Area of Chemical damage- characteristics. Medical Activities for localisation and Eradication
Written by Anam Hussain
Definition:
Chemical Area of damage is the territory in which the environment and living organisms are under impacts of the chemical/toxic damaging factor.
In order to define the boundaries of the CAOD, several factors have to be considered:
- State of matter of Chemical DF: size of AOD varies depending on whether chemical is in gas, liquid or solid form
- Boiling and freezing points of toxic material- changes in state of matter can affect size of AOD
- Type of chemical element/compound- from this you can predict potential damages, routes of exposure and pathologic changes to tissue, organs and activities
- Quantity of released toxic material into environment
- Topography of affected area-elements above the earth’s surface could impede spread of chemical and confine it to only the CAOD
- Water basins- could be natural barrier for spreading of chemicals by diluting them
- Weather related factors
- Types of soil- affect potential to become contaminated or not because different soils have different times for absorption. This can affect contamination of environment
- Types of vegetation
- Population density and exposure to toxic material (most important from medical point of view)
- Protective measures required for preventing harm to health
- Type, number and location of casualties
In order to define the required DMS activities, data regarding the type of chemical is required. Consequently, chemicals are classified into different hazard classification depending on their physiochemical properties and health hazards.
Physiochemical chemicals:
- Explosive chemical, oxidising chemical, flammable chemicals
Health hazard chemicals:
- Toxic chemicals, harmful chemicals, irritant chemicals
- Sensitising chemicals, corrosive chemicals, carcinogens
- Teratogens, mutagens
Zones of CAOD: CAOD is divided into 3 main zones regarding the concentration of the chemical and its effects on the population
- Zone of the chemical spill
- Size of area is small
- Almost all of unprotected population is affected
- Majority of casualties are irreversible losses
- Zone of lethal concentration
- Concentration of chemical is lower than previous zone
- Size of area is bigger
- Majority of unprotected population is affected
- Medical losses outnumber irreversible losses
- Zone of damaging concentration
- Dose is lower than of zone of lethal concentration
- Does not cause irreversible losses
- Only small proportion of population sustains damage to health