As with all chemicals, solvents and their use are subject to legislation (for more information see Environmental Legislation in the Process Design topic). Other factors to consider when using solvents include:
- Process safety
- Worker safety and health
- Regulatory guidelines
- Corporate responsibility – drive for sustainable manufacture
- Disposal
- Environmental impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including:
- Harmful effects on human health e.g. 1,2-dichloroethane and DMF
- Harmful effects on natural ecosystems e.g. hexanes
- Damage to materials e.g. acids
- Stratospheric ozone depletion e.g. carbon tetrachloride
- Tropospheric photochemical oxidant formation e.g. xylene, toluene
- Global climate change
- Odour e.g. amines (pyridine, triethylamine), dimethyl sulfide
In this module, we will use case studies to explore some of these issues in more detail.
