TOXIC HAZARD AWARENESS IN RESPONSE TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPILLS

Chemicals in an uncontrolled release into the environment can pose many hazards to the immediate area and the personnel responding to a spill. These hazards include possible fire and explosion, chemical reactivity, and adverse health effects. The assessment of the adverse health effects of chemical exposures is within the realm of toxicology. Few of the individuals involved with responding to hazardous material spills have received any formal training in this field yet its value to them becomes increasingly important as more exotic materials are involved in transportation accidents. This paper is designed to familiarize these individuals with the terminology and some of the fundamental principles of toxicology, thus enabling them to more competently evaluate the health effects of exposures to chemicals. The concepts of acute and chronic toxicity and dose/response are discussed, and the primary intoxication pathways are described.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper presented to the 1980 National Conference and Exhibition on The Control of Hazardous Material Spills held on 13-15 May 1980 in Louisville.
• Corporate Authors:

  United States Coast Guard

  2100 Second Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20593
• Authors:
  • Haas, T J
• Conference:
  • Proceedings of the Marine Safety Council
• Publication Date: 1980-6

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 119-123
• Serial:
  • Volume: 37
  • Issue Number: 6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chemical spills; Hazard evaluation; Health hazards; Spills (Pollution); Toxicity
• Old TRIS Terms: Hazardous chemical spills
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00316687
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 16 2002 12:00AM