The chemical industry can give an important contribution how to reduce the use of chlorine as a basic raw material, or to make the use of chlorine completely controllable, so that the risks for external safety can be reduced.When certain chlorine uses should give too much problems, following studies should look at alternatives for the elimination of these problematic chlorine uses.
For that reason a study was initiated by the Government and done by
two Scientific Institutes: TNO and CML, both renomated in whole Europe,
the first specialised in organochlorines, including dioxins and alikes,
the second specialised in Life Cycle Analyses.
A steering group was formed by the Government, while industry and environmental
groups were invited to join. The latter refused...
The total chlorine input is 939,000 tonnes per year, the main streams
were:
All figures are expressed in 1,000 tonnes (or kton).
| The chlorine balance | |
| Inputs at a total of 939 kton: | |
| Production in the Netherlands: | 551 |
| Import (including chlorinated products): | 279 |
| Recycling/reuse of hydrochloric acid: | 100 |
| Other smaller inputs (incineration): | 9 |
| Accumulation in use: | |
| PVC in long-term uses: | 144 |
| Others: | 3 |
| Export and other uses: | |
| Export: | 325 |
| Different other uses: | 69 |
| Hydrochloric acid not recycled (of 134 kton): | 34 |
| Emissions/waste: | |
| Salt (all to brackish or seawater): | 201 |
| other emissions to water: | 0.2 |
| emissions to air: | 21 |
| solid waste: PVC: | 34 |
| solid waste: others: | 3 |
| solid waste: slag and ash: | 5 |
The amounts of emissions don't tell anything on total or relative toxicity.
To make it comparable, the toxicity and amount of the chlorinated emissions
were compared to the total toxicity and amount of all emissions in The
Netherlands. This was done for several classes on 1990 base and after taken
measures. The total chlorine use is 0.4% of total materials use. The contribution
to an environmental problem should be around 0.4% to be comparable to other
materials. PVC uses app. 50% of all chlorine
produced in The Netherlands. The average contribution to environmental
problems should be around 0.2% to be "normal". The real results were:
| Relative contribution to different environmental problems | |||
| Item | 1990 | after
measures |
PVC |
| Human toxicity: | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.02 |
| Ecotoxicity: | 12 | 7 | <0.001 |
| Acidification: | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.025 |
| Ozone depletion: | 65 | 4 | <0.05 |
| Greenhouse effect: | 12 | 2 | <0.05 |
| Smog: | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.005 |
| Smell: | 0.1 | 0.1 | <0.0002 |
| Solid waste: | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
Comments:
Human toxicity: One of the main points here is the diffuse emissions
of dioxins from the past use of contaminated PCP
(pentachlorophenol)).
Ecotoxicity is mainly from the use of chlorinated products in pesticides
and biocides. This is quite low, because more than 80% of all pesticides
and biocides contain chlorine.
Ozone depletion and greenhouse effect is near entirely the result of
the emission of one product: CFK-11, mainly from the past use in rubber-
and styrolfoams.
Except for landfill, where it is just average, PVC
scores far better than average on all other environmental topics. So why
is the environmental movement in general and Greenpeace in particular against
the use of PVC?
You are at level one of the Chlorophiles pages
Created: April 6, 1996.
Last update: November 1, 1998.
To the Home Page of the Chlorophiles
Chlorine and the environment (under construction)
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