Author Description

The second edition of a bestseller, Hazardous Materials Chemistry for Emergency Responders continues to provide the fundamentals of "street chemistry" required by emergency response personnel. The information presented will assist you in responding to specific chemical spills, including identifying the exact chemicals involved and their individual hazards. The chapters are organized by the nine U.S. Department of Transportation's hazard classes. Within each class, the author discusses individual chemicals that are commonly involved in emergency situations along with their physical and chemical characteristics. Additionally, each chapter addresses the multiple perils of hazardous materials, including "hidden" hazards. The top 50 hazardous industrial chemicals are considered throughout the book, together with other hazardous materials. The author also provides incident reports and statistics to underscore the effects that specific chemicals can have on incident outcomes. Furthermore, he delves into the timely concern of dealing with chemical and biological terrorist agents. This information is extremely valuable in your daily work for the health and safety of yourself and those who rely on you. Hazardous Materials Chemistry for Emergency Responders, Second Edition offers a concise presentation of the topics of most importance. The subject matter is written to be appropriate for response personnel without a strong chemistry background by conveying the information in understandable terms. This book will familiarize you with the basic chemistry a responder needs to understand chemical terminology and communicate with others about the chemicals involved in hazardous materials incidents.