Hazardous Materials Chemistry for Emergency Responders, Third Edition

539 Pages·2013·35.661 MB·English

by  Robert Burke

Emergency Response BURKE
H A Z A R D O U S
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HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CHEMISTRY T M A T E R I A L S
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EMERGENCY RESPONDERS D
FOR
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E
THIRD EDITION
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F D C H E M I S T R Y
A F O R
“The approach and selection of topics are straightforward and logical with chapters O R
building on material in previous sections. The selection of topics is comprehensive. R R I
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... Hazardous Materials Chemistry has been the primary textbook for teaching
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new hazmat crews for almost two decades and this updated new edition will be no E E M E R G E N C Y
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exception.” M
—Harry J. Elston, Ph.D., CIH, Editor, Journal of Chemical Health & Safety U
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The third edition of a bestseller, Hazardous Materials Chemistry for Emergency
R R E S P O N D E R S
Responders continues to provide the fundamentals of “street chemistry” required
by emergency response personnel. Emergency response and hazmat expert Robert GM
Burke takes the basics of chemistry appropriate for response personnel and puts it
EA
into understandable terms. The author has retained the style and format that made
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the previous editions so popular while updating the information to keep the book T
relevant. CE R O B E R T A . B U R K E
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See What’s in the Third Edition:
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• Expanded section on Ethanol and its hazards to responders RA
• Update of NFPA 472 Chemistry requirements EL
• Revised section on “hazmat elements” with more hazards and
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response issues
• Includes a focus on the importance of the “hazmat elements” P
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of chemical families O
• New incident examples H
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• New photographs and graphics
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D
The chapters are organized by the nine U.S. Department of Transportation’s hazard M
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classes. Almost every hazardous material presents more than one hazard; the DOT’s
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placarding and labeling system only identifies the most severe hazards. Therefore, S
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the book provides additional information about hidden hazards for each hazard class.
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It discusses individual chemicals, their hazards and their physical and chemical
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characteristics, both as distinct chemicals and within chemical families.
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The book offers a concise presentation of the topics of most importance to emer-

gency responders on a day-to-day basis. It provides the basic chemistry a responder
needs to understand chemical terminology and communicate with others about the
chemicals involved in hazardous materials incidents.
THIRD
K12261 EDITION
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H A Z A R DO US
M A T E RI A L S
C H E M IS T R Y
F O R
E M E RG E N CY
R E S PO N D E RS

H A Z A R DO US
M A T E RI A L S
C H E M IS T R Y
F O R
E M E RG E N CY
R E S PO N D E RS
R O B E RT A . B U R K E
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© 2013 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
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Version Date: 20130206
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© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Contents
Preface ...........................................................................................................................................xix
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................xxi
In memory of Chris Waters .....................................................................................................xxiii
Author ..........................................................................................................................................xxv
Chapter 1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................1
Hazardous materials statistics ......................................................................................................5
DOT/UN hazard classes of hazardous materials ......................................................................7
NFPA 704 marking system ............................................................................................................8
Health .........................................................................................................................................12
Flammability .............................................................................................................................13
Reactivity (stability) .................................................................................................................13
Chemical characteristic listings and incidents .........................................................................14
Chemical and physical characteristics: Training competencies .............................................15
OSHA 1910.120 ..........................................................................................................................15
Operations level ..............................................................................................................16
Technician ........................................................................................................................16
Specialist ..........................................................................................................................16
Awareness .................................................................................................................................17
Operations .................................................................................................................................17
Technician .................................................................................................................................19
Incident commander ................................................................................................................22
Review questions ..........................................................................................................................23
Chapter 2 Basics of chemistry ................................................................................................25
Periodic table of elements ............................................................................................................26
Elements .........................................................................................................................................27
Atomic number .........................................................................................................................28
Atomic weight ...........................................................................................................................28
Hazmat elements ...........................................................................................................................32
Hydrogen ...................................................................................................................................32
History ..............................................................................................................................33
Sources .............................................................................................................................34
Important compounds ...................................................................................................34
Uses ...................................................................................................................................34
Isotopes ............................................................................................................................35
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC vii
viii Contents
Important reactions ........................................................................................................35
Hazards to responders (Photo 2.2) ...............................................................................35
Lithium ......................................................................................................................................36
History ..............................................................................................................................37
Sources .............................................................................................................................37
Important compounds ...................................................................................................37
Uses ...................................................................................................................................38
Isotopes ............................................................................................................................38
Important reactions ........................................................................................................38
Hazards to responders ...................................................................................................38
Sodium .......................................................................................................................................39
History ..............................................................................................................................39
Sources .............................................................................................................................39
Important compounds ...................................................................................................40
Uses ...................................................................................................................................40
Isotopes ............................................................................................................................40
Hazards to responders ...................................................................................................40
Potassium ..................................................................................................................................41
History ..............................................................................................................................41
Sources .............................................................................................................................41
Important compounds ...................................................................................................42
Uses ...................................................................................................................................42
Isotopes ............................................................................................................................42
Important reactions ........................................................................................................42
Hazards to responders ...................................................................................................42
Beryllium ...................................................................................................................................43
History ..............................................................................................................................43
Sources .............................................................................................................................43
Important compounds ...................................................................................................43
Uses ...................................................................................................................................44
Isotopes ............................................................................................................................44
Important reactions ........................................................................................................44
Hazards to responders ...................................................................................................44
Magnesium ................................................................................................................................44
History ..............................................................................................................................45
Sources .............................................................................................................................45
Important compounds ...................................................................................................45
Uses ...................................................................................................................................45
Isotopes ............................................................................................................................46
Important reactions ........................................................................................................46
Hazards to responders ...................................................................................................46
Calcium ......................................................................................................................................46
History ..............................................................................................................................47
Sources .............................................................................................................................47
Important compounds ...................................................................................................47
Uses ...................................................................................................................................47
Isotopes ............................................................................................................................47
Important reactions ........................................................................................................47
Hazards to responders ...................................................................................................48
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC