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We provide environmental, chemistry and hazardous materials news, information & resources including: in depth articles; a detailed periodic table of elements; chemical database; hazmat emergency response guides; hazmat placarding information; and much more.

EnvironmentalChemistry.com is more than just a great reference resource; we strive to have a journalistic aspect based on hard science with articles that really dig into issues and are written by highly qualified scientists like Wilma Pretorius, PhD.

Articles and resources are divided into three major subject areas (environmental issues, chemistry resources, and hazardous materials), which is further broken down into sub-topics. For instance our environmental section is sub-divided into the following sections: Climate Change, Consumer Health & Food Safety, Energy, Environmental Disasters, Politics and Public Policy, Pollution, Sustainablity, Waste & Recycling.

Environmental Issues

• Climate Change
  • CO₂ Pollution and Global Warming
    Why is carbon dioxide, a life sustaining, compound considered pollution and how do scientists know that humans are responsible for the increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and global warming?
• Consumer Health & Food Safety
  • ADA Recommendation for Fluoride in Infant Diets
    Based on American Dental Association recommendations, many infants and small children may be getting too much fluoride in their diets, which may pose long term health risks including fluorosis.
  • Asbestos
    A three part series on its history, chemical and physical properties, uses, health hazards and the legal implications of asbestosis & mesothelioma.
    • A Brief History of Asbestos Use and Associated Health Risks
    • Asbestos, Chemical & Physical Properties
    • Asbestos: A Manufacturing Health Hazard Dating to Prehistoric Times
  • Dry-Cleaning Chemical Hazard
    • Looking Good, Feeling Bad; or, What's the Problem with Perc?
      According to the EPA, we all may be exposed to percholorethylene because it is found in the air and drinking water nationwide.
    • Are there Realistic Dry-Cleaning Alternatives to Perc?
      The vast majority of America's dry cleaners use perc - are there viable alternatives? The three most prominent non-perc cleaning options are examined and compared.
  • DuPont's Teflon Cover-up
    Teflon is in household products we use every day, but evidence is coming to light that this miracle chemical is not as safe as DuPont has lead us to believe. Court records and internal documents have shown that DuPont has been covering up the true dangers of Teflon for decades.
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children: Autism and ADHD - April 14, 2008
    While the generally accepted causes of neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism and ADHD include genetic and environmental factors, a wide range of toxic chemicals in the environment have also been associated with these disorders.
  • PCBs are in the Foods You Love
    PCBs a notoriously hazardous group of chemicals have infiltrated our food chain.
  • Seafood Safety
    • Mercury in Fish vs. the The Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Fish Oils
      In spite of the health benefits provided by omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils, people are decreasing fish in their diets due to high levels of mercury found in some fish.
    • Norwegian farmed salmon production raises global concern
      The quality and safety of Norwegian farmed salmon has recently come into question with a Russian ban, illegal nitrate use and evidence of a Norwegian cover up. A senior scientist in seafood safety for the Norwegian government has exposed an orchestrated cover up of illegal nitrate use and cadmium contamination in farm raised fish.
• Energy
  • Biofueling the future - NEW
    Whatever their motivation - be it energy independence for the U.S. or an attempt at fighting climate change for Europe - world governments are now heavily subsidizing biofuels.
  • Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs): Are They Worth the Switch?
    Do compact Fluorescent lights really save money, how well do they perform? See what we found out, then use our Javascript calculator to calculate your potential savings.
  • Hydrogen Fuel Cells: Energy of the Future
    Energy sources of the future will have to be cleaner and more efficient than current sources - hydrogen fuel cells fulfill these requirements; however, several challenges remain before we will see wide-spread commercialization.
• Environmental Disasters
  • Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Revisited
    • Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Revisited
    • The Agricultural and Environmental Impact of Chernobyl
    • Chernobyl, a Turning Point
  • From Bhopal to Hazardous Waste Compliance
    Why would anyone choose to work in the hazardous waste industry?
  • Grown-Ups Don't Do Blue Goo
    An essay in the Love Canal, which became one of the Superfund Act's first Superfund hazardous waste site.
  • New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, and the Oil Industry
    New Orleans communities were destroyed and lives uprooted as water came cascading onto the Bayou. Did the damage have to be so devastating? Some experts say no.
• Politics and Public Policy
  • Environmental Justice and the NIMBY Principle
    Not in my backyard! In whose backyard does our hazardous waste end up?
  • Prairie Dogs (Small Mammal - Big Controversy)
    • Prairie Dogs: A Threatened Species or Public Health Nuisance?
      In the Midwest of the United States the matter of whether prairie dogs are a threatened species or an over populated public health nuisance that causes severe economic damage has been raging for decades.
    • Prairie Dog Control Part I: Non-Lethal Techniques
      A discussion of differenct non-lethal prairie dog control measures
    • Prairie Dog Control Part II: Lethal Techniques
      A discussion of differenct lethal prairie dog control measures
    • Can Prairie Dogs be Managed Utilizing Reconciliation Ecology?
      The concept of reconciliation ecology is to accommodate wild species within a human modified or occupied landscape. So how can this be applied to prairie dog management?
  • Pseudoscience: A Threat to Our Environment
    US Government scientists have always been free to conduct unbiased research for the betterment of society and the environment. Under pressure from industry and special interests, biased research has resulted in pseudoscience that threatens the integrity of science in America.
  • Sorting out Science from Junk Science
    Do you know how to separate science from pseudoscience? Many websites are sponsored by organizations that have specific agendas; when evaluating a website, there are several questions you should ask.
• Pollution - Air
  • Effects of Air Pollution on your health
    Some obvious causes of air pollution would be your car, but there are many not so obvious products that you may use everyday that are potentially damaging to your health.
  • Clean Air Act is Contributing to the Mercury Problem
    When the clean air act was amended in 1970 and 1977, it grandfathered pre-existing plants from the new regulations. This set the stage for the mercury problems we see today.
  • The Heat facing Outdoor Wood Furnaces and Boilers
    Emissions from outdoor wood burning stoves drift across property lines raising health concerns for neighbors who inadvertently breathe the smoke filled air.
• Pollution - Water
  • PCBs in New York's Hudson River: Where Does the Buck Stop?
    Many parties are responsible for the decades-long PCB contamination of the Hudson River. Who must ultimately pay the price for cleanup? Forensic chemistry helps identify the main polluter and pollutant.
  • Increased Mercury Levels Attributed to Industrial Activities
    Outdated coal fired powerplants are contributing to increased mercury levels in lakes and streams.
  • Environmental Pollution of the Concord River, a Historic American Waterway
    In Massachusetts, the Concord River, along with its tributaries, serve as an example of the implications that pollutants can have on our environment.
• Sustainablity
  • Biofueling the future NEW
    Whatever their motivation - be it energy independence for the U.S. or an attempt at fighting climate change for Europe - world governments are now heavily subsidizing biofuels.
  • Global Trends in Energy Technology Innovation: An Introduction
    In a mere 100 years we have consumed the equivalent of millions of years' of years' worth of solar energy captured by ancient microorganisms and plants, and locked up in vast oil, gas and coal reserves which are being rapidly depleted. Inevitably, we must solve our energy problems in ways that are both profitable and environmentally aware.
  • Nanotech-cleantech: bridging the gap to real sustainability
    What is nanotech, how can it help us bridge the gap to sustainablity and what are its risks? This article takes a closer look at these issues.
• Waste & Recycling
  • Guide to Handling Household Chemicals
    There are a lot of dangerous chemicals in your home. Here are some things to do to make it safer
  • How Well Do You Know Recycled Paper
    Just like anything else, the recycled paper you buy may not always be what it seems.
  • Protecting Wildlife from Trash
    Many solid waste management companies and municipal landfills have the situation well in hand; do you?
  • Plastics - From Recycling Bin to New Product
    Where do recyclable plastics go? If a plastic makes it into the recycling loop, it will go through many processes before it emerges as a recycled product.
  • RoHS: Europe's Initiative to Control Technological Waste
    What will be done with the debris of the information age? The European Union (EU) member states are taking action and holding manufacturers responsible for the hazardous materials in their products.
  • The History of Waste
    Do you want to be a Garbologist?
  • Traditional Medical Waste Treatments
    Gives insight as to how medical waste is disposed of in America.

More articles and resources listed below ads

Chemistry

• Articles
  • Anatomy of the Atom
    Explains the structure of atoms and how this affects the way they interact with each other.
  • The Chemistry of Polychlorinated Biphenyls
    PCB, the Manmade Chemicals That Won't Go Away
  • Molar Calculations and Javascript Calculator
    Explains how to calculate molar mass, and has Javascript molar mass calculator, which can be used to verify your molar mass calculations.
  • Molarity, Molality and Normality
    Introduces stoichiometry and explains the differences between molarity, molality and normality.
  • What You Do and Don't Know About Fluorine and Fluoride
    Fluoride's derivatives have many other uses than as a mouthwash. Researchers have been making compounds with this element for a long time.
• Reference Resources
  • Chemical Database
    An indexed directory of common chemicals used in industry and household products. Contains around 16,000 chemicals with approximately 48,000 synonyms
  • Chemistry & Environmental Dictionary
    Defines many of the technical terms and acronyms used on this site as well as many other terms.
  • Periodic Table of Elements
    Provides comprehensive data for each element of the periodic table of elements including up to 40 properties, names in 10 languages and common chemical compounds. Information also provided for 3,600 nuclides and 4,400 nuclide decay modes.
    • Chemical Elements Sorted By:
      • Atomic Radius
      • Boiling Point
      • Covalent Radius
      • Cross Section
      • Crystal Structure
      • Density
      • Electrical Conductivity
      • Electronegativity (Pauling)
      • Heat of Vaporization
      • Ionic Radius
      • Ionization Potential
      • Mass Average
      • Melting Point (Freezing Point)
      • Name (English)
      • Series
      • Symbol
      • Thermal Conductivity
      • Year of Discovery

Hazardous Materials

• Household/Consumer
  • Guide to Handling Household Chemicals
    There are a lot of dangerous chemicals in your home. Here are some things to do to make it safer
  • The Dangers of Lawn Chemicals at Home
    Each year consumers paint their lawns with various fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. These chemicals can be deadly and it is important to use them correctly.
• Regulations/Transportation
  • Articles
    • Exceptions, Exemptions and Variances
      Exemptions, exceptions and variances are all viewed as leniencies that allow one to do something that would normally not be permitted according to regulation, but these terms are not interchangable.
    • FMCSA Finalizes Rulemaking to Initiate HM Transportion Permit System
      Explains Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's hazardous materials transportation permitting system.
    • HM-200 Provides Relief for Materials of the Trade
      Explains USDOT exceptions that allow drivers to transport materials of the trade without shipping papers.
    • HM-206 Alters Requirements
      This USDOT rule is designed to make it easier for emergency responders to identify hazardous materials while they are being transported.
    • Is This Material an Explosive Hazard?
      This basic question drive the inquiries into characterizing any hazardous material.
  • Resources
    • 2004 ERG (Emergency Response Guidebook)
      Have you ever wondered what those four digit numbers on the placards on the side of trucks and rail cars mean? Our online 2004ERG will give you your answer. This is an online version of the guidebook produced by the USDOT for first responders during the initial phase of a Dangerous goods/HazMat incident.
      • List Materials:
        • By UN Number
        • By Material Name
      • Guide Pages
      • Table of Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances
      • Table of Water-Reactive Materials Which Produce Toxic Gases
      • Placards and Initial Response Guides
      • Notes:
        • Introduction to the Table of Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances
        • Protective Action Decision Factors to Consider
        • How to use the table of initial isolation and protective action distances
    • 49CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table
      An online version of the USDOT's listing of hazardous materials from 49CFR 172.101. This table can be sorted by proper shipping name, UN/NA ID and/or by primary hazard class/division.
    • USDOT Hazardous Materials Transportation Placards
      Current Hazardous Materials Placards as required by USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) regulations 49CFR when shipping hazardous cargo or dangerous goods. Includes images and definitions.
      • Hazard Classes:
        • Class 1 Explosives - 49CFR 173.50
        • Class 2 Compressed Gasses - 49CFR 173.115
        • Class 3 Flammable Liquids - 49CFR 173.120
        • Class 4 Flammable Solids - 49CFR 173.124
        • Class 5 Oxidizers - 49CFR 173.127
        • Class 6 Poisons - 49CFR 173.132
        • Class 7 Radioactive Materials- 49CFR Subpart I
        • Class 8 Corrosive Liquids - 49CFR 173.136
        • Class 9 Miscellaneous - 49CFR 173.140
        • Other Related Markings
    • USDOT HazMat Placards CD & training modules
      Contains clipart versions of hazmat placards. Includes USDOT hazmat transportation training modules as a free bonus.
    • Transportation Placarding Quiz
      Test your knowledge of USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) hazardous materials placarding regulations 49CFR.

Disclaimer

WARNING: These pages are for general reference and educational purposes only and MUST NOT be used to determine regulatory compliance or relied upon where matters of life and health are concerned. This site and the author do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or the sufficiency of the information provided and do not assume any responsibility for its use.

To ensure regulatory compliance when transporting hazardous materials or dangerous goods, one must receive proper training and certification from a qualified instructor and refer to a copy of the current year's Code of Federal Regulations Title 49 (49CFR) or your country's shipping regulations. When shipping hazardous cargo by air, one should refer to IATA regulations. In matters regarding workplace safety, one should refer to current OSHA regulations (29CFR) and NIOSH guidelines or your own country's health and safety regulations. No one should ever enter into a hazardous environment without proper training from qualified instructors.

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