Environment

Air pollution from both stationary (e.g. factories) and mobile (e.g. cars) sources includes many substances, such as carbon monoxide or lead, which are harmful in themselves, primary pollutants, and other substances which react with other chemicals to form new harmful substances , secondary pollutants, (e.g. sulfur dioxide reacting with water and air to produce the sulfuric acid of acid rain). READ MORE...

Hazardous waste is any unwanted material the disposal of which poses a threat to the environment, i.e. it is explosive, flammable, oxidising, poisonous/infectious, radioactive, corrosive and/or toxic/ecotoxic.

Sources of hazardous waste in New Zealand include hospitals, timber treatment, petrol storage, metal finishing, paint manufacture, vehicle servicing, tanneries, agriculture/horticulture, electricity distribution and dry cleaning. READ MORE...

There are five main types of fire extinguishers: water, foam, carbon dioxide, BCF (or Halon 1211) and dry powder. The choice of extinguisher depends on the type of fuel, and the whether there is danger from live electrical equipment. READ MORE...

Many other people are exposed to chemicals from the environment. This may be anything from dust (eg quarries), particulate matter from engine exhausts (everyone!), sulfur gases (eg chimneys, but also geothermal activity) to formaldehyde released from particle board in buildings.

Employers are required by the Health and Safety in Employment Act to provide their employees with a healthy and safe working environment. For many, this will involve monitoring both the environment in the workplace, and the employees themselves for levels of harmful chemicals. READ MORE...

Plastics cause serious environmental problems. Although they are not intrinsically dangerous, they take up a huge amount of space in landfills and they are made from a nonrenewable resource, namely fossil fuels. For these reasons it is important that, where possible, plastics are recycled. READ MORE...