Responsible Consumption and Production. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71062-4_29-1
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