Hazardous substances
The Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, define ‘waste’ as “any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard”.
Moreover, the same directive defines ‘hazardous waste’ as “waste which displays one or more of the hazardous properties listed in Annex III”, meaning, basically that a waste is considered hazardous when due to its characteristics, it poses a serious direct risk to human health or the environment.
What characteristics do hazardous substances present?
According to Annex III of the aforementioned Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, it is considered that waste is hazardous when it has at least one of the following characteristics:
- H 1 ‘Explosive’: substances and preparations that may explode under the effect of flame or which are more sensitive to shocks or friction than dinitrobenzene.
- H 2 ‘Oxidizing’: substances and preparations that exhibit highly exothermic reactions when in contact with other substances, particularly flammable substances.
- H 3-A ‘Highly flammable’:
- Liquid substances and preparations having a flashpoint below 21 °C (including extremely flammable liquids).
- Substances and preparations that may become hot and finally catch fire in contact with air at ambient temperature without any application of energy.
- Solid substances and preparations that may readily catch fire after brief contact with a source of ignition and which continue- to burn or to be consumed after removal- al of the source of ignition.
- Gaseous substances and preparations which are flammable in air at normal pressure.
- Substances and preparations that, in contact with water or damp air, evolve highly flammable gases in dangerous quantities
- H 3-B ‘Flammable’: liquid substances and preparations having a flashpoint equal to or greater than 21 °C and less than or equal to 55 °C.
- H 4 ‘Irritant’: non-corrosive substances and preparations which, through immediate, pro- longed, or repeated contact with the skin or mucous membrane, can cause inflammation.
- H 5 ‘Harmful’: substances and preparations which, if they are inhaled or ingested or if they penetrate the skin, may involve limited health risks.
- H 6 ‘Toxic’: substances and preparations (including very toxic substances and preparations) which, if they are inhaled or ingested or if they penetrate the skin, may involve serious, acute, or chronic health risks and even death.
- H 7 ‘Carcinogenic’: substances and preparations which, if they are inhaled or ingested or if they penetrate the skin, may induce cancer or increase its incidence.
- H 8 ‘Corrosive’: substances and preparations that may destroy living tissue on contact.
- H 9 ‘Infectious’: substances and preparations containing viable micro-organisms or their toxins that are known or reliably believed to cause disease in man or other living organisms.
- H 10 ‘Toxic for reproduction’: substances and preparations which, if they are inhaled or ingested or if they penetrate the skin, may induce non-hereditary congenital malformations or increase their incidence.
- H 11 ‘Mutagenic’: substances and preparations which, if they are inhaled or ingested or if they penetrate the skin, may induce hereditary genetic defects or increase their incidence.
- H 12 Waste which releases toxic or very toxic gases in contact with water, air, or an acid.
- H 13 ‘Sensitizing’: substances and preparations which, if they are inhaled or if they penetrate reaction the skin, are capable of eliciting a reac- tion of hypersensitization such that on further exposure to the substance or preparation, characteristic adverse effects are produced.
- H 14 ‘Ecotoxic’: waste that presents or may present immediate or delayed risks for one or more sectors of the environment.
- H 15 Waste capable by any means, after disposal, of yielding another substance, e.g. leachate, which possesses any of the characteristics listed above.
What are the most hazardous substances in construction?
In construction, especially in demolition, it is very common to find hazardous substances, being Some of the most common ones, are the following:
- Asbestos
- Inorganic chemicals
- Silica dust
- PCBs
- Lead
- Hydrocarbons and used oils
- Pains and solvents
- Impregnated rags
- Batteries
- Primers and sealants
- Radioactive waste
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This article can be found in the 2022 edition of the document. Find the full publication here:
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