22
2 Technology, Risk, Precaution, and Sustainability
Even the growing acceptance and implementation of the principles of Green
Chemistry, Sustainable Chemistry, and related concepts cannot resolve the impacts
that will be associated with the strong projected growth of the chemical industry
over the coming decades (UNEP, 2019). This problem goes beyond what a single
chemical company, which is required to be economically successful in a globalized
market, can resolve internally.
On the societal level, the frameworks and regulations that are necessary for the
implementation of the concept of sustainability need to be strengthened. Specifically
for chemicals, the concept of essential vs. nonessential uses (Cousins et al., 2019)
makes it possible to evaluate which chemical products have higher priority and
relevance than others. By this approach, also the problem of unchecked growth
of the production of chemicals can be addressed—chemical production should be
focused on chemicals for which there are essential uses.
Of general importance is the development of a sound knowledge base that
facilitates the quantification of indicators that reliably measure the progress (or
lack thereof) toward Sustainable Development Goals (Steinemann et al., 2019). The
ability to make informed political decisions and to achieve a sound understanding of
the progress made depends on having knowledge about the long-term consequences
of different forms of production and consumption.
2.4
Chemical Risks and Protection Areas
This book advocates for working toward a more sustainable chemical industry
by applying integrated development with support from a broad set of tools and
methods. Fundamental to these is understanding that undesired impacts of chemical
technology are directly (or indirectly) connected with the release of material or
energy. For chemical products, this includes releases during the entire life cycle
across the use, disposal, and recycling or reuse of the product. For chemical
processes, this includes releases during periods of normal manufacturing as well
as in the event of an accident. Impacts occur via a pathway starting with the initial
release (known as the emission), followed by propagation processes, and exposure,
and resulting in damage. This is depicted in Fig. 2.2, and relevant definitions are
included in Table 2.1.
The impacts can be subdivided within an exposure-duration curve into the
protection areas of safety, health protection, and environmental protection as shown
in Fig. 2.3 and introduced by Lemkowitz (1992).
The area of safety concerns event-driven risks that are characterized by short
exposure periods and high but mostly localized exposures. They are highly timespecific in terms of location and event. Most often, such events are considered
accidents and include fires, explosions, and the discharge of toxic substances with
their corresponding acute effects. This protection area is investigated and managed
using the method of process risk assessment, which is introduced in Chaps. 7 and 8.
2 Technology, Risk, Precaution, and Sustainability
Even the growing acceptance and implementation of the principles of Green
Chemistry, Sustainable Chemistry, and related concepts cannot resolve the impacts
that will be associated with the strong projected growth of the chemical industry
over the coming decades (UNEP, 2019). This problem goes beyond what a single
chemical company, which is required to be economically successful in a globalized
market, can resolve internally.
On the societal level, the frameworks and regulations that are necessary for the
implementation of the concept of sustainability need to be strengthened. Specifically
for chemicals, the concept of essential vs. nonessential uses (Cousins et al., 2019)
makes it possible to evaluate which chemical products have higher priority and
relevance than others. By this approach, also the problem of unchecked growth
of the production of chemicals can be addressed—chemical production should be
focused on chemicals for which there are essential uses.
Of general importance is the development of a sound knowledge base that
facilitates the quantification of indicators that reliably measure the progress (or
lack thereof) toward Sustainable Development Goals (Steinemann et al., 2019). The
ability to make informed political decisions and to achieve a sound understanding of
the progress made depends on having knowledge about the long-term consequences
of different forms of production and consumption.
2.4
Chemical Risks and Protection Areas
This book advocates for working toward a more sustainable chemical industry
by applying integrated development with support from a broad set of tools and
methods. Fundamental to these is understanding that undesired impacts of chemical
technology are directly (or indirectly) connected with the release of material or
energy. For chemical products, this includes releases during the entire life cycle
across the use, disposal, and recycling or reuse of the product. For chemical
processes, this includes releases during periods of normal manufacturing as well
as in the event of an accident. Impacts occur via a pathway starting with the initial
release (known as the emission), followed by propagation processes, and exposure,
and resulting in damage. This is depicted in Fig. 2.2, and relevant definitions are
included in Table 2.1.
The impacts can be subdivided within an exposure-duration curve into the
protection areas of safety, health protection, and environmental protection as shown
in Fig. 2.3 and introduced by Lemkowitz (1992).
The area of safety concerns event-driven risks that are characterized by short
exposure periods and high but mostly localized exposures. They are highly timespecific in terms of location and event. Most often, such events are considered
accidents and include fires, explosions, and the discharge of toxic substances with
their corresponding acute effects. This protection area is investigated and managed
using the method of process risk assessment, which is introduced in Chaps. 7 and 8.