Threat by chemical substances: Legislation, production, use and waste - Environmental Deterioration and Contamination: Problems and their Management - page 51

The production of chemicals is generally well controlled. The risks due to produc-
tion can be identified based on the information on both the substances and the tech-
nology. This information is generally fully available. The next phase of the chemicals'
life cycle is their further industrial use and final application in small industries, agricul-
ture or household. This phase is less detectable and controllable mainly if it involves
household uses. The waste phase of the chemicals' and products' life cycle is the most
complicated one from the control, management and classification point of view.
Waste classes, in Europe, are created based on the origin of the waste (source
and the branch generating the waste: municipal, industrial, construction, agricultural,
fishery waste, etc.) and the process the waste comes from. The consequence is that
the same waste coming from two different industries is registered under two different
codes. Waste regulation relies on the established waste classes. However, the European
Waste Catalogue (EWC, 2000 and EWC, 2001a,b) includes, as a third aspect, the
properties of the waste according to the incorporated nonhazardous or hazardous
chemical substances, e.g., flammable, toxic, carcinogenic. Important information such
as biodegradability, combustibility highly influencing disposal, recycling or reuse of
wastes is not included in the waste catalogue. This additional information is used in
waste management in addition to waste classification.
Wastes are classified as hazardous if the known substances in the waste are haz-
ardous and are present above a certain level, e.g., a very toxic chemical substance above
0.1% or a toxic chemical above 3%. The composition of very complex or mixed wastes
(e.g., communal waste) is not taken into consideration at all (see also Chapter 6). Those
wastes which are recycled and (re)used as chemical substance or products should be
covered by the REACH Regulation.
Amongst the most dangerous chemical substances used and emitted in large
amounts and having considerable adverse effects, we shall discuss some selected groups
such as pesticides, biocides and cosmetics, given their direct contact with ecosystem
habitat or human skin. Chemicals such as carcinogens, mutagens or reprotoxic agents
and “substances of emerging concern ''are also discussed because of their exceptionally
high human and environmental risks.

5.2 Pesticides
Pesticides are one of the most hazardous groups of chemicals, designed and synthesized
for killing living organisms. Pesticides endanger human activities such as agricultural
production, food processing, or the health of agro-ecosystems. Any substance or mix-
ture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest
is a pesticide. In a wider sense, pesticide may be a chemical substance, biological agent
(such as a virus or bacterium), antimicrobial substance, a disinfectant agent or device
used against any pest.
PPPs are defined in Article 2 of the 91/414/EEC Directive on Plant Protection
Products (PPP Directive, 1991) as: “Active substances and preparations containing
one or more active substances, put up in the form in which they are supplied to the
user, intended to:

- Protect plants or plant products against all harmful organisms or prevent the action

of such organisms;