Many of us in our lives have encountered dangerous and toxic substances, and some could even die because of the fumes that come from them. This may be due to the specifics of work in some enterprises. But in order to protect yourself and your loved ones from danger, you need to know exactly what substances that are dangerous from a chemical point of view, and how to protect yourself from them.
AHOV: what is it?
Emergency chemically hazardous substance (AHOV) is the most dangerous chemical compound that is used in industry or agriculture, when released into the air or on the soil, infection can occur, and as a result, a negative effect on all living organisms begins to affect.
OHV is a compound that can, through direct or indirect effects on the body, lead to its defeat or even death.
Today, dangerous substances are produced all over the world in large quantities, in the territory of the Russian Federation, rescuers often encounter the most common compounds. AHOV can be in different aggregatestates.
Properties of AHOV
Hazardous substances have several basic properties: density, toxicity, solubility, volatility, viscosity, chemical properties and boiling point.
Density is the mass of a substance per unit volume. This indicator has a direct impact on the spread of toxic substances in the atmosphere and on the ground. If substances are in the form of gas or vapor, then they are heavier than air, their concentration at the earth's surface will be maximum and decrease with height. Liquid substances that have a density higher than that of water, after entering the reservoir, are at the bottom.
Solubility is another characteristic of AHOV, it means the ability to form solutions with other components. Poisonous components are highly soluble in water, they are able to infect water bodies so strongly that they will be unsuitable not only for use by people and animals, but also for technical purposes. In addition, such substances can also infect the soil, and to a sufficiently large depth.
This ability of hazardous substances ensures their rapid spread throughout all internal organs of the human body. In order to eliminate all hazardous components from water bodies, solutions of degassing agents must be used, and in order to eliminate poorly soluble compounds from water, special disinfectants must be used.
Volatility is the ability of a substance to go into a state of vapor. Highly volatile toxic substances at high temperatures have the ability to degasnaturally. But volatility directly depends on what is the boiling point at atmospheric pressure and vapor concentration.
Viscosity is the property of substances in liquid form to resist the movement of some parts of the liquid relative to others. In addition, the absorption of a substance into materials with a porous structure depends on this parameter.
Classification of HOB
Classification of chemically hazardous substances is one of the most important points, thanks to which in the future you can quickly respond and provide assistance to everyone who has fallen into the contamination zone. Hazardous substances according to the degree of human exposure can be divided into four classes:
- extremely dangerous;
- dangerous;
- moderately dangerous;
- low risk.
But in terms of their striking qualities, all dangerous substances are heterogeneous. As the main damaging effect, the sign of the predominant syndrome is most often used, which occurs with an acute form of intoxication of the human body. Following from this, a chemically hazardous substance may belong to one of these groups:
- suffocating (chlorine, phosgene and others);
- general poisonous (carbon monoxide);
- suffocating and general toxic (nitrogen oxides, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, sulfur dioxide);
- suffocating and neurotropic (ammonia);
- poisons that affect metabolic processes in the body (ethylene oxide).
Characteristic
Characteristics of hazardous chemicals by physical propertiesdefined by these groups:
- substances in solid and loose form, volatile, which already evaporate at a temperature of forty degrees (granosan, mercuran);
- substances in solid and friable form, non-volatile, which can be stored under any conditions (sublimate, phosphorus, arsenic);
- volatile in liquid form, storage is possible only under pressure - this category of hazardous substances is divided into two subgroups: A - ammonia, carbon monoxide and B - chlorine, methyl bromide and others;
- volatile in liquid form, storage place in special containers without pressure; include nitro and amino compounds, hydrogen cyanide, nicotine;
- acids that steam, including hydrochloric, nitric and others.
Where should hazardous substances be stored and in what?
To prevent involuntary release of chemically hazardous substances, you must strictly observe safety precautions when working with them, and be sure to store them only in special containers and rooms.
AHOV are in large quantities at the enterprises that produce or consume them. In chemical plants, they can be used as initial, intermediate, by-product or final raw materials. Their stocks are placed in special storage facilities (up to 80%), they can be located in equipment, vehicles, such as pipelines, tanks, and others. The most common hazardous chemicals are liquefied ammonia and chlorine. Some enterprises store tens of tons of hazardous substances, and the same amount is transported by rail orpipelines.
All hazardous substances according to the method of combustion can be divided into:
- non-combustible;
- flammable;
- can burn only with constant feeding of this process;
- flammable;
- burn even after the source of ignition has been removed.
THE AHOV can include substances that pose a serious danger only in situations where accidents occur.
Types of AHOV
To date, the list of hazardous chemicals has not been developed, but there is a small list of substances that are often used in enterprises and if they are not stored in the right conditions, a chemical accident can occur. Today, 9 main substances can be distinguished that pose an extreme danger to humans and the environment, among them most often - chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, hydrogen fluoride.
The impact of AHOV on a person
A chemical accident can lead to the release of hazardous and toxic substances for humans both into the air and into the water. All hazardous components can affect the human body in different ways and have different effects:
- Irritating effect. If it comes into contact with the skin, rashes and redness may appear, such substances include: phosphorus, chlorine, fluorine, hydrogen oxides.
- Cautery effect. Emergency chemically hazardous substances (AHOV), if they enter the respiratory organs and on the skin, can cause burns of varying degrees of complexity. Among these substances are ammonia and hydrochloric acid.
- Effectsuffocation. If there is a large concentration of such substances in the air, then the result of their exposure may be asphyxia, which later leads to death, such substances include phosgene and chloropicrin.
- Toxic-chemical effects. Such substances can have a bad effect on the human body, cause severe poisoning, among such substances: arsenic hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, ethylene oxide, hydrocyanic acid.
- Drug influence. Substances related to this type, entering the human body, begin to gradually destroy it, a person can no longer abandon the acquired habit on his own, and if no measures are taken, then in the end it can end badly.
How to identify accidents with the release of hazardous chemicals on your own and is it possible to do this?
Signs of chemical contamination
The person himself can determine the release of chemicals on his own. There are a number of signs that should cause appropriate protective measures to be taken, to be exact:
- the appearance of a cloud that gradually grows and has an unnatural origin;
- not very pleasant smells, including those that cause a feeling of suffocation;
- loss of consciousness in people and general malaise;
- panic;
- rapid withering of trees and other vegetation, death of animals and birds.
Protection rules
All the above signs of an accident with the release of hazardous chemicals should make a person not only report what happeneddisaster, but also to take protective measures on their own:
- be sure to urgently use protective equipment, including a gas mask;
- go down to the shelter or hide in the house, closing windows and doors;
- close all cracks in the house tightly with a cloth to prevent leakage of dangerous substances;
- turn off all heating devices, because some substances tend to ignite spontaneously;
- respiratory organs must be protected by any means, you can use a towel pre-moistened with a solution of soda.
Dangerous Enterprises
Emergency chemically hazardous substance can most often be found at an enterprise where it is used in production or, conversely, produced. These businesses include:
- chemical, oil refining, petrochemical and other organizations working in the same direction;
- enterprises in the territory where refrigeration units are installed, and they use the refrigerant - ammonia;
- treatment plant using chlorine.
All hazardous enterprises refer to a chemically hazardous facility (CHS) where hazardous substances are stored, processed, transported or used. At such enterprises, an emergency chemically hazardous substance, if stored improperly, can lead to an emergency. Therefore, each employee must go through safety procedures and know exactly whatto take if there is a sudden leak of a harmful substance.
Protection of the public from chemicals
Chemical substances and hazardous objects pose a serious threat not only to the environment, but also to humans, therefore, in this case, chemical protection should be taken to help eliminate or reduce their impact on the population and personnel of the enterprise, and reduce the scale of the consequences of the accident.
All activities related to chemical protection must be carried out in advance, and not at the time when the accident has already occurred. With all employees of a dangerous enterprise and residents of nearby areas, they are taking measures that can protect against the effects of hazardous chemicals:
- create and subsequently use systems that control the chemical situation in hazardous areas;
- warning systems are being installed;
- plans being made to deal with chemical accident;
- purchased in sufficient quantities and stored in full readiness protective equipment;
- special shelters are maintained in readiness, where chemicals and dangerous objects do not penetrate. Should monitor their readiness to receive people in case of an accident;
- all measures are taken to protect food, food raw materials, water;
- Readiness of the RSChS forces to eliminate the consequences of chemical accidents is ensured.
If suddenly an accident occurred, and there are victims, then in this case everyone who works at a dangerous enterprise should be able to provide first aid.
First aid for AHOV poisoning
Be efficienthelp with damage to AHOV is possible only if the characteristics of chemically hazardous substances are immediately known. The correct determination of what the victim’s body was poisoned with will help to quickly respond and provide first aid, which most often consists in carrying out such measures:
- stop the access of agents to the body (put on a gas mask or cotton-gauze bandage, go beyond the affected area);
- remove the poison from the skin as soon as possible;
- to neutralize poisonous substances if possible;
- eliminate leading signs of defeat;
- prevent complications and the necessary therapy.
Conclusion
As it became clear from the article, there are many dangerous substances in the world and you can't do without them, but only precautions and safety precautions will help to avoid accidents. If, nevertheless, this was not possible, then in this case, saving the lives of people and animals is possible only through a quick response and the use of all existing protective measures.
