Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials

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Product Description

Deliberately, accidentally, or consequentially, first responders and waste site workers handle unknown substances of varying degrees of danger every day.� Unidentified chemicals involved with clandestine production of WMD agents or drugs, explosive materials, unlabeled waste, and forensic samples all pose a threat to the worker and those they protect. A straightforward, concise handbook of practical strategies is needed to perform effective risk assessment and management in the face of uncertainty. Written for emergency workers responsible for the safe response to and management of unknown hazardous materials, Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials providesreadily applicable strategies for developing and implementing a fluid concept of risk analysis based on hazard characterization in emergency situations where definitive identification of the material may be impractical or even impossible. Using a hands-on approach involving the manipulation of small amounts of material, the author discusses strategies to identify threats and vulnerabilities, ascertain exposure, and reduce or eliminate impact. The book begins with an overview of chemical and physical terms and definitions. It continues with a look at types of hazards presented by chemical compounds and mixtures, organisms, and radiation sources. It covers approximately 63 portable technologies for field identification or characterization and examines general technological advantages and disadvantages relative to hazard identification. The final chapter presents strategies for use in identifying or characterizing suspected weapons of mass destruction, illegal drugs, explosive substances, biological hazards, and other hazardous materials. Each chapter includes extensive references and a comprehensive index. Providing a sweeping overview of hazards and emphasizing risk analysis and public safety, Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials gives first responders an advantage they deserve.

Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials Review

Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials, Rick Houghton, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2008, ISBN: 978-0849379680
Review by Paul R. Laska
First, for full disclosure, I am the same Paul R. Laska whose comments appear in advertising blurbs for this book. During his research, Rick Houghton requested I review material dealing with explosives characterization; based upon that introduction, I recognized the value of his work.
Having had the opportunity to read the entire book, my only negative comment is that I wish I had had it much earlier. My science background is as weak as most with a degree in social science; then I entered a field of law enforcement where chemistry is an important aspect. I did attend a field offering of the NFA Haz-Mat Chemistry program. It was a well presented class, and I learned a great deal of organic chemistry, but over the years it faded. The first chapter of Houghton's book, Terms and Definitions, is a wonderful introduction to hazardous materials chemistry...not just organic, but also inorganic. It also covers biological, and importantly to me, radiologicals.
The middle chapter of the book deals with detection technologies. These range from simple "chemistry set" procedures to the variety of field useable and lab based advanced electronic technology that is available today. The final chapter looks at the application of these various technologies to the characterization of an unknown material.
Houghton approaches the material with the understanding that the audience is basically science ignorant. Without talking down, he educates them in the area of hazardous materials chemistry, using simple approaches to explain the whats and whys of the subject. Through wonderful sketches by his son he introduces humor, which he further follows up with his "Commandments of Thy Characterization Strategy."
The photographs in the book are produced in black and white, which Houghton admits are not illustrative of the effects one should be observing. To overcome this, he includes a web link to his site, where the original, color photos are available for review.
Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials is a well written book for the average firefighter, haz-mat responder, law enforcement clandestine lab/bomb tech/environmental investigator, or anyone else whose assignment includes exposure to unknown chemical materials. It will greatly improve the reader's comprehension of haz-mat chemistry and walk the reader through the technologies and their application in the real world. It has application beyond the field, to the training and educational setting, where it could well serve as a text for basic hazardous materials chemistry classes.

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