From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (9 articles)
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2022 05:49:57 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at 5:49:45 AM

A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
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Table of Contents (9 articles)

GASEOUS EXPLOSION PROBABLY CAUSED DEATH OF 21 YOUNG PEOPLE AT EASTERN CAPE TAVERN, PATHOLOGY EXPERT SAYS
Tags: South_Africa, public, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL SPILL TEMPORARILY CLOSES O'NEAL OFF RAMP
Tags: us_LA, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

FIRE BREAKS OUT AT A FACTORY IN MANGOLPURI; NO CASUALTIES REPORTED
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

OBESITY II: ESTABLISHING CAUSAL LINKS BETWEEN CHEMICAL EXPOSURES AND OBESITY
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

HOT TAR EXPLOSION AT PENNSYLVANIA QUARRY INJURES 1, PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE ' KIRO 7 NEWS SEATTLE
Tags: us_PA, public, explosion, injury, other_chemical

FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CALL AT WAREHOUSE ON SIEGEN LANE
Tags: us_LA, industrial, discovery, response, carbon_dioxide, solvent

SOME CITIES NIX JULY 4 FIREWORKS FOR SHORTAGES, FIRE DANGERS
Tags: us_AZ, public, discovery, environmental, fireworks

JORDAN: DOCKWORKERS FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES AFTER TOXIC CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
Tags: Jordan, transportation, release, death, chlorine

UK'S FIRST 'INDUSTRIAL SCALE' CARBON CAPTURE PLANT OPENS IN CHESHIRE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, discovery, environmental, carbon_dioxide


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GASEOUS EXPLOSION PROBABLY CAUSED DEATH OF 21 YOUNG PEOPLE AT EASTERN CAPE TAVERN, PATHOLOGY EXPERT SAYS
https://mg.co.za/news/2022-06-28-gaseous-explosion-probably-caused-death-of-21-young-people-at-eastern-cape-tavern-pathology-expert-says/
Tags: South_Africa, public, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

gaseous explosion on the ground floor of the Enyobeni tavern which resulted in chemical asphyxiation, was probably the cause of the death of 21 young people in the early hours of Sunday morning, a government pathology expert has said.

Dr Solomon Zondi did not rule out the possibility that the deadly substance could have been swallowed in drinks provided to patrons in the tavern. But he suggested that a gaseous substance was released in the enclosed downstairs area ' 'this is where the pandemonium started' ' and that people who were closer to the release epicentre were most affected.

Zondi said videos he had seen gave no indication of a teargas canister explosion, but people could be seen complaining of respiratory symptoms. During the post-mortem examinations on the deceased, Zondo said he was cautious not to inhale any odour emanating from any of the bodies. At one stage his heart started racing as he examined a body.

'I was becoming dizzy and had to stop for a while,' he told the Mail & Guardian. 'The children died of poisoning ' the question now is whether it was inhaled or ingested.'

Zondi spoke at the Woodbrook, East London, mortuary and pathology facility where the bodies of the deceased were taken after Sunday's horror incident.

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CHEMICAL SPILL TEMPORARILY CLOSES O'NEAL OFF RAMP
https://www.wafb.com/2022/06/29/chemical-spill-temporarily-closes-oneal-off-ramp/
Tags: us_LA, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Officials temporarily closed the exit ramp from I-12 East onto O'neal Lane Tuesday night after a chemical spilled onto the roadway around 7 p.m.

According to the Baton Rouge Fire Department, the small chemical spill that occurred on the exit ramp is not a danger to the public.

Firefighters say the ramp will remain closed until cleanup crews arrive and offload/ adjust the remaining containers to access the container that leaked.

The chemical, which was identified as a corrosive called Muratic Acid, was enroute to Akers when the driver looked in her mirror and noticed a leak, according to the fire department.

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FIRE BREAKS OUT AT A FACTORY IN MANGOLPURI; NO CASUALTIES REPORTED
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/delhi-fire-breaks-out-at-a-factory-in-mangolpuri-no-casualties-reported-11656468459764.html
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

A medium category fire broke out at a factory in the Phase-I area of Mangolpuri in Delhi on 29 June.
Acting on the incident, 26 fire tenders are at the spot to douse the flames. As per the early reports by the Delhi Fire Department, no casualties were reported.
SK Dua, Delhi Fire Service said that the fire was declared to be of medium category.
'26 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Fire is now under control. As of now, no casualty has been reported. We also used remote control fire fighting machine to douse the fire," he said.
Earlier today in Maharashtra, a massive fire broke out following a series of explosions at a chemical factory in the MIDC industrial area in Palghar.

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OBESITY II: ESTABLISHING CAUSAL LINKS BETWEEN CHEMICAL EXPOSURES AND OBESITY
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35395240/
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

Obesity is a multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental components. The prevailing view is that obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure caused by overeating and insufficient exercise. We describe another environmental element that can alter the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure: obesogens. Obesogens are a subset of environmental chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors affecting metabolic endpoints. The obesogen hypothesis posits that exposure to endocrine disruptors and other chemicals can alter the development and function of the adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and brain, thus changing the set point for control of metabolism. Obesogens can determine how much food is needed to maintain homeostasis and thereby increase the susceptibility to obesity. The most sensitive time for obesogen action is in utero and early childhood, in part via epigenetic programming that can be transmitted!
to future generations. This review explores the evidence supporting the obesogen hypothesis and highlights knowledge gaps that have prevented widespread acceptance as a contributor to the obesity pandemic. Critically, the obesogen hypothesis changes the narrative from curing obesity to preventing obesity.

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HOT TAR EXPLOSION AT PENNSYLVANIA QUARRY INJURES 1, PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE ' KIRO 7 NEWS SEATTLE
https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/hot-tar-explosion-pennsylvania-quarry-injures-1-prompts-hazmat-response/PC4A722IJBDPXGAS2IJQHCZC7Y/
Tags: us_PA, public, explosion, injury, other_chemical

NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa. ' A Monday morning explosion at a Pennsylvania business injured one employee and caused a hazardous materials incident, Lehigh County officials confirmed.

According to Lehigh County Special Operations, an explosion at a construction materials supplier in North Whitehall Township ruptured a pipe from a hot tar storage tank just after 8 a.m. EDT, Lehigh Valley Live reported.

Citing emergency dispatchers, WFMZ-TV identified the business as New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania State Police confirmed to Lehigh Valley Live that one person was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries, but no other details were provided about the victim.

According to the news outlet, a few thousand gallons of liquid tar leaked from the storage tanks following the explosion, prompting a hazardous materials response team to contain the growing tar puddle at the base of the tanks with mounds of gravel from the quarry's campus.

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FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CALL AT WAREHOUSE ON SIEGEN LANE
https://www.wafb.com/2022/06/28/firefighters-respond-hazardous-materials-call-warehouse-siegen-lane/
Tags: us_LA, industrial, discovery, response, carbon_dioxide, solvent

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - According to the St. George Fire Prevention District, firefighters responded Monday afternoon to a hazardous materials call in the 5800 block of Siegen Lane.

A 55-gallon metal drum had reportedly expanded on both ends inside the warehouse.

Facility managers told responders it was most likely paint thinner inside of the drum, but they were unsure of anything else mixed with it, according to the fire department.

According to SGFD, the building was immediately evacuated, and more resources were requested, including Baton Rouge Fire Department's hazmat unit. Responding firefighters moved the drum outside into an open parking lot, and they manually cooled the drum down utilizing a carbon dioxide extinguisher. Once cooled, the drum was manually vented and drained into an appropriate container.

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SOME CITIES NIX JULY 4 FIREWORKS FOR SHORTAGES, FIRE DANGERS
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-27/some-cities-nix-july-4-fireworks-for-shortages-fire-dangers
Tags: us_AZ, public, discovery, environmental, fireworks

Phoenix (AP) -- The skies over a scattering of Western U.S. cities will stay dark for the third consecutive Fourth of July as some major fireworks displays are canceled again this year ' some over wildfire concerns amid dry weather and others because of enduring pandemic-related staffing and supply chain issues.

Phoenix canceled its three major Independence Day displays because it couldn't obtain professional-grade fireworks. Shows in several other cities around Phoenix are still on.

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JORDAN: DOCKWORKERS FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES AFTER TOXIC CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
https://metro.co.uk/2022/06/27/jordan-dockworkers-flee-for-their-lives-after-toxic-chemical-explosion-16901606/
Tags: Jordan, transportation, release, death, chlorine

A security camera captured the moment a consignment of chlorine was dropped, releasing a dead gas cloud.

At least 13 people died and an estimated 250 people fell ill following the industrial accident at Jordan port.

The tank was dropped by a crane loading it onto a shop in Aqaba earlier today.

State TV broadcast the moment dockworkers were sent fleeing for their lives as the thick yellow cloud rolled towards them.

The Public Security Directorate, which initially described it as a gas leak, said authorities sealed off the area after evacuating the injured and sent specialists in.

State-run Jordan TV said 13 people were killed, while Al-Mamlaka TV, another official outlet, said 199 were still being treated in hospitals.

Dr. Jamal Obeidat, a local health official, urged people to stay inside and close windows and doors.

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UK'S FIRST 'INDUSTRIAL SCALE' CARBON CAPTURE PLANT OPENS IN CHESHIRE
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/uks-first-industrial-scale-carbon-capture-plant-opens-in-cheshire/4015867.article
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, discovery, environmental, carbon_dioxide

A carbon capture plant that has opened in Northwich is the largest such project in the UK. The å£20 million facility will convert 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into food and pharmaceutical grade sodium bicarbonate each year.

Carbon capture technology that removes carbon dioxide from the waste streams of industrial sites is a key part of the UK's net zero strategy. The government hopes to capture up to 30 million tonnes of CO2 each year by the early 2030s, and at least 50 million tonnes by the middle of the next decade.

But there are relatively few large-scale carbon capture facilities in operation around the world, and work is ongoing at pilot facilities to try and bring down the technology's significant energy demands.

Now, Tata Chemicals Europe has opened the UK's largest carbon capture facility at its chemical plant in the northwest of England. The unit will capture more than 10% of the carbon dioxide produced at the site's combined heat and power plant (CHP).

Exhaust gases will be cooled and purified in a flue gas scrubber, before being transferred to an absorber column. There, carbon dioxide will be captured by an amine solvent. The liquid is then moved to a stripper column where it is heated with steam from the CHP. This releases the carbon dioxide as a gas, while the amine solution can be pumped back for re-use in the absorber. After a further purification step, the carbon dioxide is compressed into a liquid with a purity of more than 99.99% ' suitable for food and pharmaceutical applications.

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