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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (14 articles)
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2016 07:47:28 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: E2523D7D-2DC3-4AA0-9FD9-5F3173B43918**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 7:47:14 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__pinboard.in_u-3Adchas&d=BQIFaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=11MdFpow9zJYfcWEWCVPGBWDnh79PVi316M_zbb9hP0&s=roaJBA8I4kr2o9CdQqETJWWsVuR8E88euO22Wbxf43Y&e=
Table of Contents (14 articles)
5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHESTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_WV, transportation, follow-up, response, styrene
ELK RIVER BLUES DOCUMENTARY ON FREEDOM INDUSTRIES CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_WV, industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
REPORTED CHEMICAL EXPLOSION CLOSES U.S. 41 IN PALMETTO
Tags: us_FL, public, explosion, response, propane
STOCKTON WATER CONVERSION WORRIES RESIDENTS WITH NEW CHEMICAL
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, ammonia, chlorine
7 HOSPITALIZED AFTER SOUTH ELGIN HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, other_chemical, bleach
DEADLY ACCIDENT SOUNDS ALARM FOR SAFETY IN CHINESE LABS
Tags: China, laboratory, follow-up, death, hydrogen, natural_gas
BUSINESS STANDARD-583 CHEMICAL WORKS CLOSED, RELOCATED OR CORRECTED IN CHINA
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
FUKUI CHEMICAL WORKERS ALLEGE WORKPLACE CAUSED CANCER, SEEK URGENT IMPROVEMENTS
Tags: Japan, industrial, release, environmental, toxics
NAIL POLISH CHEMICAL FOUND IN BODY, NOT JUST NAILS SAYS STUDY
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
LATEST CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION ADDS TO STRING OF ACCIDENTS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, petroleum
583 CHEMICAL WORKS CLOSED, RELOCATED, CORRECTED IN TIANJIN BLAST SITE
Tags: China, transportation, follow-up, response
100 WORKERS HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK AT SOCK FACTORY IN CENTRAL TURKEY
Tags: Turkey, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
BRAZIL CHEMICAL FIRE CONTAINING CHLORIC ACID PUT OUT AFTER TWO DAYS
Tags: Brazil, transportation, follow-up, injury, other_chemical
FIRE MARSHAL: CHEMICAL EXPLOSION UNRELATED TO 2013 DEATH
Tags: us_MA, industrial, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical
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5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHESTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_WV, transportation, follow-up, response, styrene
On Friday, Jan. 15, emergency officials confirmed a chemical leak into the Ohio River in the area of Chester, West Virginia and East Liverpool, Ohio. The leak came from East Liverpool River-Rail Terminal Co.
1. Spill was caught by a company employee within moments of the spill.
Travis Orr is the terminal manager at East Liverpool River-Rail Terminal Co. He said he heard a crash early Friday morning around 8:15 a.m., moments after a tanker truck began loading the chemical styrene out of a tank at the facility. Upon exploring the scene, he discovered that valves weren"t properly in place and styrene, which Orr describes as a chemical that looks like liquid styrofoam, was spilling across the floor into facility storm drains. His employee was able to shut the operation down.
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ELK RIVER BLUES DOCUMENTARY ON FREEDOM INDUSTRIES CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_WV, industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
BUCKHANNON -
Mike Youngren, a resident of Charleston showed his documentary Elk River Blues Tuesday at West Virginia Wesleyan College in regard to a Freedom Industry chemical spill in the Elk in 2014.
The chemical spill made the drinking water from the Elk River undrinkable for hundreds of thousands of residents in Kanawha County, WV and surrounding areas. Documentaries like Youngren's aim to raise awareness about chemical spills around the state.
Youngren said he has learned a lot about the ramifications of chemical spills in drinking water for researching for this documentary.
"I learned that nobody was in charge. I learned that the entire system broke down, the DEP, the health department, the public service commission," said Youngren.
Eric Waggoner, a former Charleston resident, expressed concern about how officials handled the Elk River chemical spill.
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REPORTED CHEMICAL EXPLOSION CLOSES U.S. 41 IN PALMETTO
Tags: us_FL, public, explosion, response, propane
A portion of U.S. 41 in Palmetto was temporarily closed Tuesday while crews respond to a report of a explosion, later confirmed to be a propane tank. The highway has since been reopened.
The explosion was reported at 7610 U.S. 41 in Palmetto. According to North River Fire Department, it occurred at Tristate Agriculture.
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STOCKTON WATER CONVERSION WORRIES RESIDENTS WITH NEW CHEMICAL
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, ammonia, chlorine
STOCKTON, Calif. (KCRA) "The city of Stockton has started converting its water disinfection process in its northern service area, by swapping out chlorine for chloromine, which is a compound of chlorine and ammonia.
Chloramine is a chemical that's been used in water utilities across the country for more than 90 years. Some cities that use chloramine include Denver, Cleveland and San Francisco.
For many Stockton residents, like Jeremy Hecht, the potential health hazards with chloromine are cause for concern.
"The thought of bathing my children in this water that can be detrimental to their health, makes me reconsider living in Stockton altogether," Hecht said.
The city said this change needs to happen to keep drinking water safe and chloromine forms fewer disinfection byproducts as compared to chlorine.
City leaders said the conversation took place two years ago and was approved by the city council. They said they've been preparing the water conversion for more than a year.
Yet, Helene Lowe said she found out Monday in a letter that came in the mail.
"It bothers me a lot in light of the news in Flint, Michigan," Lowe said.
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7 HOSPITALIZED AFTER SOUTH ELGIN HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, other_chemical, bleach
Seven people were sent to a hospital with "minor medical issues" following a HazMat incident in northwest suburban South Elgin.
Emergency crews were called to the 300 block of South Randall Road shortly after 11 a.m. Monday "for a reported Hazardous Material Incident," according to a statement from South Elgin police.
Authorities soon learned that a small bottle of chloroform and a bleach mixture were found on the floor, police said.
Seven people were taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin with "minor medical issues," police said. Their conditions were not disclosed.
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DEADLY ACCIDENT SOUNDS ALARM FOR SAFETY IN CHINESE LABS
Tags: China, laboratory, follow-up, death, hydrogen, natural_gas
Lab deaths
On 18 December, a fire broke out at a lab at Tsinghua"s chemistry department. Fire fighters investigating the incident found Meng Xiangjian, 32, who just joined Tsinghua for a postdoc in June 2014, dead.
Six days later, Tsinghua published the results of its investigation. The accident was caused by the explosion of a hydrogen tank in the lab, which seriously injured Meng"s leg and eventually led to his death in the fire. He was the only person working in the lab.
The Tsinghua accident is not an isolated incident. On 5 April 2015, a gas explosion killed one graduate student and injured four others in a chemistry lab at the China University of Mining and Technology located in the eastern Chinese city of Xuzhou. On 22 September 2015, a Peking University chemistry building caught fire after a hydrogen tank leaked. The fire did not result in any injuries. A fire that broke out at a lab at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology last Monday was blamed on ageing equipment.
Poor management
The fact that Meng was working alone points to a poor safety culture at the lab. There should be at least two people working in a lab in case of an accident, Luo tells Chemistry World.
Meng obtained his PhD at Nanyang Technology University (NTU) in Singapore in 2014. "I had a chance to use NTU labs recently and learned it has very strong safety training among its students and faculties," says Luo, who is currently a visiting scholar at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Luo suggests that the accident shouldn"t be blamed on Meng. Rather, the biggest culprit is likely to be poor lab safety management, and the accident could likely have been avoided by more frequent equipment inspections.
Yin Yanzi, a postdoc researcher at Cornell University and formerly an associate professor of materials chemistry at Hubei University of Technology in central China, says that, compared with labs in the US, Chinese labs generally have poor safety and less sophisticated safety equipment. Yin cites the simple example of tap water for cleaning equipment. Most US labs have faucets which can be directed as needed to clean glassware, but in most Chinese labs the taps are similar to those found in the home. Yin says that the inconvenience of something small like this can result in researchers removing gloves and other protective equipment. "Is it too expensive to install? Not at all."
"The problem is lab safety has never been prioritised"
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BUSINESS STANDARD-583 CHEMICAL WORKS CLOSED, RELOCATED OR CORRECTED IN CHINA
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
Nearly 600 companies, including 430 hazardous chemical factories, in China have been asked to shut down, relocate or restructure following deadly industrial explosions last year in northeastern Tianjin city in which 173 people, including 104 firefighters, were killed.
There are 85 enterprises on the "red" list. Out of 85 factories, nine have been corrected, 10 have worked out plans for relocation and the remaining 66 have signed a deal with the government to restructure, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
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The investigation tallied 583 chemical works in the area, including 430 hazardous chemical factories, 89 companies transporting dangerous materials, 61 companies dealing with dangerous cargo at Tianjin Port and 3 firework warehouses.
All 67 enterprises on the "yellow" list and 431 on the "blue" list have passed safety inspections after correction and resumed operations, according to the district administration on work safety.
The administration is also drawing a geographic information map of the chemical works in the area while integrating the Internet, data mining and cloud computing techniques into the daily monitoring and emergency command.
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FUKUI CHEMICAL WORKERS ALLEGE WORKPLACE CAUSED CANCER, SEEK URGENT IMPROVEMENTS
Tags: Japan, industrial, release, environmental, toxics
Two of five men who developed bladder cancer while working at a chemical factory manufacturing dyes and pigments are demanding that the government recognize their illness as job-related.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo on Friday, the pair called on their employer " Tokyo-based Mitsuboshi Chemical " to make urgent improvements in conditions at the plant in Fukui Prefecture.
Employees Kenji Takayama and Yasuhiro Tanaka, both 56, have each worked at the plant for nearly 20 years. They say lousy working conditions " including a lack of ventilation that routinely makes workers sick " could have caused the cancer.
The five who contracted bladder cancer were involved in mixing or drying aromatic amines, including the particularly toxic chemical o-Toluidine.
One of the cancer sufferers has retired, but the four others remain with the company.
The health ministry is now looking into the possible link between the workers" cancer and the factory environment, while Mitsuboshi Chemical has not commented on a possible link.
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NAIL POLISH CHEMICAL FOUND IN BODY, NOT JUST NAILS SAYS STUDY
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Nail polish contains several chemicals and new research discovered one chemical not only on woman"s nails but also inside their bodies.
A joint study by Duke University and the Environmental Working Group finds that chemicals in some polishes can get inside your body.
EWG"s Tasha Stoiber says researchers tested women for signs of the commongchemical flame retardant Triphenyl Phosphate, or TPHP.
Every woman had elevated levels after they painted their nails.
She says that nail polish is the only personal care product that has this chemical as an ingredient.
The EWG estimates about half of all nail polishes have TPHP which is also used as a flame retardant on some furniture like couches.
The group says more research is needed on the effects of the chemical in humans.
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LATEST CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION ADDS TO STRING OF ACCIDENTS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, petroleum
Saturday's deadly explosion at a Pasadena plant was at least the 10th such incident in the greater Houston region since the DuPont tragedy 14 months ago.
In that time, at least two people have been killed and 18 injured amid explosions, fires and chemical leaks from Conroe down to the booming petrochemical complexes in southern Brazoria County.
Few details emerged Monday about the latest in the string of accidents: a blast at PeroxyChem that killed one worker and sent three to the hospital.
Amie Leopold, a company spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement Monday that the plant has remained operational since Saturday's explosion. She said officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were "on site" Sunday.
"We do not have any further updates at this time since this is an active investigation," Leopold said.
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583 CHEMICAL WORKS CLOSED, RELOCATED, CORRECTED IN TIANJIN BLAST SITE
Tags: China, transportation, follow-up, response
A total of 85 enterprises working with hazardous chemicals in Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin municipality will be closed or relocated after district safety checks concluded.
Among the 85 enterprises on the "red" list, nine have been corrected, 10 have worked out plans for relocation and the remaining 66 have signed a deal with the government to restructure.
The investigation tallied 583 chemical works in the area, including 430 hazardous chemical factories, 89 companies transporting dangerous materials, 61 companies dealing with dangerous cargo at Tianjin Port and 3 firework warehouses.
All 67 enterprises on the "yellow" list and 431 on the "blue" list have passed safety inspections after correction and resumed operations, according to the district administration on work safety.
The administration is also drawing a geographic information map of the chemical works in the area while integrating the Internet, data mining and cloud computing techniques into the daily monitoring and emergency command.
---------------------------------------------
100 WORKERS HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK AT SOCK FACTORY IN CENTRAL TURKEY
Tags: Turkey, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
A hundred workers at a sock factory in Turkey's central province of ?ankr have been hospitalized for suspected poisoning, following a chemical leak in the factory late on Saturday.
News reports say the workers fainted after they were affected by the chemical leak at the factory, which is located in the ?aban̦z14 district. The workers were immediately hospitalized and 15 of them are reportedly in critical condition.
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BRAZIL CHEMICAL FIRE CONTAINING CHLORIC ACID PUT OUT AFTER TWO DAYS
Tags: Brazil, transportation, follow-up, injury, other_chemical
SANTOS, Brazil, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A chemical fire that began after an explosion in Brazil's Port of Santos was extinguished on Saturday after two days as nearly 200 people were hospitalized with difficulty breathing.
The Santos fire that began at a cargo warehouse spread toxic gas over the port, which is Brazil's largest, and across four cities. The container terminal at the port was operated by the Localfrio logistics company based in the Guaruja municipality on the eastern side of Santos in Ṣo Paulo state.
Localfrio said the containers at the warehouse were full of chloric acid and sodium dichloroisocyanurate, a disinfectant, which generated an explosive reaction when the chemicals came in contact with rainwater.
About 85 containers on the site were damaged. More than 300 firefighters battled the blaze at its peak. Officials have launched an investigation into the cause.
Guaruja mayor Maria Antonieta de Brito has warned that people should stay out of rain, as it could "contain chemical elements that can burn the skin."
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FIRE MARSHAL: CHEMICAL EXPLOSION UNRELATED TO 2013 DEATH
Tags: us_MA, industrial, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (AP) " The Massachusetts Fire Marshal says an explosion at a chemical plant that injured four people had a different cause than an explosion at the same plant in 2013 that killed one.
Fire Marshal Stephen Coan says a preliminary investigation found that the explosion Thursday at the Dow Chemical plant in North Andover was caused when a chemical used in the manufacture of LED lights made contact with water.
Coan says Dow is fully cooperating in the investigation.
Emergency workers responded to the plant 30 miles north of Boston at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Officials said there was no fire, and no chemicals were released into the air.
Hospital officials said the victims had shrapnel and burn injuries.
The 2013 explosion was caused when a different chemical came into contact with air.
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