ETHICAL, LEGAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES

 

Week:                   EIGHT                                    Date:                                                    

Period:                                 Duration: 1 HR 20 MIN.                                                  Average age of learners: 17YEARS

Subject:                               CHEMISTRY                                                                         Class: SS TWO

Topic:                                    ETHICAL, LEGAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Sub topic:

Reference materials:

(1) ESSENTIAL CHEMISTRY, TONALD PUBLISHERS, I. O ODESINA

(2) NEW SCHOOL CHEMISTRY, AFRICAN FIRST PUBLISHERS, OSEI YAW ABABIO

(3) INTERNET

Instructional materials: pesticides and chloroform

Entry behavior: The students have been taught density.

Behavioural objective: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:

1.       Explain ethics

2.       State some ethics for sourcing chemical

3.       Give examples of chemical waste

4.       List the 3 general methods of minimizing waste

5.       Mention industry and the types of waste produces

6.       State the causes and effects of industrial pollution.

CONTENT

ETHICAL, LEGAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Ethics can be defined as a set of principles that guide people in deciding what is right and what is wrong. It is a set of beliefs and principles that guides people behavior in their various callings. Every profession or business has their own ethics that guides the practice of the profession or business.

Chemicals play a crucial role in the life of man, it is used to provide things that sustain life but at the same time can destroy life if not properly handled or not handled by people of integrity.

Therefore, ethics in chemical business can be defined as a set of principles or belief that guides people’s (vendor’s manufactures) behavior in handling chemicals and chemical products.

Ethics of sourcing chemicals

The nature of chemicals required that people who deal in it must have a level of truthfulness and integrity. Chemical are good substances that can make us live a good life if well applied. For example, it can be used as detergents, toilet soap etc.

Ethics of sourcing chemicals should include:

I.                    chemical should be sourced through licensed vendors with high integrity.

II.                  Vendors should not supply fake and adulterated chemicals.

III.                Chemical for educational purposes must be carefully package and supplied by licensed suppliers.

IV.                Delicate and hazardous chemical like acid, pesticide, weed killers, should be sourced and supplied to only user with high integrity who will put them into constructive use.

V.                  Special permit should be issued from government and relevant professional bodies before sourcing for and supplying of hazardous, flammable, toxic and corrosive chemicals.

VI.                No manufacturer or vendor should engage in the production or supply of chemicals that can be used to destroy life or property.

CHEMICAL  WASTE

Chemical waste includes solids, liquids or gases containing or contaminated with any of the following:

flammable solvents (e.g., acetone, alcohols, acetonitrile); leachate toxic materials (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides);

corrosives (e.g., hydrochloric acid, potassium hydroxide pellets); reactives such as oxidizers, cyanides, sulphides, explosives, unstable materials and water-reactive materials (e.g., sodium metal, benzoyl peroxide); toxic materials including mutagenic, carcinogenic, acute or chronic toxicity materials (e.g., chloroform, ethidium bromide);

polychlorinated biphenyls (> 50 ppm concentration); non-returnable gas cylinders.

A regulated chemical waste is defined as a waste based on the quantity, concentration, physical and chemical characteristics may: cause, or significantly contribute to, the harm of an individual including increased mortality or serious illness; or poses a potential or present threat to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.

 Examples of Chemical Waste include:

i.                     Waste and expired chemicals.

ii.                   Broken thermometers and any items containing mercury.

iii.                  Non-returnable gas cylinders and lecture bottles (18 inch max).

iv.                 Materials used for clean-up of chemical spills.

v.                   Used oil of any type.

vi.                 Photographic film processing solutions.

vii.                Lead shielding and lead scrap (No radioactive contamination).

Guideline for handling chemicals and chemical products as per international practice

i.                     Fire extinguishers should be provided in the storage or warehouse for chemicals.

ii.                   Appropriate personal protective equipment and clothing should be kept closed during storage or when not in use.

iii.                  There should be no eating or bringing of food inside the storage area for chemicals and other hazardous substances.

iv.                 Adequate copies of Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) should be made available in the stores where chemicals are kept.

v.                   All boxes containing chemicals should be kept closed during storage or when not in use.

WASTE MINIMIZATION

It is important that every individual community be aware of the environmental impacts related to the disposal of hazardous chemical wastes and to help minimize the volumes that are generated. Proper waste management should be an integral part of the operating procedures. There are three general methods of waste minimization:

       A. Source Reduction

       B. Re-use/Recycling

       C. Treatment

 A. Source reduction involves changing practices and procedures to reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous waste materials.

B. Re-Use/Recycling is when a waste material is used for another purpose, treated and reused in the same process or reclaimed for another process.

C. Treatment techniques involve wastes that are neutralized or detoxified and managed at the source.

INDUSTRIAL P0LLUTION

Any form of pollution that can trace its immediate source to industrial practices is known as industrial pollution. Most of the pollution on the planet can be traced back to industries of some kind. The wide varieties of pollutants as shown above enter the envi­ronment and disturb the natural eco-system affecting the biota. Due to industrial activities, a variety of poisonous gases like NO, SO₂, NO₂, SO₃, Cl₂, CO, CO₂, H2SO4 etc., volatile chemicals, dusts etc.,  are liberated into the atmosphere causing acute pollution problem. Besides, the accidental leakage of poisonous gases can cause havoc.

 Many of the above poisonous gases induce depletion of ozone layer, crea­tion of ozone hole. Green House effect, Global warming, Acid rain, destruction of monument and killing of living organisms disturbing the natural eco-systems.

Table

	Industry	Wastes Produced	Type of Pollution
1	Caustic Soda	Mercury, Chlorine gas	Air, water and land
2	Cement dust, smoke	Particulate matter
3	Distillery	Organic waste	Land and water
4	Fertiliser	Ammonia, cyanides, oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulpur,	Air and water
5	Dye	Inorganic waste pigment	Land and water
6	Iron and steel	Smoke, gases, coal dust, fly ash, fluorine	Air, water and land
7	Pesticides	Organic and inorganic waste	Water and land
8	Oil Refineries	Smoke, toxic gases, organic waste	Air and water
9	Paper and Pulp	Smoke, organic waste	Air and water
10	Sugar	Organic waste, molasses	Land and water
11	Textiles	Smoke, particulate matter	Land and water
12	Tanneries	Organic waste	Water
13	Thermal power	Fly ash, SO2 gas	Air and water
14	Nuclear power station	Radioactive wastes	Water and land
15	Food processing	Alkalies, phenols chromates, organic wastes	Water and land

 

Industrial pollution takes on many faces. It contaminates many sources of drinking water, releases unwanted toxins into the air and reduces the quality of soil all over the world. Major environmental disasters have been caused due to industrial mishaps, which have yet to be brought under control. Below are few of the causes of industrial pollution that have resulted in environment degradation.

Causes of Industrial Pollution

1. Lack of Policies to Control Pollution: Lack of effective policies and poor enforcement drive allowed many industries to bypass laws made by pollution control board which resulted in mass scale pollution that affected lives of many people.

2. Unplanned Industrial Growth: In most industrial townships, unplanned growth took place wherein those companies flouted rules and norms and polluted the environment with both air and water pollution.

3. Use of Outdated Technologies: Most industries still rely on old technologies to produce products that generate large amount of waste. To avoid high cost and expenditure, many companies still make use of traditional technologies to produce high end products.

4. Presence of Large Number of Small Scale Industries: Many small scale industries and factories that don’t have enough capital and rely on government grants to run their day-to-day businesses often escape environment regulations and release large amount of toxic gases in the atmosphere.

5. Inefficient Waste Disposal: Water pollution and soil pollution are often caused directly due to inefficiency in disposal of waste. Long term exposure to polluted air and water causes chronic health problems, making the issue of industrial pollution into a severe one. It also lowers the air quality in surrounding areas which causes many respiratory disorders.

6. Leaching of Resources From Our Natural World: Industries do require large amount of raw material to make them into finished products. This requires extraction of minerals from beneath the earth. The extracted minerals can cause soil pollution when spilled on the earth. Leaks from vessels can cause oil spills that may prove harmful for marine life

Effects of Industrial Pollution

1. Water Pollution: The effects of industrial pollution are far reaching and liable to affect the eco-system for many years to come. Most industries require large amounts of water for their work. When involved in a series of processes, the water comes into contact with heavy metals, harmful chemicals, radioactive waste and even organic sludge.

These are either dumped into open oceans or rivers. As a result, many of our water sources have high amount of industrial waste in them which seriously impacts the health of our eco-system. The same water is then used by farmers for irrigation purpose which affects the quality of food that is produced.

Water pollution has already rendered many ground water resources useless for humans and wildlife. It can at best be recycled for further usage in industries.

2. Soil Pollution: Soil pollution is creating problems in agriculture and destroying local vegetation. It also causes chronic health issues to the people that come in contact with such soil on a daily basis.

3. Air Pollution: Air pollution has led to a steep increase in various illnesses and it continues to affect us on a daily basis. With so many small, mid and large scale industries coming up, air pollution has taken toll on the health of the people and the environment.

4. Wildlife Extinction: By and large, the issue of industrial pollution shows us that it causes natural rhythms and patterns to fail, meaning that the wildlife is getting affected in a severe manner. Habitats are being lost, species are becoming extinct and it is harder for the environment to recover from each natural disaster. Major industrial accidents like oil spills, fires, leak of radioactive material and damage to property are harder to clean-up as they have a higher impact in a shorter span of time.

5. Global Warming: With the rise in industrial pollution, global warming has been increasing at a steady pace. Smoke and greenhouse gases are being released by industries into the air which causes increase in global warming. Melting of glaciers, extinction of polar beers, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes are few of the effects of global warming.

The issue of industrial pollution concerns every nation on the planet. As a result, many steps have been taken to seek permanent solutions to the problem. Better technology is being developed for disposal of waste and recycling as much polluted water in the industries as possible. Organic methods are being used to clean the water and soil, such as using microbes that naturally uses heavy metals and waste as feed. Policies are being pushed into place to prevent further misuse of land. However, industrial pollution is still rampant and will take many years to be brought under control.

     ROLES OF GOVERNMENT IN PREVENTING CHEMICAL DEGRADATION

1.       Government should enact a law that will curtail indiscriminate disposal of chemical wastes and pollutant.

2.       Setting a minimum standard for the establishment of chemical industries.

       3.     Pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible.

       4.     Pollution that cannot be prevented should be recycled while those cannot be prevented should be treated    in an environmentally safe manner whenever feasible.

       5.     Reducing consumption or usage of a polluting product.

PRESENTATION

I.                    The teacher defines ethics and ethics for sourcing chemical.

II.                  The teacher explains chemical waste and methods of minimizing waste.

III.                The teacher explains industrial pollution and states industry and the types of waste produces.

IV.                The students states industry and the types of waste produces.

V.                  The teacher explains the causes and effects of industrial pollution.

EVALUATION

 The teacher evaluates the lessons by asking the following questions:-

1.       Explain ethics

2.       State some ethics for sourcing chemical

3.       Give examples of chemical waste

4.       List the 3 general methods of minimizing waste

5.       Mention industry and the types of waste produces

6.       State the causes and effects of industrial pollution.

ASSIGNMENT

  1a.i.             List 2 gaseous pollutant that can be generated by burning coal.

i.                     Mention one pollutant associated with depletion of ozone layer in the atmosphere

ii.                   Explain why it is dangerous  to run generator in a closed room

2.            State one air pollution that causes:

a.            blood poisoning

b.            acid poisoning

c.             blackening of the wall building