Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, October 7, 2022 at 6:19:57 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 (10 articles)
REPORTS OF CARS ON FIRE 288 AND SOUTH LOOP
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, response, waste
HURRICANE IAN DEALS A GLANCING BLOW TO FERTILIZER PLANTS
Tags: us_FL, industrial, follow-up, response, ag_chems
'FOREVER CHEMICALS' IN WILDLIFE CHALLENGE HUNTERS AND TOURISM
Tags: us_ME, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
RETHINKING SUBTHRESHOLD EFFECTS IN REGULATORY CHEMICAL RISK ASSESSMENTS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, drugs, metals, pesticides, pharmaceutical
OVER A MILLION GALLONS OF WASTEWATER SPILL INTO HURON RIVER
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, water_treatment
JUNCTION CREEK MOBILE HOME PARK UNDER BOIL WATER ADVISORY – THE DURANGO HERALD
Tags: us_CO, public, release, response, chlorine
WAKEFIELD CHEMICAL COMPANY WARNS OF ‘MAJOR ACCIDENT’ RISK IN OBJECTION TO BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE FARM AT HEATH COMMON
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, discovery, environmental, batteries
‘IT’LL START TO KILL ME.’ HURRICANE IAN CAUSED GAS AND CHEMICAL SPILLS, RECORDS SHOW
Tags: us_FL, public, release, environmental, gasoline, paints
HAZMAT TEAM CALLED IN, OAKVILLE SCHOOL EVACUATED BECAUSE OF 'NOXIOUS SUBSTANCE'
Tags: Canada, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY LAB MANAGER CHARGED WITH STAGING HOAX MARK ZUCKERBERG ‘EXPLOSION’
Tags: us_MA, education, follow-up, environmental, bomb, illegal
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REPORTS OF CARS ON FIRE 288 AND SOUTH LOOP
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/huge-plume-of-smoke-seen-after-reports-of-multiple-cars-on-fire-near-288-and-the-south-loop/285-0472eb94-86bd-42fd-9280-9269543ee192
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, response, waste
HOUSTON — Multiple cars caught fire Thursday at a recycling yard in southwest Houston.
The fire caused a huge plume of smoke that could be seen from miles across the Houston area.
This happened at the Holmes Road Recycling Company on Homles Road near Highway 288.
Houston Fire Department Chief Bryan Sky-Eagle said while an employee was cutting up cars, something exploded, causing a massive fire to ignite.
Arson investigators are working to determine what material was inside the car that caused the explosion.
HFD said there were no air quality issues that impacted nearby communities.
There were also no injuries reported.
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HURRICANE IAN DEALS A GLANCING BLOW TO FERTILIZER PLANTS
https://cen.acs.org/food/agriculture/Hurricane-Ian-deals-glancing-blow/100/i36
Tags: us_FL, industrial, follow-up, response, ag_chems
The glancing blow follows a series of setbacks for fertilizer producers. Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif told the Associated Press that this summer’s massive floods damaged fertilizer factories there. In August, CF Industries announced that it would stop making ammonia, a fertilizer and raw material for other nitrogen fertilizers, at a plant in the UK because of high natural gas prices.Fertilizer prices started rising in the summer of 2021 and have remained high. “Ian didn’t help, but there are bigger, more lasting issues,” Texas A&M agricultural economist Mark Welch says in an email.
Mosaic expects to repair the damage in Florida within 2 weeks, but the storm could reduce its phosphate output by up to 250,000 metric tons over the next several months. An initial inspection found that Mosaic’s stacks of phosphogypsum—radioactive waste generated in the production of phosphate fertilizer—weren’t affected during the storm.
In addition, the company says closures of rail lines and the port of Tampa Bay delayed fertilizer shipments. The port has since reopened. Mosaic produces about half the phosphate fertilizer used in the US and about 12% of global supply.
A spokesperson for the fertilizer company Nutrien says the storm didn’t cause any damage or disrupt operations at the company’s phosphate fertilizer facility in northern Florida.
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'FOREVER CHEMICALS' IN WILDLIFE CHALLENGE HUNTERS AND TOURISM
https://www.nhpr.org/environment/2022-10-05/forever-chemicals-in-wildlife-challenge-hunters-and-tourism
Tags: us_ME, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
Wildlife agencies in the U.S. are finding elevated levels of a class of toxic chemicals in game animals such as deer — and that's prompting health advisories in some places where hunting and fishing are ways of life and key pieces of the economy.
Authorities have detected the high levels of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in deer in several states, including Michigan and Maine, where legions of hunters seek to bag a buck every fall. Sometimes called "forever chemicals" for their persistence in the environment, PFAS are industrial compounds used in numerous products, such as nonstick cookware and clothing.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched an effort last year to limit pollution from the chemicals, which are linked to health problems including cancer and low birth weight.
But discovery of the chemicals in wild animals hunted for sport and food represents a new challenge that some states have started to confront by issuing "do not eat" advisories for deer and fish and expanding testing for PFAS in them.
"The fact there is an additional threat to the wildlife — the game that people are going out to hunt and fish — is a threat to those industries, and how people think about hunting and fishing," said Jennifer Hill, associate director of the Great Lakes Regional Center for the National Wildlife Federation.
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RETHINKING SUBTHRESHOLD EFFECTS IN REGULATORY CHEMICAL RISK ASSESSMENTS
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c02896#
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, drugs, metals, pesticides, pharmaceutical
A great number of dose–response studies indicate that hormesis is a common phenomenon, occurring in numerous organisms exposed to singular or combined environmental stressors, such as pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, micro/nanoplastics, organic flame retardants, pesticides, and rare earths. (1−6) While biological responses to low exposure levels are often beneficial, exposure to doses below the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL; hereafter subthreshold doses) does not always translate to beneficial responses. (2,4) For example, subthreshold contaminant doses can enhance the virulence of phytopathogenic microbes and promote the resistance of crop pests with significant implications for crop production. (2,7,8) Subthreshold contaminant exposures can also stimulate infectious animal/human pathogens and promote their resistance to antibiotics and other drugs, threatening long-term sustainability. Importantly, the hormetic function of common pathways that regulate cancer p!
rogress indicate that current regulatory standards may not protect adequately against cancer risks. (9−11)
Current risk assessment frameworks used around the world to assess exposure and effects are largely based on scientific developments from the mid to late 20th century, which frequently included only very high (often environmentally unrealistic) doses and the broad assumption of linearity in the response in the absence of evidence of alternative dose–response relationships (Figure 1). (12−16) How representative and realistic this approach is increasingly being challenged, in a modern era of analytical advances enabling measurement of low doses and hormetic responses. An expanding scientific literature provides evidence of significant effects of subthreshold contaminant doses on numerous animals, plants, and microbes. (1−6) We opine that regulatory risk assessments on exposure and effects should not be based upon outdated science and biologically unsupported assumptions regarding linearity. Instead, subthreshold effects and dose–response behavior should be included in !
the regulatory risk assessment. We urge for this approach to be adopted as part of a more real-life risk simulation approach, (17) especially in recognition of the growing evidence of genotoxicity of chemicals such as fluoride and arsenic. (18,19)
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OVER A MILLION GALLONS OF WASTEWATER SPILL INTO HURON RIVER
https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/local/over-a-million-gallons-of-wastewater-spill-into-huron-river
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, water_treatment
ANN ARBOR (WWJ) – Officials in Ann Arbor are warning the public about a giant sewage spill into the Huron River after a problem at the wastewater treatment plant, but say it's fine to drink the water.
The leak began around 11 a.m. Tuesday, but wasn’t discovered until about 1:30 p.m. after an estimated 1.3 million gallons of partially treated water were discharged into the river, according to a press release from the city.
Officials say low water levels in the ultraviolet disinfection channels caused the spill, then caused a system shutdown to protect the equipment. The low water levels were caused by maintenance activitites.
The partially treated wastewater received all treatment except UV disinfection before flowing directly into the river via the outfall, according to the city.
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JUNCTION CREEK MOBILE HOME PARK UNDER BOIL WATER ADVISORY – THE DURANGO HERALD
https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/junction-creek-mobile-home-park-under-boil-water-advisory/
Tags: us_CO, public, release, response, chlorine
The operator of the water-treatment system at the Junction Creek Mobile Home Park mixed sodium hypochlorite and muriatic acid Monday resulting in the formation of chlorine gas. The treatment system was turned off following the incident, causing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to issue a boil water advisory to residents of the park.
Residents of the 40-unit park located at 535 Junction Creek Road (County Road 204) in northwest Durango received word from the park’s management just after 1 p.m. Monday via text message advising them not to drink the water and that water would be provided to them. They received leaflets with the same message that afternoon.
“No water has been provided to me, or, to my knowledge, anyone else,” said resident Jeremiah Jack.
Kaitlyn Beekman, spokeswoman with the CDPHE’s Water Quality Control Division, confirmed that no chemicals were spilled into the environment but said the advisory was issued because the shutdown of the system caused a reduction in system pressure that could allow for the potential contamination of drinking water. Beekman also said the mixed chemicals were neutralized and properly disposed of.
The boil water advisory will remain in effect until system pressure is restored, the system is flushed and three samples test negative for the presence of total coliform, a broad group of bacteria. Only after these steps are completed and CDPHE is confident the risk has been mitigated will the advisory be rescinded.
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WAKEFIELD CHEMICAL COMPANY WARNS OF ‘MAJOR ACCIDENT’ RISK IN OBJECTION TO BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE FARM AT HEATH COMMON
https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/environment/wakefield-chemical-company-warns-of-major-accident-risk-in-objection-to-battery-energy-storage-farm-at-heath-common-3868726
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, discovery, environmental, batteries
Esseco has raised fears over the potential for toxic gas being ignited should a fire break out at the proposed development.
Harmony Energy has applied to build one of the country’s largest battery energy storage systems (BESS) near Heath village, in Wakefield.
If successful, at least 60 container-sized units could be put in place on seven hectares of land to hold giant lithium-ion batteries and cooling systems to store wind and solar energy.
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‘IT’LL START TO KILL ME.’ HURRICANE IAN CAUSED GAS AND CHEMICAL SPILLS, RECORDS SHOW
https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022/10/05/itll-start-kill-me-hurricane-ian-caused-gas-chemical-spills-records-show/
Tags: us_FL, public, release, environmental, gasoline, paints
The full scope of Hurricane Ian’s environmental impacts may not be known for months, but federal records provide an early glimpse of some of the damage dealt by the historically powerful storm.
The snapshot of potential impacts — reported to the federal government by local agencies, corporations and private citizens — already paints a grim picture:
Thousands of gallons of boat fuel from sunken vessels fouling Florida’s waters; chemicals released from a storm-damaged warehouse; more than 2,000 gallons of disinfectant leaking from a county-operated water utility pipeline.
The list goes on: A storage tank with hundreds of gallons of gasoline dumping into a historic river; a boat leaking fuel just outside a St. Petersburg home; a man who reported trouble breathing after finding a “green sludge” in his flooded Lee County condo.
These reports were logged by the National Response Center between landfall on Sept. 28 and Tuesday. The center, staffed by the U.S. Coast Guard, is an emergency call center that keeps track of potential environmental emergencies related to oil and chemical spills, then notifies the proper response agencies.
For southwest Florida, “everything was turned upside down,” said Richard Stumpf, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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HAZMAT TEAM CALLED IN, OAKVILLE SCHOOL EVACUATED BECAUSE OF 'NOXIOUS SUBSTANCE'
https://www.insauga.com/hazmat-team-called-in-oakville-school-evacuated-because-of-noxious-substance/
Tags: Canada, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
The incident occurred just as the school day was ending at Thomas A. Blakelock High School when students and teachers began complaining about irritated eyes with some indicating they had trouble breathing. It’s reported that one person, a teacher, was taken to hospital.
According to reports, initially the school was placed under lockdown but then students were ordered out of the building as a hazmat team was called in to investigate.
Located on Rebecca St., approximately 1,000 students attend Blakelock but sources say many of the students had already left for the day when the incident occurred.
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NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY LAB MANAGER CHARGED WITH STAGING HOAX MARK ZUCKERBERG ‘EXPLOSION’
https://news.yahoo.com/northeastern-university-lab-manager-charged-163823219.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADOUCm0HAqWU8k8AiMETNBs8hRC8aU2cq5I834jjuEyt_vw-ESK6W7B0EMDh1DseTahrL-RZLjD0r5hiU92Esxd8Lwu9T4Um-ySZl1MhXK9gVG1C2ILDPFwbwpHAiHqyz_381Wk3ModsFBRLg7qZOgyPfPNggu9nrK3IqQj0PbCU
Tags: us_MA, education, follow-up, environmental, bomb, illegal
A Northeastern university lab manager has been charged with staging a hoax ‘explosion’ that a threatening manifesto claimed was inspired by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Jason Duhaime is accused of staging the incident at the Boston university last month, in which he claimed that a package that arrived in the mail exploded and a letter inside it demanded that the lab stopped working on virtual reality and the Metaverse.
Federal prosecutors have now charged Mr Duhaime with conveying false information and hoaxes related to an explosive device and making materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements to an agency of the US government.
The suspect is the New Technology Manager and Director of the Immersive Media Lab at Northeastern, and the incident took place in the building it is housed in.
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