Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, August 29, 2022 at 6:36:51 AM
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (15 articles)
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO BATTERY FIRE AT NORWELL TESLA DEALERSHIP
Tags: us_MA, public, fire, response, batteries
COMMUNITY MEMBERS WORRY ABOUT WELL WATER AFTER PAINT CREEK SPILL
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, cleaners
CANNABIS INDUSTRY INCHES TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, waste
GURGAON: FIRE BREAKS OUT A FACTORY IN SECTOR 37
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
PERSON DEAD AFTER MEIGS COUNTY, OHIO EXPLOSION
Tags: us_OH, public, explosion, death, explosives, illegal
IN SITAKUNDA, A NIGHTMARE COMES TRUE
Tags: Bangladesh, industrial, explosion, death, peroxide
DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL LED TO 60% HIGHER RISK OF LATER ASTHMA FOR CLEANUP WORKERS
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, benzene, petroleum, toluene
THREE PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED FOLLOWING POOL CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT EAST-END HOTEL
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
CARBON DOTS HELP SNIFF OUT NANOPLASTICS IN THE AIR
Tags: Israel, laboratory, discovery, environmental, nanotech
ANTIQUE SAFE CAUSES EVACUATIONS, HAZMAT SCARE IN LILLIAN
Tags: us_AL, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
NYSDEC BEGINS EMERGENCY CLEAN-UP AT SCAJAQUADA CREEK
Tags: us_NY, public, release, response, other_chemical
UPDATED: FRAMINGHAM FIRE EXTINGUISH FIRE AT RADIANT NANO
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, fire, response, flammables
AMRITSAR: EXPLOSION AT GNDU CHEMISTRY LAB; SEVERAL INJURED, ONE CRITICAL
Tags: India, laboratory, explosion, injury, other_chemical
UPDATE: EVACUATION ORDER ISSUED DUE TO CHEMICAL LEAK IN BUCKHANNON LIFTED
Tags: us_WV, industrial, release, response, water_treatment
DRIVER IN WV TURNPIKE CRASH ARRESTED FOR DUI
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
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HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO BATTERY FIRE AT NORWELL TESLA DEALERSHIP
https://www.inferse.com/196209/hazmat-team-responds-to-battery-fire-at-norwell-tesla-dealership-the-patriot-ledger/
Tags: us_MA, public, fire, response, batteries
NORWELL – A car battery malfunction at the Tesla dealership in Norwell on Friday triggered a Hazmat response.
The Massachusetts Association of Hazmat Technicians tweeted at about 11:30 am. Friday that officials were responding to a lithium-ion battery fire.
Norwell firefighters responded to the call at the Norwell Tesla dealership at about 10:30 a.m. They were notified that it was a fire in a car inside the service garage at the dealership.
Damage was limited to the car that was being serviced with possible heat damage to the car next to it. No injuries were reported.
Norwell firefighters consulted with Tesla engineers in Pennsylvania to learn how to safely move the vehicle. Engineers from Philadelphia were dispatched to dismantle the battery system.
Firefighters and Tesla workers pushed the vehicle into the parking lot, where the battery was monitored for temperature fluctuations.
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COMMUNITY MEMBERS WORRY ABOUT WELL WATER AFTER PAINT CREEK SPILL
https://wchstv.com/news/local/community-waits-for-answers-on-paint-creek-update
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, cleaners
FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — After a tractor trailer crash on the West Virginia Turnpike and a leaking cleaning solution contaminated portions of nearby Paint Creek, several residents said they are unsure if they may use their well water.
"Who's going to help us?" Collinsdale resident Melissa White said. "You have to take a shower. You have to do dishes. You have to wash laundry."
Eyewitness News reached out to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and asked about the residents' concerns.
"Drinking water and health advisers are outside the WVDEP's expertise and jurisdiction," Terry Fletcher, the agency's chief communications officer, said. "Private wells are regulated by local/county health departments."
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CANNABIS INDUSTRY INCHES TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
https://cen.acs.org/environment/Cannabis-industry-inches-toward-sustainability/100/i30
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, waste
Cannabis growers in the US are under increased scrutiny for straining the electric grid. They have been blamed for water shortages in California and Oregon. They face complaints about the plant’s strong skunk-like odor and potential to lower air quality. The industry also generates a growing amount of waste, including paper and plastic consumer packaging and electronic waste from vaping devices.
But data on energy and water use, air emissions, and waste from the cannabis industry are limited. A small fraction of the US industry is embracing the opportunity to fill those data gaps and address problem areas. A few state regulators are also stepping in to address concerns about air quality and energy use. And academics are relying on bootstrapped funding to conduct energy-efficiency research.
Cannabis is federally illegal in the US, but 19 states and Washington, DC, have legalized it for adult use. Dozens of states have also legalized the medical use of cannabis.
The federal prohibition means that the Department of Energy and other federal agencies can’t fund research to determine how to improve energy efficiency and minimize carbon dioxide emissions at cannabis cultivation facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency is barred from researching cannabis production to determine air-emission factors, which companies use to estimate how much air pollution they produce.
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GURGAON: FIRE BREAKS OUT A FACTORY IN SECTOR 37
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/gurgaon-fire-breaks-out-a-factory-in-sector-37-8114700/
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A fire broke out at a factory in Sector 37 in Gurgaon on Friday night. At least 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, said fire department officials, adding that no casualties were reported as the factory was unoccupied at the time.
Fire department officials said that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Rajbir Singh, fire officer, Sector 37 fire station, said, “A fire was reported around 10.15 pm at a three-storey factory, which makes mattresses and foam material, in Sector 37. Some guards noticed smoke bellowing from the factory and informed the fire control room. At least 12 fire tenders from across Gurgaon were pressed into service.”
Officials said the fire quickly spread to all three floors due to some chemical materials, which were kept in some drums at the factory.
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PERSON DEAD AFTER MEIGS COUNTY, OHIO EXPLOSION
https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/person-dead-after-meigs-county-ohio-explosion/
Tags: us_OH, public, explosion, death, explosives, illegal
MEIGS COUNTY, OH (WOWK)—A person is dead after an explosion in the Scipio Township area of Meigs County.
The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office says that they began investigating the explosion of a homemade explosive device on Friday. They say that a person died from injuries sustained in the explosion.
They say that they are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and that they executed a search warrant on Kingbury Road.
This investigation is ongoing, but the sheriff’s office says there is no danger to the public.
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IN SITAKUNDA, A NIGHTMARE COMES TRUE
https://www.thedailystar.net/views/editorial/news/sitakunda-nightmare-comes-true-3040021
Tags: Bangladesh, industrial, explosion, death, peroxide
We're outraged by the news of a deadly blast that occurred at the BM Inland Container Depot in Sitakunda, Chattogram, killing at least 49 people (as of Sunday 7pm) and injuring hundreds. The sheer ferocity of the fire and subsequent explosions that swept through the facility since Saturday night can only be rivalled by the sheer meaninglessness of the tragedy that followed. The fire, which couldn't be fully doused even after about a day, is the latest in an ever-growing list of tragedies that put Bangladesh's appalling industrial safety record once again under the spotlight.
The death toll will no doubt rise as many of the injured are said to be in a critical condition. Horrifying scenes of panic and devastation have been reported both on the spot and at the hospitals. Some of the explosions – there were many – were so large that their sound could be heard several kilometres away. One eyewitness described seeing "fireballs falling like rain". The challenge for the firefighters and military rescuers, who joined them later, has thus been quite daunting as they struggled to bring the fire under control and pull charred bodies from the debris. At the hospitals, the air is thick with grief and anxiety.
What caused the fire? We don't know yet. But there were reportedly containers with chemicals in the depot, including a huge quantity of hydrogen peroxide – an oxidising chemical – which can intensify fire and is a major fire hazard when combined with other chemicals and substances. Apparently, the fire service wasn't informed of the unauthorised storage of chemicals (leading to at least nine firefighters being killed). This—in a depot containing millions of dollars of garments—will likely be a central focus of the investigation. Whatever caused the fire and subsequent explosions, we hope that investigators will find out soon and that those responsible will be held accountable.
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DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL LED TO 60% HIGHER RISK OF LATER ASTHMA FOR CLEANUP WORKERS
https://www.ajmc.com/view/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-led-to-60-higher-risk-of-later-asthma-for-cleanup-workers
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, benzene, petroleum, toluene
Workers involved in cleaning up the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, the country’s largest oil spill, were 60% more likely to be diagnosed with asthma or experience asthma symptoms 1 to 3 years afterwards, compared with those who were not involved in the cleanup.
An ongoing study of the tens of thousands of oil spill response and cleanup (OSRC) workers involved in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has discovered that they were 60% more likely to develop asthma in the years after the environmental disaster
The oil drilling rig exploded and sank April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers, and the spill was not capped for 87 days.
Until now, not much has been known about the effects of oil spills on respiratory health or on links between specific chemicals and lung health. Observational epidemiologic studies have found a higher risk of respiratory harm for oil cleanup workers, but quantitative measures have been lacking.
The Deepwater workers were exposed to airborne total hydrocarbons (THC); a subgroup of chemicals from crude oil (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m-, and p-xylenes and n-hexane, known collectively as BTEX-H) as well asPM2.5 from burning/flaring oil and natural gas. These chemicals are classified as hazardous air pollutants according to the US Clean Air Act and are linked to other health issues.
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THREE PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED FOLLOWING POOL CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT EAST-END HOTEL
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/three-people-hospitalized-following-pool-chemical-exposure-at-east-end-hotel-1.6045058
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
Ottawa paramedics say three people were taken to the hospital with mild to moderate symptoms following exposure to pool chemicals at a hotel in Ottawa's east end.
The Ottawa Fire Service hazardous materials team was called to the hotel on Brisebois Crescent near Centrum Boulevard at 8:48 a.m. Saturday after vapours from chemicals that were being mixed in a mechanical room made it to the pool area, affecting several people.
A dispatcher told the 9-1-1 caller to pull the fire alarm in order to get everyone outside. An OC Transpo bus was provided as shelter.
OFS said two chemicals, about four litres chlorine and a half-barrel of muriatic acid, were accidentally mixed together. The hazmat team found dangerous levels of chlorine gas in the pool area.
Chlorine is typically used as a pool sanitizer. Muriatic acid is a potent cleaning agent and is also used to lower pH levels and alkalinity in swimming pools. Toxic chlorine gas can be released if they're mixed improperly.
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CARBON DOTS HELP SNIFF OUT NANOPLASTICS IN THE AIR
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/carbon-dots-help-sniff-out-nanoplastics-in-the-air/4016139.article
Tags: Israel, laboratory, discovery, environmental, nanotech
An electronic nose has been developed that uses colourful carbon dot films to detect and quantify nanoplastics in the air. The work, led by chemist and nanotechnology researcher Raz Jelinek from Ben-Gurion University, Israel, was presented at the autumn meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
The new research builds on earlier work that Jelinek was involved with creating a sensor capable of detecting bacteria by the gases that they release. Jelinek’s team wondered if this simple and inexpensive carbon-dot-based technology would be able to detect nanoplastics – plastic particles less than 1µm wide – in the air.
Carbon dots don’t generate a signal on their own. But when a chemical from the air adsorbs to the dot their electrical capacitance changes, and that change is detected by the electronic nose.
The researchers made the carbon dots by heating a carbon source at relatively low temperatures for several hours. The heating process turned the carbon-containing material into colourful, and often fluorescent, nanometre-size particles. They then used the dots to create a film that formed the basis of their sensor. Changing the starting material gives the resultant carbon dots different surface properties meaning their affinity for different chemicals varies.
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ANTIQUE SAFE CAUSES EVACUATIONS, HAZMAT SCARE IN LILLIAN
https://www.wkrg.com/news/antique-safe-causes-evacuations-hazmat-scare-in-lillian/
Tags: us_AL, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
LILLIAN, Ala. (WKRG) – Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency Director Zach Hood confirms his office responded to a hazmat situation overnight in Lillian. Hood says he can only speculate what occurred, but the incident involved a safe dating back to the early 1900’s.
“Some safe manufacturers created safes back in the early 1900’s that if you broke a safe open you’d have some sort of reaction, almost like a pepper spray, in order to protect valuables inside the safe,” Hood said.
According to Hood, a resident on White Osprey Drive was unloading a large antique safe from a cargo trailer when the safe dropped to the ground. At this point the safe was breached and the owner noticed something inside. Hood says the safe had 4 ampoules inside. Ampoules are small, glass vials containing types of solutions.
Baldwin County EMA, Lillian Volunteer Fire Department and several other agencies responded to the scene. Hood confirms only 4 homes had to be evacuated overnight, but says none of the residents were ever exposed to harmful chemicals. The hazmat scene lasted about 6 hours and was cleared as of 4:30 a.m. Friday morning.
“This was a best case scenario,” Hood explained. He tells WKRG News 5 they may never know what was inside the ampoules because they won’t be opened for safety reasons. They will be destroyed in a safe manner, he says.
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NYSDEC BEGINS EMERGENCY CLEAN-UP AT SCAJAQUADA CREEK
https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/nysdec-begins-emergency-clean-up-at-scajaquada-creek
Tags: us_NY, public, release, response, other_chemical
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced Friday that the spill response unit is working to remove hazardous materials from Scajaquada Creek.
The DEC, State Department of Health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and City of Buffalo conducted an investigation and found coal tar and other hazardous substances in the water.
They determined that the substances were coming from a pumphouse on Niagara Street near Black Rock Canal.
The public is advised to avoid Scajaquada Creek until further notice. Warnings will be posted to remind the public that the water quality is not suitable for fishing or recreation.
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UPDATED: FRAMINGHAM FIRE EXTINGUISH FIRE AT RADIANT NANO
https://framinghamsource.com/index.php/2022/08/26/updated-framingham-fire-extinguish-fire-at-radiant-nano/
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, fire, response, flammables
FRAMINGHAM – Framingham Fire Department responded to a laboratory fire at 125 Newbury Street today, August 2, just after 1 p.m..
“This commercial property houses several business-Radiant Nano, Framingham Pediatrics and Encompass Health,” said Framingham Fire Chief Michael Dutcher.
“A first alarm assignment of Engine 5, Engine 2, Tower 1, Rescue 1, Car 2, along with Command Staff and several ambulances. On arrival crews quickly extinguished a small fire in the Radiant Nano suite,” said Chief Dutcher.
“The fire involved a small amount of a flammable chemical used as part of their business process. The fire was contained to a safety booth used to work with the chemicals,” said Chief Dutcher.
Framingham Fire cleared the entire building, deemed it safe and turned it over to the property management team, said the Fire Chief.
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AMRITSAR: EXPLOSION AT GNDU CHEMISTRY LAB; SEVERAL INJURED, ONE CRITICAL
https://www.ptcnews.tv/amritsar-explosion-at-gndu-chemistry-lab-several-injured-one-critical
Tags: India, laboratory, explosion, injury, other_chemical
Amritsar (Punjab), August 27: Several students have been injured while one remains critical after an explosion at the laboratory in Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar.
According to sources, the explosion took place during a chemistry practical on Friday. The incident left many students injured and the condition of one student is said to be critical.
The students were reportedly preparing Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), a fuel made from combustible components, when the experiment went wrong, resulting in a sudden blast, according to college officials.
The critically injured student is currently being treated at a nearby hospital. The images from the scene showed a blood-splattered lab with equipment that appeared to have been destroyed by the explosion.
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UPDATE: EVACUATION ORDER ISSUED DUE TO CHEMICAL LEAK IN BUCKHANNON LIFTED
https://www.wdtv.com/2022/08/26/evacuation-order-issued-due-chemical-leak-buckhannon-water-treatment-plant/
Tags: us_WV, industrial, release, response, water_treatment
BUCKHANNON, W.Va (WDTV) - Officials said the mandatory evacuation order has expired.
Residents who live in the area are allowed to return home.
ORIGINAL STORY (8/26/22 @ 1:10 p.m.)
An evacuation order has been issued for residents within one block of the water treatment plant in South Buckhannon.
Officials said there has been a chemical leak at the plant. Buckhannon Fire and Police Departments and Upshur County EMS are on the scene.
As a precaution, a mandatory evacuation order has been issued for those within a one block radius of the plant until further notice.
According to the City of Buckhannon, the drinking water is safe to drink. No interruptions to service are anticipated, and residents do not need to conserve water.
Officials are working to quickly correct the leak.
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DRIVER IN WV TURNPIKE CRASH ARRESTED FOR DUI
https://cdllife.com/2022/driver-in-wv-turnpike-crash-arrested-for-dui/
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
The truck driver involved in a hazmat crash on the West Virginia Turnpike has been arrested, police say.
The accident happened just after midnight on Thursday, August 25th in Fayette County, West Virginia.
According to WSAZ 3 News, the accident sparked a chemical spill involving Alkyl Dimethylamine, a cleaning agent. When officers made contact with the driver, they could smell alcohol on his breath, so they administered a field sobriety test.
The driver, Dennis Eugene West, failed the field sobriety test and was taken to the West Virginia State Police Turnpike office in Beckley to be processed. A breathalyzer test revealed West’s blood-alcohol level to be .128, officers say.
All lanes of the roadway were closed for more than 19 hours for cleanup of the incident. The wreck has since been cleared.
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