MINIMIZACIÓN DEL RIESGO AMBIENTAL EN LA INDUSTRIA DE GALVANOPLASTÍA

Abstract

The industrial development has caused significant increases in the number of production processes that generate chemical or hazardous pollutants, or chemical compounds that are required as raw materials or intermediate inputs. These processes are accompanied by increasing levels of air pollutants emissions, water pollutants and a high incidence of dangerous waste. The lack of information about the physical and chemical characteristics of the substances used in production processes can lead to improper handling by the operators and also could produce an environmental emergency, leaking, spill or explosion. In order to take action, both preventive and corrective, we made an environmental risk assessment in an electroplating plant located in Mexico State, due the amount of the substances handled in it; their activities are classified as highly hazardous by the national regulations. Processes performed in the electroplating industry have the purpose to modify the surface metal´s properties and this can be associated with decorative or functional designs. With regard to environmental issues, this kind of industry has serious problems, because the waste and emissions generated are considered dangerous to the environmental and to the human health. The hazardous substances handled in the electroplating industry are: nitric acid, sodium cyanide and nickel, the amounts of these substances stored in their facilities exceed the amounts established by national regulations and therefore it is classified as an industry with high-risk activities. We carried out a risk analysis and technical operability with HAZOP (Hazard and Operability analysis), method for determining the accident´s probability, risk severity and criticality. Results indicate that processes which are using active solutions and boilers have a moderate risk. Potential damage radii were determinate using ALOHA (Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres) mathematical model we simulated in separated way a spill of nitric acid and nickel carbonyl (reduced form of nickel) in both cases we considered the maximum amount of storage. Results indicated that the high-risk areas (considering the worst scenario) are found until 1.1 Km from the storage site in the plant, when we simulated the nitric acid and until 3.7 Km when nickel carbonyl was simulated. In this study we propose several recommendations in order to minimize environmental risk, considering that these recommendations can be applied to any electroplating company.