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Deliberately, accidentally, or consequentially, first responders
and waste site workers handle unknown substances of varying degrees
of danger every day. Unidentified chemicals involved with
clandestine production of WMD agents or drugs, explosive materials,
unlabeled waste, and forensic samples all pose a threat to the
worker and those they protect. A straightforward, concise handbook
of practical strategies is needed to perform effective risk
assessment and management in the face of uncertainty. Written for
emergency workers responsible for the safe response to and
management of unknown hazardous materials, Emergency
Characterization of Unknown Materials providesreadily applicable
strategies for developing and implementing a fluid concept of risk
analysis based on hazard characterization in emergency situations
where definitive identification of the material may be impractical
or even impossible. Using a hands-on approach involving the
manipulation of small amounts of material, the author discusses
strategies to identify threats and vulnerabilities, ascertain
exposure, and reduce or eliminate impact. The book begins with an
overview of chemical and physical terms and definitions. It
continues with a look at types of hazards presented by chemical
compounds and mixtures, organisms, and radiation sources. It covers
approximately 63 portable technologies for field identification or
characterization and examines general technological advantages and
disadvantages relative to hazard identification. The final chapter
presents strategies for use in identifying or characterizing
suspected weapons of mass destruction, illegal drugs, explosive
substances, biological hazards, and other hazardous materials. Each
chapter includes extensive references and a comprehensive index.
Providing a sweeping overview of hazards and emphasizing risk
analysis and public safety, Emergency Characterization of Unknown
Materials gives first responders an advantage they deserve.
Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials, Second Edition is
fully updated to serve as a portable reference that can be used in
the field and laboratory by workers who are responsible for a safe
response to and management of unknown hazardous materials. As with
the first edition, the book emphasizes public safety and the
management of life safety hazards, including strategies and
emerging technologies to identify the hazards presented by an
unknown material. When responding to a hazardous material emergency
involving an unknown substance, firefighters and HAZMAT teams are
primarily interested in protecting public safety. The book details
risk analysis procedures to identify threats and vulnerabilities,
analyzing them to determine how such risks can be eliminated or
reduced. If an unknown material can be identified with a high
degree of confidence, that can considerably change the response,
and measures to be taken. In addition, the book covers practical
field applications with updated and additional examples of field
instruments. The hazard identification methods presented are
intended for use by frontline workers. The test methods presented
involve manipulation of small sample amounts - using, literally, a
hands-on approach. The three technologies used by first responders
and military personnel to identify unknown chemicals, Raman
spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and high-pressure mass
spectroscopy, are covered in depth. Features Presents how to
identify unknown materials and, if identification is not possible,
to characterize the hazards of the material Offers practical
examples to introduce new first responders to hazardous materials
response Provides up-to-date field applications of the latest
developments in commercially available instrumentation Details
practical sample manipulations to help the reader successfully
identify materials with popular high-end instrumentation Includes
several examples of spectra and describes ways in which the reader
can utilize data to inform decision making New coverage to this
edition includes a chapter and content that focuses on sample
manipulation and separations using instruments developed and
revised since the first edition was published. These sample
manipulations may be performed in the field with a very simple
toolkit, which is fully outlined and explained in detail.
Identifying the hazards of the unknown substance is essential to
plan for response, contingencies and sustained actions. As such,
Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials, Second Edition
will be a welcome and essential resource to all response and safety
professionals concerned with hazardous materials.
Frequently a substance found at a port of entry, waste site,
laboratory triage facility, or even in a hazardous materials
emergency will be labeled and purportedly identified. But law
enforcement and other first responders cannot take this claim at
face value, as the accuracy is not confirmed and must be verified.
A comprehensive handbook for on-the-spot investigations, Field
Confirmation Testing for Suspicious Substances provides those who
confront suspicious substances with the tools to confirm or deny a
labeled identity. A Complete Range of Testing Protocols Divided
into three sections, the book begins by exploring physical
confirmation tests which use methods that involve measurement of
temperature, vapor density, radioactivity, and other factors. The
author then examines chemical confirmation tests suitable for field
use, providing over 400 different analyses, most of which provide a
colorimetric result. The book also includes a section on
instrumentation. It offers an overview of the technologies used to
analyze materials and presents the strengths and weaknesses of the
technology so that the corresponding weak or strong result can be
used in the overall analysis. The appendix provides two detailed
sections on drug and explosives tests. The tests in this book can
immediately generate valuable information in the field which can be
used to save lives, conserve property, provide environmental
protection, and assist law enforcement in apprehending those
responsible for disseminating hazardous substances.
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