Boating Industry Hazardous Waste Management

The boating industry—from manufacturing to repair—generates many kinds of waste, much of it RCRA hazardous. This blog identifies what types, as well as how to dispose of each safely and legally. Q&As include:

1. What types of hazardous waste are generated in boat manufacturing?
2. What are hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)?
3. How is styrene a hazardous air pollutant?
4. How is methyl methacrylate (MMA) a hazardous air pollutant?
5. How is methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) a hazardous air pollutant?
6. How is toluene a hazardous air pollutant?
7. How is xylene a hazardous air pollutant?
8. How is n-hexane a hazardous air pollutant?
9. How is methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) a hazardous air pollutant?
10. How is methyl chloroform a hazardous air pollutant?
11. What are the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits for HAPs?
12. How do you properly dispose of HAPs?
13. Where can you get help & advice regarding boating industry hazardous waste?

1. What types of hazardous waste are generated in boat manufacturing?

The EPA has identified boat manufacturing as a major source of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). These include:

• Styrene—an important component in the manufacture of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP).
• Methyl methacrylate (MMA)—has applications including safety glazing, exterior paints, vinyl impact modifiers, adhesives, illuminated light displays, and more.
• Methylene chloride (dichloromethane)—a volatile, colorless liquid used in various industrial processes.
• Toluene—a clear colorless liquid used in making paints, paint thinners, lacquers, adhesives, and solvents.
• Xylene—a volatile liquid hydrocarbon used as a lubricant, cleaning solution, paint thinner, and as a fuel or solvent.
• N-hexane—used in the formulation of glues as well as a cleanser and degreaser.
• Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)—used as a solvent in the production of paints, rubber products, chemicals, and machinery.
• Methyl chloroform (1,1,1-trichloroethane)—a colorless, volatile, nonflammable liquid used to make other chemicals and to clean grease from metal parts.

2. What are hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)?

These are substances identified by the EPA as “known to cause or may reasonably be anticipated to cause adverse effects to human health or adverse environmental effects” (see source).

3. How is styrene a hazardous air pollutant?

Vapors from the styrene application and curing process used to make FRP boats pose an inhalation hazard for workers near the process. Short term exposure can irritate eyes, mucous membranes, and have gastrointestinal effects. Longer exposure can lead to headaches, fatigue, weakness, and depression. Chronic exposure can damage peripheral nerves and cause changes to the kidneys and blood (source).

4. How is methyl methacrylate (MMA) a hazardous air pollutant?

Although the EPA doesn’t consider MMA to be carcinogenic, it’s nevertheless irritating to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Dermal exposure can cause the development of an allergic response. Respiratory effects following acute exposures include chest tightness, dyspnea, coughing, wheezing, and reduced peak flow. Neurological symptoms have also been reported following acute exposure (see source).

5. How is methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) a hazardous air pollutant?

Workers exposed to methylene chloride endure increased risk for developing cancer, adverse effects on the heart, central nervous system or liver disorders, as well as skin or eye irritation. Exposure may occur through inhalation or skin contact and absorption (see source).

6. How is toluene a hazardous air pollutant?

Depending upon the dose, duration, and work being done, exposure to toluene can be the source of fatigue, confusion, anxiety, euphoria, and/or dizziness. It can irritate the eyes and nose, as well as cause headaches, tears, dilated pupils, and muscle fatigue. Other known effects are insomnia, nerve damage, inflammation of the skin, and liver or kidney damage (source).

7. How is xylene a hazardous air pollutant?

The degree of harm consequent to xylene exposure depends upon the dose, duration, and work being done. Incidental exposure can irritate the eyes, nose, skin, and throat. More extensive exposure can cause headaches, dizziness, confusion, and loss of muscle coordination. High doses can be fatal (see source).

8. How is n-hexane a hazardous air pollutant?

Short-term inhalation of n-hexane causes dizziness, giddiness, slight nausea, and headaches. Long-term exposure is associated with polyneuropathy, including numbness in the extremities, muscular weakness, blurred vision, headache, and fatigue. There’s no evidence that n-hexane causes cancer in people or animals (see source).

9. How is methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) a hazardous air pollutant?

Short-term inhalation of MIBK will irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Prolonged contact with the skin will cause irritation. MIBK can cause narcosis, along with headaches, dizziness, nausea, and numbness in the fingers and toes. Prolonged exposure can lead to unconsciousness and—in some cases—death (see source).

10. How is methyl chloroform a hazardous air pollutant?

Short-term inhalation of methyl chloroform (1,1,1-trichloroethane) can result in dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Longer exposure can cause reduced blood pressure and have mild effects upon the liver. Methyl chloroform is also a CNS depressant, which can lead to unconsciousness, as well as respiratory and/or cardiac arrest (see source).

11. What are the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits for HAPs?

The table below lists the permissible exposure limits (PEL) for the eight hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) common to the boating industry by parts-per-million (PPM) over an eight-hour period.

12. How do you properly dispose of HAPs?

While the manufacture, repair, and maintenance of watercraft necessitate the generation of HAPs, these materials are nonetheless RCRA hazardous wastes, and their responsible disposal is crucial to your “cradle-to-grave” hazardous waste management. Practices that will garner the negative attention of the EPA include but aren’t limited to:

• Open burning—as doing so emits a wide range of toxic compounds into the immediate atmosphere, including dioxins, furans, heavy metals, and VOCs.
• Improper landfilling—because HAPs dumped into landfills (without effective containment) interact with moisture to form leachate, a toxic liquid that will seep into the surrounding soil and groundwater. Anaerobic decomposition of HAPs also generates methane, carbon dioxide, and other airborne pollutants.
• Lack of treatment—most HAPs require specific treatment procedures to neutralize or minimize their endemic ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and/or toxicity.
• Inadequate containment & storage—because accidental spills or leaks can lead to uncontrolled releases of hazardous materials into the air.

13. Where can you get help & advice regarding boating industry hazardous waste?

Leveraging our experience & expertise in regulatory compliance and recycling strategies, Hazardous Waste Experts has a documentable record of helping companies big & small reduce, reuse, and/or recycle HAPs. So doing, our clients decrease the volume of waste that requires disposal, thereby reducing the significant costs and legal exposure associated with their hazardous waste management.

Don’t go it alone. Contact us. Or call (425) 414-3485. And thank-you for reading our blog!