M.Sc. (Environmental Management) / The minimum requirements for environmental impact assessment (EIA) in South Africa are prescribed in the 2010 EIA Regulations under the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998) [NEMA]; where EIA is used as a decision-support tool by competent authorities in evaluating the environmental authorisation applications of activities likely to have adverse environmental impacts. Regulations under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (Act No. 59 of 2008) [NEM:WA] define the nature and thresholds of those waste management activities for which environmental authorisation, in the form of a waste management licence, is required. The aforementioned regulations make a distinction between Category A activities and Category B activities; where an application for authorisation for Category B activities needs to be supported by a comprehensive Scoping and EIA (SIA) process undertaken by an independent environmental assessment practitioner (EAP). With the exception of the disposal of general waste to land, Category B activities relate to hazardous waste storage, treatment, reuse, recycling, recovery and disposal. The above-mentioned SIA process is implemented in two distinct phases, the first of which is the scoping phase; which aims to identify the key potential impacts that could be realised from a development proposal and to set the terms of reference for the subsequent EIA phase. Scoping thus aims, inter alia, to ensure that the overall EIA is undertaken in an efficient and effective manner, with emphasis on identification of impacts of potential significance. By using a modified version of the South African adapted Lee and Colley (1992) Review Package, this dissertation presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of hazardous waste-related Scoping Reports prepared in South Africa. A sample of 20 Scoping Reports was assessed using the aforementioned review package. The results indicated that 75% of Scoping Reports were undertaken satisfactorily in terms of overall quality. Conversely, 25% of these reports were deemed to be of an unsatisfactory quality, with 10% having been very poorly attempted and deficient in many material respects. This is concerning in respect of the sectoral focus (hazardous waste management) of this research; where by definition, owing to the inherent physical, chemical or toxicological characteristics, the handling of hazardous waste may have a significant detrimental impact on human health and the environment if managed inappropriately.

No description available.

Many civic groups and local governments are involved in campaigns to safely collect and dispose of "household hazardous waste." Although it is difficult to define, household hazardous waste is generally considered to be any chemical waste generated in a family dwelling which, if disposed of improperly, may be harmful to human health or the environment. Growing concerns are centered around the disposal of these potentially toxic wastes by burying them in landfills or pouring them down drains or storm sewers. The most popular method of addressing the problem of household hazardous waste is that of holding "collection days," at which householders are encouraged to bring their hazardous waste to some central location for proper handling by responsible authorities. Although the availability of information about the total costs of holding these collections days is presently limited, it is apparent that the expense per household served is quite high. Some people have questioned whether the expense is justified, since there has been little documentation of the risks associated with the handling of household hazardous waste in the municipal waste stream. This thesis presents the findings to date of a study examining the quantities of household hazardous waste present in the municipal waste stream (in order to assess the risks associated with their disposal) and the costs associated with collection days. A telephone survey was used to develop a preliminary estimate of the nature and quantity of hazardous waste generated by households in a Virginia city. Cost data from collection days held in Virginia and elsewhere in the United States are documented and discussed. / Master of Science

In this study, solidification and stabilization processes were evaluated for use as a treatment method for electric arc furnace dust. Specific objectives were (1) to develop a solidified material capable of meeting EPA requirements for heavy metal leaching, and (2) to develop a solidified material that could be used for construction. Results from the studies of the untreated electric arc furnace dust showed that the solubility of cadmium is controlled by the hydroxide species. Lead solubility is more complex because its solubility is controlled by a species other than hydroxide and therefore it is more difficult to predict. Studies also indicated that approximately 1.9% of the composition of the electric arc Furnace dust is made up of lead. This study demonstrated that solidification and. stabilization is a viable treatment process for electric arc. furnace dust. Success in treating the electric arc furnace dust by this method, however, depends upon such factors as the compressive strength of the solidified waste, the amount of electric arc furnace dust incorporated in the concrete, and the ability of the solidified waste to remain intact during the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). Based on these factors, approximately 165 lb dust/cu yd concrete was determined to be the upper limit on the amount of electric arc furnace dust that can be incorporated in such a system. Efforts to improve the quality of the concrete by the addition of a chelating agent was moderately successful; however, the addition of salts to speed the concrete set times was not successful. A model was developed which predicts the required compressive strength of the solidified dust based upon the amount of electric arc furnace dust that is incorporated in the concrete. The model effectively predicts, without performing the TCLP test, whether the solidified material will meet limits for heavy metal required by the EPA. / Master of Science

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Technology: Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, 2007. / Unsafe incidents are a regular occurrence in the chemical industries, which have resulted, in some cases in the catastrophic destruction to the environment and loss of life. Major global organizations have shut down after experiencing fatal unsafe incidents as in the case of Union Carbide. This organization was closed after the Bhopal incident in India, in 1984, which claimed the lives of a-bout three thousand residents (see appendix d). In this study, the safety and operational risks at a selected chemical company in Durban are researched. This study looks at the huge number of unsafe incidents in a three year period, from (2003) to year (2005), that occurred at this organization. The objective of this study is to identify the variables that contribute to the high number of unsafe incidents within the organisation. The study will focus on the relationship between staff perceptions and management's assumptions of these contributory variables. The sub-objectives of the study are: o To ascertain staff perceptions of the contributors to the incidents and unsafe working conditions; o To determine if management is accurate in their assumptions of the causes for the incidents; and o To determine relationships between staff perceptions and actual causes of the incidents. The contributors were themed in the study in the following manner: o Behaviour and attitude; e Communications; e Plant and equipment; e Training and development; o Planning and workload; o Safety aspects; and e Other related aspects. Implementing the recommendations made will assist in reducing the number of unsafe incidents and make the organization a safer place for all stakeholders. / M

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-74).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 106-111).

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The pharmaceutical industry must worry about managing pharmaceutical waste as it poses a health risk to human beings and its presence in the environment can also contribute to loss of biodiversity. Ngwuluka, Ochekpe, and Odumosu (2011: 11259) state that “Pharmaceuticals, though used to treat and manage diseases, are poisons, which justify the growing concerns about their presence in the environment.” Various forms of pharmaceutical waste exist, Ngwuluka et al. (2011) identified the following forms of pharmaceutical waste: Expired dosage forms, non-reworkable formulations, spilled pharmaceuticals, rejected active pharmaceutical ingredients, expired active pharmaceutical ingredients, and wastewater resulting from the water used for process operations during manufacturing and could come from the water used to clean equipment, pipes and floors, and would contain amongst other materials, chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). A review on the pharmaceutical industry and the progress they have made in environmental management by generating health, safety and environmental programs, preventing pollution, waste minimization, recycling and reusing materials, investing in projects and facilities to ensure environmental sustainability have been established (Berry & Rondinelli, 2000). Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories is an Indian based pharmaceutical company which imports, markets and sells medicines in South Africa. Dr. Reddy’s has plans to set up a manufacturing plant in South Africa. The purpose of this study is to research waste management practices at Dr. Reddy’s plant in India and to draw parallels between India’s and South Africa’s waste legislation. This is to enable Dr. Reddy’s to review all aspects of its waste management systems, in order to revise where necessary and to improve the overall achievement of its waste management objectives in order to become a more sustainable organisation and to meet South African Waste legislation before setting up a plant in South Africa. 3 ii. Objective of the Evaluation Report The purpose of this research is to evaluate and analyse the development and implementation of a waste management system in a pharmaceutical company, specifically Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. This is primarily to enable the company to review and analyse all aspects of waste management pertaining to pharmaceutical manufacturing and to revise or improve where necessary to ensure adherence to waste regulations as outlined by government. The following research goals have been also been identified:  To identify and describe waste management practices at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, on the inherent assumption by the researcher that the company has a successful waste management strategy that would need to be reviewed to identify areas of improvement before expanding manufacturing facilities into South Africa.  To evaluate, assess and compare similarities and/or differences between the identified South African Legislation for Waste Management with those identified during research conducted at Dr. Reddy’s iii. Importance of the Research Conducted Waste Management is important in that it not only removes from the environment, substances that can be harmful to humans and animals but it also enables an organisation to be more sustainable. According to Seadon (2010: i) “Integrated waste management is considered from a systems’ approach, with a particular emphasis on advancing sustainability”. The study will provide guidance to senior management, shop floor managers and employees who work in Dr. Reddy’s manufacturing plants as well as overall employees at Dr. Reddy’s on how to successfully implement a Waste Management programme to enhance sustainability at the organisation and realise the benefits to the organisation of being more sustainable. Weybrecht (2010) identified the following benefits that companies could gain by adopting sustainable waste management practices: reduced costs, resource preservation, keeping up with legislation, enhanced reputation, business differentiation from competitors, and attraction and retention of quality employees, and customer need satisfaction amongst many other benefits. This research needs to address the gap in analysing waste management practices (with more emphasis on waste treatment, waste minimisation, re-use, recycling and disposal), and implementation and understanding of waste management in the pharmaceutical industry as prior research was done mostly in other chemical industries and not to a large scale in the pharmaceutical industry. South African Waste Legislation, Indian Waste Legislation (as Dr. Reddy’s is based in India), as well as International Pharmaceutical Waste Management Guidelines, and International Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices provide a framework and benchmark of leading pharmaceutical waste management practices that can guide Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories’ leadership into integrating their waste management practices into their plans of setting up a manufacturing plant in South Africa. 5. Research Methodology This is evaluation research in the form of a case study and the data collection method employed is the conduction of a survey through questionnaires. The evaluation research also involves a document analysis of the organisation’s 2011 and 2012 annual reports, Dr. Reddy’s 2010 Sustainability Report as well as literature compiled by the organisation’s Corporate Communications Division. The research would also include review of existing literature on waste management. v. Structure of Dissertation This dissertation consists of three sections. Section 1: The Evaluation Report The section introduces the research area, provides the objectives of the research, provides contextual background information and describes the rationale for conducting the research. This section further describes Dr. Reddy’s waste management practice as outlined in relevant company documentation; it is also intended to highlight the specific waste management processes that were followed in the formulation and implementation of the waste management strategy. This section further describes the sample and presents the results of the survey, where the results are collated and reviewed in the context of the criteria set in the South African Waste Legislation, Indian Waste Legislation, as well as in International Pharmaceutical Waste Management Guidelines, and International Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices. The overall findings of this case study suggest that although management at Dr. Reddy’s are satisfied with waste management practices and results achieved at it manufacturing plant, there is however dissatisfaction amongst employees who believe the organisation has not successfully disseminated information and sufficiently trained them on waste management policies, processes and practices. There is therefore a desire amongst employees to be trained and to see the company improve on its waste management processes, this desire is a very important attribute as it indicates that employees at Dr. Reddy understand and are committed to the importance of waste management. Future research should be conducted to measure the legal impact of non-compliance to legislation governing waste management in the pharmaceutical company. Section 2: Literature Review The objective of the literature review is to provide a critical assessment and evaluation of previous research in the field of waste management in general as prior research was done mostly in other industries and not to a large scale in the pharmaceutical industry. The literature review evaluates the key elements of an effective waste management strategy implementation and is followed by a review of literature pertaining to the description of Pharmaceutical waste. Section 3: Research Methodology This section presents a description of how the work in this research was conducted. It presents the research process followed in compiling this case study, represented by the aims and objectives, research methodology and design, data collection techniques and data analysis.

A gas-diffusion tracer experiment was conducted at the ChemNuclear, Inc., nuclear waste burial site near Barnwell, South Carolina, on June 1-10; 1981, testing a new methodology to measure the in situ gaseous diffusion characteristics of unsaturated porous media for the purpose of estimating the diffusive flux of volatile contaminants from the burial ground. The tracers used were CClBrF₂ and SF₆. They were released in the subsurface from permeation devices that closely approximate an ideal point-diffusion source. The permeation devices contain the tracer in liquid form and allow the tracer to escape at a constant rate by diffusion through a Teflon membrane. The release rates for CClBrF₂ and SF6 during the test were 105 and 3.3 nanograms/second, respectively. These compounds were selected on the basis of their compatabi1ity with the permeation-release device, their absence in the subsurface, and detectability in the part-per-tri11ion range in soil gas. Analyses were made in the field on a Varian 3700 series gas chromatograph equipped with an electron-capture detector. The instrument was modified to introduce soil gas through sampling valves and a Nafion tube desiccant. The diffusion sources were placed in the unsaturated soil at depths of 2 meters and 13 meters below land surface. Diffusive movements of tracer were monitored for a period of 7 days and tracer breakthrough was observed at points up to 3.5 meters away. Diffusion was modeled using a three-dimensional, continuous point source, transient-state, analytical model which allowed estimation of the effective diffusion coefficient of the porous media, and an independent assessment of the media's sorptive effects on the tracer gas. The model was calibrated using least squares and curve matching techniques, the latter of which enables a field technician to quickly interpret observed field data. Field values obtained for effective diffusion coefficient ranged from 0.026 to 0.037 cm²/sec. The average tortuosity factor observed for test site was 0.705.