Heavy metals and persistent toxics 

COWI has played a key role in providing national and international environmental authorities and stakeholders with quality analysis of substance flows and impacts in the economy and the biosphere - always based on a life-cycle approach: 

• Substance flow assessment ("SFA", "substance flow analysis": Consumption, releases, exposure assessment)
• Substitution analysis (impact assessment: applications, technical issues, economical assessment, environmental risk assessment)
• Emission inventories
• Consumption assessments
• Hazardous waste production forecasts
• Development of abatement strategies
• Policy development (national and international)
• Plans, guidance and capacity building for implementation of conventions/international agreements
• Risk communication and negotiation facilitation on hazardous chemicals management
• Chemicals management for industries (REACH: pre-registration and other implementation at downstream users)
• Hazardous waste management

We have specific experience with: Heavy metals (mercury, Hg, lead, Pb, cadmium, Cd, etc.), persistent organic pollutants ("POPs": PCB, dioxins and furans, pesticides), brominated flame retardants, phthalates, chlorinated solvents, siloxanes (silicones), PFOS, TCB, nickel, organic tin compounds, ODS (ozone depleting substances), industrial greenhouse gases, other PBTs (persistent bioaccumulative toxics) and vPvBs (very persistent very bioaccumulative substances).

Read selected references and service descriptions in the Read more section to the right of this page.

These services can be integrated with a wide array of other COWI services, including among many others water resources management, municipal waste management, legal framework design, environmental impact assessment, urban development services, environmental due diligence.