the toxic truth - Greenpeace

70 Amnesty internAtionAl And greenpeAce netherlAnds
Chapter 6
“ It has been determined that the slops contain flammable,
caustic/corrosive substances (naphtha and sodium hydroxide,
respectively) and hazardous to (very) toxic substances,
besides substances which can release harmful to extremely
toxic substances under certain conditions (sulphides,
mercaptides). In view of the fact (among others) that the slops
contain flammable materials (naphtha), substances which can
cause severe skin injuries (including sodium hydroxide), and
substances which, when the pH is lowered, decompose into
(extremely) toxic mercaptans and hydrogen sulphide, we believe
that the conclusion that this waste is extremely hazardous is
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justified. ”
The chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the waste
APS’s initial expectation was that it was dealing with a waste
with a COD of less than 2,000mg/l. However, on testing the
material they found a COD of almost 500,000mg/l (this is what
BMA reported to Falcon Navigation). 304 The NFI tests, which as
noted above, are considered the most thorough, found a COD
of 720,000mg/l. COD is used as one measure of the levels
of contamination of a waste or material with oxygen-depleting
chemicals, normally degradable organic chemicals, based on
the relative potential for a waste to deplete or even remove
oxygen from water. It is this potential for depletion of oxygen
and its knock-on effects that is the reason behind the concerns
for very high COD.
The flashpoint of the waste
The flashpoint is a measure of the temperature at which the
vapour from a material might combust if exposed to an ignition
source. The lower the flashpoint the higher the content of
volatile combustible material present (for example, chemicals
generating combustible or flammable vapours). The flashpoint
of the waste was less than 21ºC. 305 Under Sections 3 and 4
of the European Hazardous Substances List Regulation and
Annex III of Directive 91/689/EEC on hazardous waste, waste
substances with a flashpoint of less than 55ºC qualify as
hazardous waste.