IDENTIFYING PROMISING POLLUTION-PREVENTION TECHNOLOGIES

The majority of hazardous waste is generated industrially, and the imp ortance of industrial pollution prevention to economic and environment al sustainability is now recognized. Sustainability can be evaluated u sing benefit-risk analysis, globally and locally by public agencies an d firms. To evaluate pollution prevention seriously, using benefit-ris k analysis or other methods, the benefits of hazardous materials use i n industry must be recognized. Pollution-prevention technologies in a broad range of industries were reviewed as a part of research to devel op benefit-risk methods. Ten basic functions served by hazardous mater ials in industry were identified as binding, pigmentation, reactants, reaction inhibition, catalysis, bleaching, mass deposition, mass remov al, by-products, and end products. Pollution-prevention technologies w ere associated with each function. The classification of technologies offers a basis for development of general pollution-prevention approac hes, and promotes transfer of technologies among industries in which h azardous materials perform similar functions. Hazardous materials used for mass transfer, and those generated as by-products, appear to repr esent areas of opportunity for pollution-prevention research and devel opment.