The Environment & Chemicals

We can encounter chemicals in any state in many forms at different times in their life cycles. Chemicals can move through the environment through a wide range and complex network of interactions.

Transitions at their most basic;

• Air and Water
• Air and Earth
• Water and Earth
• All three in combination

The Environment and the Workplace……

Environmental hazards must be taken into the context of the workplace;

• Indoors e.g. Office, factory, powerstation, hospital, church.
• Outdoors e.g. Gardening, construction site, fishing, vessel.
• Combination e.g. Oilrig, construction site, water treatment plant.
• Within a transportation network e.g. Ship, bus, airplane, train
• Within a unique environment e.g. Mine / quarry, sealed environment such as a space station / submarine

What are the Potential Environmental Hazards to Health?

The list is endless, and is unique to each type of workplace!!!!!
However it can be overviewed primarily in the toxicological context as;

• Chemical Hazards to health
• Biological Hazards to health