Many thousands of substances are in use. Each of these has an environmental impact, whether used in a pure form, or as part of a formulation. This impact may exhibit itself in any or all of the environmental compartments: water, air, or soil. A substance may enter food chains and webs, and have an impact distant in either time or space from the initial introduction into the environment. Control of this huge number of substances is difficult.

Still the regulatory obligation increases as the "Solvents" Directive, 99/13, has been enacted and the draft Water Framework Directive proceeds through the European Parliament. This Directive will provide a framework to unify the various water quality Directives concerning drinking, bathing, surface, ground, etc., waters.

In addition to EU obligations, Ireland is a signatory to the OSPAR Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the north-east Atlantic, which entered into force on 25 March 1998. The objective of the OSPAR Commission with regard to hazardous substances is to prevent pollution of the maritime area by continuously reducing discharges, emissions and losses of hazardous substances with the ultimate aim of achieving concentrations in the marine environment near background values for naturally occurring substances and close to zero for man-made synthetic substances.

This strategy has received additional political emphasis via the adoption of the ?Sintra Statement? by Ministers and the European Commission. Therein it states:

?We agree to prevent pollution of the maritime area by continuously reducing discharges, emissions and losses of hazardous substances (that is, substances which are toxic, persistent and liable to bioaccumulate or which give rise to an equivalent level of concern), with the ultimate aim of achieving concentrations in the marine environment near background values for naturally occurring substances and close to zero for man-made synthetic substances. We shall make every endeavour to move towards the target of cessation of discharges, emissions and losses of hazardous substances by the year 2020. We emphasise the importance of the
precautionary principle in this work.?

Prioritisation, or a priority setting system, is a first step in the sequential process of risk management. Faced with this large number of substances, those that present the greatest risk to humans and the environment must be identified, to be the focus of attention. In this way, finite regulatory resources may be best applied.

The primary objective of this project is ?to produce a comprehensive inventory of dangerous substances used in Ireland, to track their movement from point of import to final end use and disposal and to estimate losses to the environment, particularly the aquatic environment?. It intends to:

? improve environmental monitoring and data collection in the interests of more detailed evaluation of the impacts of development on the environment and sustainable use of natural resources;

? encourage the production and provision of more environmentally acceptable goods and services, and

? promote better environmental quality.

It aims to provide an insight into the flows of dangerous substances in the Ireland, to prioritise those most appropriate for programmes and measures to control their use, and hence improve environmental performance. A critical initial step is to prepare a preliminary priority list of substances, followed by the preparation of Best Environmental Practice Guidelines to address them.

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Duffy, N.   "Inventory and tracking of dangerous substances used in Ireland and development of measures to reduce their emissions/losses to the environment". Associated datasets and digitial information objects connected to this resource are available at: Secure Archive For Environmental Research Data (SAFER) managed by Environmental Protection Agency Ireland https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/resource?id=9215a3d9-1fa5-102f-a0a4-f81fb11d7d1c (Last Accessed: 2025-01-24)

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SAFER-Data Display URL	https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/iso19115/display?isoID=217
Resource Keywords	Dangerous substances, Emissions, Best Environmental Practice, EURAM
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Code	97/12 DS/F/AJ
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Theme	Environment and Health
Resource Availability:	Public-Open
Limitations on the use of this Resource	Any attached datasets, data files, or information objects can be downloaded for further use in scientific applications under the condition that the source is properly quoted and cited in published papers, journals, websites, presentations, books, etc. Before downloading, users must agree to the "Conditions of Download and Access" from SAFER-Data. These appear before download. Users of the data should also communicate with the original authors/owners of this resource if they are uncertain about any aspect of the data or information provided before further usage.
Number of Attached Files (Publicly and Openly Available for Download):	4
Project Start Date	Sunday 19th January 1997 (19-01-1997)
Earliest Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects	Sunday 19th January 1997 (19-01-1997)
Most Recent Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects	Monday 27th March 2000 (27-03-2000)
Published on SAFER	Wednesday 24th August 2011 (24-08-2011)
Date of Last Edit	Wednesday 24th August 2011 at 15:11:57 (24-08-2011)
Datasets or Files Updated On	Wednesday 24th August 2011 at 15:11:57 (24-08-2011)

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Description of Geographical Characteristics of This Project or Dataset
Data was gathered from all over Ireland in order to give an accurate representation of the dangerous substances being used around the country.

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In this section some supplementary information about this resource is outlined. Lineage information helps us to understand why this project was carried out, what policy or research requirements did it fulfil, etc. Lineage is important in understanding the rationale behind the carrying out of a project or the collection of a specific dataset etc. Links to web sites, applications, papers, etc are outlined to provide you with additional information or supplementary reading about the project or dataset

Any links supplied by the resource owner are stored such that they will open in a new window. Following such a link may lead to a 3rd party website over which EPA has no control in regards to contents or suitability.

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The following is a list of similiar projects and resources on SAFER. Usually these resources share a similiar thematic area to the resource Inventory and tracking of dangerous substances used in Ireland and development of measures to reduce their emissions/losses to the environment you are currently viewing. You can view the full description for these projects and resources by using the links supplied.

• Understanding the Links between the Environment, Human Health and Well-Being View Full Metadata Description
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• Establishing Rigorous methods for definition and monitoring of relatively quiet areas View Full Metadata Description
• Nanotechnology: public engagement with health, environmental and social issues View Full Metadata Description
• Identifaction and Mapping of Ireland's Water Research Infrastructure View Full Metadata Description

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