Behaviour hazardous material spillages in the marine environment

When a chemical spillage occurs it is important to be familiar with the physical and chemical properties of the substance together with the danger aspects in case the chemicals are spilled into the aquatic environment. One classification into groups is based upon the affinity of a particular substance to air, watersurface, water, bottom or combinations of these. To establish the criteria on which hazardous bulk materials will be categorized according to the bahaviour in the marine environment is to divide them into four main categories: substances which tends to go into the air; substances which float on the watersurface; substances which dissolve or dispers e into the watercolumn; substances which tends to sink to the bottom. The aim of this classification is to divide chemicals into categories according to their physico-chemical behaviour in the event of spillages in the aquatic environment. It is intended to use various behaviour classes based on response methods to be employed to reduce the effects once a spill occurs.