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Dioxin destroyed
well hope to collaborate with Professor Wang of Peking who took part in the Chinese survey. Preliminary discussions took place during Professor Wang's recent visit to St Andrews. Dr Butler and Dr Glidewell are already engaged in collaborative work on Chinese science with Dr Joseph Needham, FRS, Director of the East
Asian History of Science Library, Cambridge, and author of the multivolume series "Science and Civilisation in China". The Cancer Research Campaign, which spends more than £15 million a year on projects is the leading supporter of research into all forms of cancer, including leukaemia,
Dioxin Destroyed* "Hazardous waste is as much a political issue as it is scientific", Dr Jurgen H. Exner told a group of scientists from among the 11,000 attending the recent national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Exner, a chemist who is director of research for IT Enviroscience, noted in his opening remarks at the symposium on detoxification of hazardous waste that industrial nations no longer consider it appropriate to hide wastes in the environment. "There is no typical waste", Exner pointed out, "and there are thousands of toxic chemical compounds". For example, an impurity in Agent Orange, the controversial defoliant which was used to strip plants and trees of their leaves during the war in Vietnam, is dioxin. One of the deadliest compounds known to man, its role in creating deformities in human is still being assessed. *Courtesy IT Corporation News Service.
In a new ultraviolet light process, one of a diversity of approaches to treating a specific type of waste, 14 pounds of this highly toxic synthetic organic compound was destroyed t o a level of 99.94 percent. This was carried out by the photochemical technology division of IT Corporation, a California-based environmental management firm. Dioxin formed during production of hexachlorophene by a pharmaceutical and chemical company was discovered in a waste storage tank at a facility in Verona, Mo, USA. The highly toxic dioxin was destroyed effectively and safely at the plant site, thus averting legal problems related to transportation and disposal. Opposition by both public and political sectors prevented destruction of the waste by land or seabased incineration. "The successful completion of this project demonstrates that technical expertise, coupled with cor-
Water Resources Development* The Ghanian Ministry of Health has set up a Health Committee on Water Resources Development. The Committee will: --examine the health implications and make the appropriate recom-
*First Annual Report, Health Committee on Water Resources Development, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box M44, Accra, Ghana. Vol. 2, No. 1 (1982)
mendations on proposed water development projects. --determine the resources required for health improvement of those adversely affected by on-going water development projects. --encourage, promote and stimulate research by appropriate agencies into health problems arising out of water resource development, and the dissemination of such information and indicate action taken.
porate responsibility, can solve the difficult pollution problems that exist today", Exner said. After an initial reduction of onehalf pound of dioxin waste and following in-depth scrutinization with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Verona waste was destroyed in 26 batches--with a turnaround time of 24 hours achieved in over half the batches. Each 160-gallon batch was pumped into a reactor and extracted with 700 gallons of organic solvent. Sequential extractions of the organic solution, which contained the dioxin, were employed until the solution was pumped through eight photolysis units and reduced to an acceptable level. All these accomplishments were carried out safely and with no environmental damage and none of the contingency plans needed to be implemented for protection of public health and environment. With headquarters in Wilmington, California, IT Corporation is a fullservice environmental management company. The company's environmental technology division, IT Enviroscience, is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is recognized as a leader in providing environmental assessments to government and industry, as well as designing, constructing and operating chemical waste treatment facilities. For additional information on the dioxin destruction process, contact Dr Jurgen Exner at IT Enviroscience, 9041 Executive Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37923. - - m o n i t o r the implications of the recommendations made by the committee. The Committee is chaired by Professor E. Laing, University of Ghana, Legon, and the first report of the Committee stresses the importance of strengthening the links with development and planning units. This will integrate water development activities and control measures into the broader schemes of socioeconomic development. Data involving the new Weija Dam, and the Tono Dam Irrigation area, as well as the Schistosomiasis Research Project will be of significant interest to all in the region. 81
Asian History of Science Library, Cambridge, and author of the multivolume series "Science and Civilisation in China". The Cancer Research Campaign, which spends more than £15 million a year on projects is the leading supporter of research into all forms of cancer, including leukaemia,
Dioxin Destroyed* "Hazardous waste is as much a political issue as it is scientific", Dr Jurgen H. Exner told a group of scientists from among the 11,000 attending the recent national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Exner, a chemist who is director of research for IT Enviroscience, noted in his opening remarks at the symposium on detoxification of hazardous waste that industrial nations no longer consider it appropriate to hide wastes in the environment. "There is no typical waste", Exner pointed out, "and there are thousands of toxic chemical compounds". For example, an impurity in Agent Orange, the controversial defoliant which was used to strip plants and trees of their leaves during the war in Vietnam, is dioxin. One of the deadliest compounds known to man, its role in creating deformities in human is still being assessed. *Courtesy IT Corporation News Service.
In a new ultraviolet light process, one of a diversity of approaches to treating a specific type of waste, 14 pounds of this highly toxic synthetic organic compound was destroyed t o a level of 99.94 percent. This was carried out by the photochemical technology division of IT Corporation, a California-based environmental management firm. Dioxin formed during production of hexachlorophene by a pharmaceutical and chemical company was discovered in a waste storage tank at a facility in Verona, Mo, USA. The highly toxic dioxin was destroyed effectively and safely at the plant site, thus averting legal problems related to transportation and disposal. Opposition by both public and political sectors prevented destruction of the waste by land or seabased incineration. "The successful completion of this project demonstrates that technical expertise, coupled with cor-
Water Resources Development* The Ghanian Ministry of Health has set up a Health Committee on Water Resources Development. The Committee will: --examine the health implications and make the appropriate recom-
*First Annual Report, Health Committee on Water Resources Development, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box M44, Accra, Ghana. Vol. 2, No. 1 (1982)
mendations on proposed water development projects. --determine the resources required for health improvement of those adversely affected by on-going water development projects. --encourage, promote and stimulate research by appropriate agencies into health problems arising out of water resource development, and the dissemination of such information and indicate action taken.
porate responsibility, can solve the difficult pollution problems that exist today", Exner said. After an initial reduction of onehalf pound of dioxin waste and following in-depth scrutinization with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Verona waste was destroyed in 26 batches--with a turnaround time of 24 hours achieved in over half the batches. Each 160-gallon batch was pumped into a reactor and extracted with 700 gallons of organic solvent. Sequential extractions of the organic solution, which contained the dioxin, were employed until the solution was pumped through eight photolysis units and reduced to an acceptable level. All these accomplishments were carried out safely and with no environmental damage and none of the contingency plans needed to be implemented for protection of public health and environment. With headquarters in Wilmington, California, IT Corporation is a fullservice environmental management company. The company's environmental technology division, IT Enviroscience, is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is recognized as a leader in providing environmental assessments to government and industry, as well as designing, constructing and operating chemical waste treatment facilities. For additional information on the dioxin destruction process, contact Dr Jurgen Exner at IT Enviroscience, 9041 Executive Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37923. - - m o n i t o r the implications of the recommendations made by the committee. The Committee is chaired by Professor E. Laing, University of Ghana, Legon, and the first report of the Committee stresses the importance of strengthening the links with development and planning units. This will integrate water development activities and control measures into the broader schemes of socioeconomic development. Data involving the new Weija Dam, and the Tono Dam Irrigation area, as well as the Schistosomiasis Research Project will be of significant interest to all in the region. 81