Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, September 2, 2022 at 6:40:57 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 (10 articles)
YORK COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER TO REOPEN FRIDAY AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, hvac_chemicals
MILL WOODS TOWN CENTRE EVACUATED AFTER SUBSTANCE SPILL
Tags: Canada, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
BIGGLESWADE'S SAXON POOL AND LEISURE CENTRE EVACUATED DUE TO 'CONCERNS ABOUT POOL CHEMICALS'
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
EPA REVISES CARBON TETRACHLORIDE ASSESSMENT
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
2 HOSPITALIZED WITH SERIOUS INJURIES, 50 GALLONS OF FUEL SPILLS AFTER CRASH IN MARYLAND
Tags: us_MD, transportation, release, injury, diesel, petroleum
TRAILER SPILL DISRUPTS TRAFFIC FOR HOURS
Tags: us_AZ, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
HAZMAT CREWS RETURN TO NEW BRITAIN HOME CONTAMINATED BY MERCURY
Tags: us_CT, public, follow-up, response, mercury
PAINT CREEK STILL SUDSY; NEIGHBORS SEEK ANSWERS
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
KENILWORTH VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT & RESCUE SQUAD RESPONDS TO CHEMICAL SPILL AT MERCK
Tags: us_NJ, laboratory, release, response, bromine, ether
WORRYING INGREDIENTS FOUND IN TATTOO INKS MADE IN THE US
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, discovery, environmental, amines, dye, ethanol
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YORK COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER TO REOPEN FRIDAY AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/local/2022/09/01/york-county-judicial-center-reopen-friday-after-chemical-leak/7962617001/
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, hvac_chemicals
The York County Judicial Center will reopen Friday after closing for two days due to a chemical leak.
According to York County, the leak has been repaired and clean-up efforts are expected to conclude Thursday afternoon. The center closed Wednesday following a leak of refrigeration liquid released as gas in a basement mechanical room.
After the York City Fire Department and the York County Hazmat Team responded and found the leak after a fire alarm at 5:30 a.m., an HVAC contractor responded to begin mitigation efforts Wednesday morning.
York City Fire Chief Bill Sleeger said Wednesday that the leaking refrigeration liquid released as an odorless gas. It is not harmful by itself, but when released it depletes the air of oxygen.
The gas posed no harm to pedestrian and motorists who went near the building, the county said.
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MILL WOODS TOWN CENTRE EVACUATED AFTER SUBSTANCE SPILL
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/substance-spill-behind-mill-woods-mall-evacuation-thursday-efrs-1.6052148
Tags: Canada, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
Mill Woods Town Centre was evacuated Thursday afternoon after a chemical spill filled a store with smoke.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services arrived at the mall minutes after 12:00 p.m. to reports of a fire.
No fire was located, EFRS told CTV News Edmonton, but a large amount of smoke was seen coming from the LensCrafters suite.
"The mall was evacuated as a precaution as our Hazmat team works on cleaning up a substance spill in the LensCrafters' lab," said Brittany Eveneshen, EFRS spokesperson, in a statement.
...
Two people were taken to hospital as a precaution.
As investigators continue to probe the scene, there is no word on what the spilled substance was.
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BIGGLESWADE'S SAXON POOL AND LEISURE CENTRE EVACUATED DUE TO 'CONCERNS ABOUT POOL CHEMICALS'
https://www.biggleswadetoday.co.uk/news/biggleswades-saxon-pool-and-leisure-centre-evacuated-due-to-concerns-about-pool-chemicals-3827534
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
Biggleswade's Saxon Pool and Leisure Centre was evacuated this morning after staff became "concerned" over a chemical spill.
Firefighters attended the scene at around 7.50am and discovered that there had been a spillage from a small drum.
A Central Bedfordshire Council spokesman said: “There was an incident at Saxon Pool and Leisure Centre when staff became concerned about pool chemicals in the plant area.
"We took immediate action to address the issue and the fire service visited the site and took precautionary measures by putting in place an evacuation zone around the leisure centre, as part of their standard procedures when dealing with hazardous chemicals.
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EPA REVISES CARBON TETRACHLORIDE ASSESSMENT
https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/EPA-revises-carbon-tetrachloride-assessment/100/i31
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
The US Environmental Protection Agency is seeking comments on a revised risk assessment for carbon tetrachloride. The updated assessment, released Aug. 29, reflects policy changes the agency implemented last year for high-priority chemicals that are already on the market.
Carbon tetrachloride is one of the first 10 chemicals the EPA is evaluating under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The agency finalized all 10 assessments under the administration of Donald J. Trump, but last year it announced that it would redo them to consider exposures from air and water and to no longer assume that workers always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
The EPA has been churning out the revised assessments this summer. The assessment for carbon tetrachloride follows those for 1-bromopropane, methylene chloride, N-methylpyrrolidone, perchloroethylene, and trichloroethylene, all of which the agency released in July.
Overall, the new assessments do not change the EPA’s conclusions that each of the chemicals poses unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. The agency claims that it conducted the reviews to ensure that its assessments are based on science and legally defensible.
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2 HOSPITALIZED WITH SERIOUS INJURIES, 50 GALLONS OF FUEL SPILLS AFTER CRASH IN MARYLAND
https://wjla.com/news/local/prince-georges-county-crash-accident-car-vehicle-brandywine-two-hospitalized-serious-injures-traffic-50-gallons-diesel-fuel-gas-spills-hazmat-maryland-dmv-beltway
Tags: us_MD, transportation, release, injury, diesel, petroleum
BRANDYWINE, Md. (7News) — Two people suffered serious injuries and 50 gallons of diesel fuel spilled on to the road after a multi-vehicle crash in Prince George's County on Wednesday, police said.
The crash took place on Crain Highway in Brandywine in the area of Clymer Drive and Chadds Ford Drive. Prince George's Fire crews responded to aid with getting the individuals out of the vehicles.
Two people suffered serious injuries and 50 gallons of diesel fuel spilled on to the road after a multi-vehicle crash in Prince George's County on Wednesday, police said. (7News)
Hazmat teams were called to the scene to clean up the spilled diesel fuel, but as of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, all northbound lanes and one southbound lane of Crain Highway reopened.
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TRAILER SPILL DISRUPTS TRAFFIC FOR HOURS
https://wickenburgsun.com/news/39747/trailer-spill-disrupts-traffic-for-hours/
Tags: us_AZ, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
An accident at the downtown roundabout on Aug. 26 impacted traffic along both Highway 60 and U.S. 93 for nearly 11 hours.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said a tractor-trailer hauling copper concentrate overturned at approximately 8:21 a.m. as it maneuvered the roundabout. The cab itself did not overturn and no injuries were reported. This backed traffic up in both directions for nearly two hours.
The roadway wouldn’t fully reopen until 7:13 p.m. due to the fact that the copper concentrate is deemed a hazardous material. A special hazardous material team from the state was called in to clean up.
“I don't have the information as to an exact cause but in these types of collisions, Commercial Vehicle Troopers always look at speed as a possible factor,” Graves said.
Wickenburg Police assisted in traffic control while Wickenburg Fire Department remained on the scene the entire time.
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HAZMAT CREWS RETURN TO NEW BRITAIN HOME CONTAMINATED BY MERCURY
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hazmat-crews-return-to-new-britain-home-contaminated-by-mercury/ar-AA11k5ia
Tags: us_CT, public, follow-up, response, mercury
rews from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and from the Environmental Protection Agency returned to a New Britain house Wednesday that was the site of mercury contamination earlier this month.
They planned to go into the home on Hatch Street to determine if it can be decontaminated, or if the home will have to be torn down.
Several people who were in the home were hospitalized, including two children, on August 9, after exhibiting signs of mercury poisoning.
Initial tests showed mercury levels at 600 times the acceptable limit for human exposure in the house.
A young child found a jar of mercury in the house and began playing with it, according to DEEP. A teenager then spotted the child playing with it and cleaned it up, but didn't initially tell the parents about the mercury.
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PAINT CREEK STILL SUDSY; NEIGHBORS SEEK ANSWERS
https://wchstv.com/news/local/paint-creek-still-sudsy-neighbors-seek-answers
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — One week after a chemical was spilled into Paint Creek after a tractor-trailer crashed on the West Virginia Turnpike, 36 homes along Paint Creek are still using bottles of water as no one can tell residents whether the well water is safe for use.
"Cleanup is cleanup, not just put a Band-Aid on an amputated leg," Paint Creek Watershed Association President Shay Couch said.
Neighbors are still unable to wash their dishes, take showers, or even drink their well water days later. Paint Creek resident Andy Kees said after brushing his teeth, he had a metallic taste in his mouth.
"Now I've got a nasty taste in my mouth that I've had for three days, so is it from that or what's going on?"Kees said.
People who live next to Paint Creek describe it as a hidden diamond and claim that despite years of protection, the creek is now ruined. Days after the chemical spill, neighbors say when it rains the water looks as sudsy as it did the day of the incident. Couch has been calling officials to find answers.
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KENILWORTH VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT & RESCUE SQUAD RESPONDS TO CHEMICAL SPILL AT MERCK
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/kenilworth/sections/police-and-fire/articles/kenilworth-volunteer-fire-department-rescue-squad-responds-to-chemical-spill-at-merck
Tags: us_NJ, laboratory, release, response, bromine, ether
KENILWORTH, NJ - Members of the Kenilworth Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad recently were dispatched and immediately rushed to Merck for a chemical spill.
Via their social media the following message was posted.
Engine 63, Squad 2, Truck 3, Rescue 3, Rescue 1, Car 3, and Car 2 all responded to find a bromine spill in a laboratory which also compromised several other containers of chemicals, one of which being a large metal container of ether. Union County Hazmat FMBA Local 99 was immediately requested to respond as well as neighboring towns for additional resources to the scene. Towns assisting with operations include Cranford Fire Department, Roselle Park Fire Department, and Garwood Fire Department. Merck Fire also responded to assist with the incident. Clark Fire Department, Union Fire Department and Roselle Fire Department responded for Fire Headquarters to cover the Borough while we operated at this incident. After approximately 8 hours on scene, a specialized team was able to contain and remove all chemicals and substances involved. There were no injuries sustained during this incident. Thank you to everyone involved for your assistance in handling this incident.
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WORRYING INGREDIENTS FOUND IN TATTOO INKS MADE IN THE US
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/worrying-ingredients-found-in-tattoo-inks-made-in-the-us/4016170.article
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, discovery, environmental, amines, dye, ethanol
An analysis of almost 100 tattoo inks in the US, including examining the particle size and molecular composition of their pigments, has turned up concerning ingredients that are not listed by manufacturers. These inks are manufactured in the US and then shipped around the world.
The research, led by chemist John Swierk at Binghamton University in the US, was presented at the autumn meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Swierk’s team discovered azo-containing dyes in 23 of 56 inks analysed. When intact many azo-pigments don’t pose health problems, but some of them can release carcinogenic aromatic amines.
Exposure to bacteria or ultraviolet light can cause these dyes to break down into compounds that are potentially carcinogenic, according to the European commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), which provides the EU with independent scientific advice.
Beyond the presence of azo-containing dyes, chemical analyses by the Binghamton team also revealed ethanol in one ink batch that was not listed on the label. In addition, particles smaller than 100 nanometres in diameter were found in roughly half of 16 inks the researchers examined.
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