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06 November 2013

Portable Spill Containment Berms Is The First Line Of Defense Against Serious Pollution

By Katrina Wheeler


There is little that does as much damage and cause as much havoc in the environment as spillage of toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, such spillages are an everyday affair and anybody that deals with such chemicals need to be ready to deal with accidents. Portable spill containment berms should most certainly part of every load of chemicals transported from one place to another. This is the very first defense against large scale damage.

However, taking steps to prevent the pollution from spreading is only the first stage of any plan designed to deal with the matter. The pollutants have to be neutralized, removed from the pollution site and disposed of in a safe manner. This requires sophisticated equipment and operators that have been trained in dealing with this type of incident. Preventing pollution to spread remains, however, the first and most important priority.

One of the most effective ways to get rid of pollutants is to use a specially designed agent that is able to physically absorb the toxins. There are also agents that are engineered to speed up the natural deterioration of the harmful chemicals, but this is only effective if the chemicals are actually bio degradable. These agents cause the toxins to be rendered in a form where it can be removed and transported safely.

One of the latest developments has seen the birth of new agents that are not only able to render the pollutants harmless, but also able to actually transform it onto a mass that is useful in commerce. These agents absorb chemicals and result in a mass of material that can be used in the manufacture of various rubber products and other materials that are routinely used in road construction projects.

While agents that absorb or neutralize toxins are very effective, it is an unfortunate fact that some chemicals cannot be absorbed and will not degrade. In such cases highly specialized machines are used to separate the pollutants from water and to then skim the chemicals from the water into giant containers. The pollutants are then destroyed and specialist sites that are equipped for this task.

Unfortunately, pollution is not always the highest priority. In fact, in cases where the spillage pose no immediate threat to human health, sensitive environmental areas and important historical sites it is simply left alone. The cleaning of polluted areas is expensive and requires specialized skill and equipment. Spillages in densely populated areas, tourism attractions and protected wildlife parks are deemed to be the highest priority.

Businesses that handle potentially dangerous materials must have policies and procedures in place to deal with accidents. Moreover, they need to invest in the equipment that is necessary to deal with such accidents and they need to make sure that their staff is trained in effectively handling such incidents. Pollution is a serious matter and need to be taken seriously.

There is no doubt that the presence of portable spill containment berms can do much to limit the damage of accidents when toxins and chemicals are spilled. They should be standard equipment that must be available whenever anybody deals with chemicals. Without them the consequences to the environment and even human health can be dire.




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