Classification of chemical spills in water

and connection to related response methods

Property group definition flow chart


Figure a4 - 1	Flow chart of a joint European system for classification of chemical spills in water

Figure a4 - 1 shows a flow chart of a joint European system for classification of chemical spills in water ("European Classification System"). The system is based on the physical behaviours in water (solubility, density, vapour pressure) and comprises 12 Prpperty Groups (G, GD, E, ED, etc.) for substances and 3 Groups for packages (PF, PI and PS). These groups are fully defined by Figure a4 - 1 (after a temperature is selected) and further explained by Figure a4 - 2.

Property Group Designations for spilled chemicals in water
G	gas	FE	floater/evaporator	DE	dissolver/evaporator
GD	gas/dissolver	FED	floater/evaporator/dissolver	D	dissolver
E	evaporator	F	floater	SD	sinker/dissolver
ED	evaporator/dissolver	FD	floater/dissolver	S	sinker
Figure a4 - 2

Property Group Designations for dropped packages in water
PF Package Floater	PI Package Immersed	PS Package Sinker
The package floats	The package has the same bulk density as water and is waterlogged	The package sinks
w/v < ds - 0,01	w/v = ds ± 0,01	w/v > ds +0,01
w = the package’s gross weight, grams v = the package’s gross volume, millilitres ds = waters density, grams/millilitre
Figure a4 - 3

Examples of chemicals in the 12 Property Groups
	Group	Properties	Examples
Evaporate	G	Evaporate immediately	propane, butane, vinyl chloride
Immediately (Gases)	GD	evaporate immediately, dissolve	ammonia
Evaporate	E	float, evaporate rapidly	benzene, hexane cyclohexane
Rapidly	ED	evaporate rapidly, dissolve	methyl-t-butyl ether vinyl acetate
	FE	float, evaporate	heptane, turpentine toluene, xylene
Float	FED	float, evaporate, dissolve	butyl acetate isobutanol ethyl acrylate
	F	float	Phthalates, vegetable oils, animal oils, dipentene, isodecanol
	FD	float, dissolve	butanol butyl acrylate
Dissolve	DE	dissolve rapidly, evaporate	Acetone, monoethylamine propylene oxide
	D	dissolve rapidly	some acids and bases, some alcohols, glycols, some amines, methyl ethyl ketone
	SD	sink, dissolve	dichloromethane 1,2-dichloroethane
Sink	S	sink	butyl benzyl phthalate, chlorobenzene creosote, coal tar, tetraethyl lead, tetramethyl lead
Figure a4 - 4

Property Group Designations for spilled chemicals in water

Property Group Designations for dropped packages in water

Examples of chemicals in the 12 Property Groups

Immediately