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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 (12 articles)
Date: Wed, 18 May 2016 07:27:25 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: 47A36294-4FD8-4026-B270-872C164C67A8**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 7:27:13 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=DQIFaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=YlDy8vg90BpPV7AVy3JzJnl7DowjyrtlsY35PnjQL-c&s=KKw4ARJJz7pX7OX4u0ubA4FldvHfcDB90bcNBykvIrQ&e=
Table of Contents (12 articles)
25 PEOPLE INJURED IN CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: South_Africa, industrial, release, injury, formaldehyde
HAZMAT TEAM, FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO WILMINGTON SCRAPYARD FIRE
Tags: us_DE, industrial, fire, response, antifreeze, waste
TEACHER SETS STUDENT'S HAND ON FIRE IN SCIENCE DEMONSTRATION
Tags: us_MN, education, fire, response, methane
SUNBAKED PAVEMENT SEALCOAT MAY RELEASE TOXIC COMPOUNDS
Tags: public, release, environmental, asphalt, solvent
OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE FIRE AT EAST TULSA CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: us_OK, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
HUFFING LEADS TO CAR FIRE, BURN WOUNDS
Tags: us_OH, public, fire, injury, drugs
MASSIVE TIRE FIRE DARKENS SKIES OVER MADRID
Tags: Spain, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical
STATE TESTING LAB TO PAY FINE, BUY EQUIPMENT FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS
Tags: us_ME, laboratory, discovery, environmental, corrosives, illegal, wastes
NITROGEN LEAK SPURS HAZMAT RESPONSE TO WAYNE BUILDING
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, response, nitrogen
FIRE CREWS PUT OUT 2-ALARM FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN SALT LAKE CITY
Tags: us_UT, industrial, fire, response, various_chemicals
AVONDALE GAS EXPLOSION HIGHLIGHTS GAS LEAK DANGERS
Tags: us_AZ, public, explosion, response, other_chemical
MAN DIES IN EXPLOSION AT PHOENIX-AREA HOME
Tags: us_AZ, public, explosion, death, fireworks
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25 PEOPLE INJURED IN CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: South_Africa, industrial, release, injury, formaldehyde
Toxic fumes from a chemical spill at a company in Steel Street in Polokwane" Limpopo" on Tuesday saw 25 people requiring treatment.
ER24 paramedics" along with provincial services" arrived on the scene at 8.30am after receiving reports of a number of patients experiencing breathing difficulties.
The building had been evacuated.
ER24 said in a statement that 25 people had inhaled the toxic fumes from the chemical spill. The patients were treated for their injuries and transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
"It is understood that a container of Formaldehyde had apparently leaked during the evening" causing the incident.
"Hazardous Material Teams as well as fire services were on scene to contain the incident as well as for further investigations."
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HAZMAT TEAM, FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO WILMINGTON SCRAPYARD FIRE
Tags: us_DE, industrial, fire, response, antifreeze, waste
Fire and hazardous materials units were called to the scene of a vehicle fire and antifreeze leak at the A-1 Parts and Sales scrapyard Tuesday afternoon in Wilmington, according to a city fire department spokesperson.
City firefighters from B-Platoon were called to 410 Garacshes Lane at 1:46 p.m. as a large plume of black smoke rose over the city's south side.
The firefighters arrived to find a forklift and a car being prepared for scrap engulfed in flames, according to a press release from spokesman James R. Jobes.
The flames impinged on a nearby building, causing the roof to ignite, he said.
The fire was quickly knocked down, and the building sustained minimal damage, he said. A small portion of the roof was cut away to ensure the fire did not spread.
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TEACHER SETS STUDENT'S HAND ON FIRE IN SCIENCE DEMONSTRATION
Tags: us_MN, education, fire, response, methane
A science teacher at the Hope Academy in Minneapolis went for the wow factor in front his students recently when demonstrating the flammability of methane.
The instructor invited a willing student to dip his hand in a container of methane-filled soap bubbles. The student's dad Steven Takata was on hand to see what happened next.
As the student held out his bubble-filled hand, the teacher held a lighter to it and a ball of flames erupted. The student walked away unscathed and amazed.
Impressive, but once again, not something we recommend trying at home.
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SUNBAKED PAVEMENT SEALCOAT MAY RELEASE TOXIC COMPOUNDS
Tags: public, release, environmental, asphalt, solvent
New research adds to a growing body of evidence that a pavement sealcoat made from coal tar emulsions"commonly used east of the Rocky Mountains to give parking lots and driveways a smooth, finished sheen"could harm the environment and human health (Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2016, DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00116).
Earlier studies have shown that compounds in the sealcoats known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), many of which are known or suspected carcinogens, can volatilize in warm weather or enter the soil and waterways from rain runoff. As a result, some communities have banned these sealcoats. Staci L. M. Simonich of Oregon State University and colleagues set out to examine not only a wider array of PAHs than those previously investigated, but their derivatives, too. They found that despite their presence in small concentrations, these compounds pose major risks.
The researchers measured concentrations of 34 PAHs and 56 PAH derivatives in two coal-tar-based sealcoats and an asphalt-based sealcoat, a type more commonly used in the western U.S. They obtained dried sealcoat samples from the U.S. Geological Survey that were collected for a previous study. To measure changes in PAHs and PAH derivatives over time, they also painted each sealcoat product onto a University of Texas, Austin, parking lot and scraped off samples after 1.6 hours, one day, 45 days, and 149 days. They then extracted the PAHs and PAH derivatives with a series of increasingly polar solvent mixtures and analyzed the 11 resulting fractions using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
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OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE FIRE AT EAST TULSA CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: us_OK, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
people were taken to the hospital as a precaution early Sunday morning from the Cytec Solvay plant. Company officials said chemicals reacted and filled the facility with smoke.
Employee John McCay told FOX23 that he didn"t know what chemicals were involved but said they house many difference kinds.
Cytec Solvay has branches around the world and even had a hand in the solar-powered plane that made its way to Tulsa recently.
McCay said no one was injured and the public does not need to worry about the incident. They hope to have results from the investigation by mid-week.
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HUFFING LEADS TO CAR FIRE, BURN WOUNDS
Tags: us_OH, public, fire, injury, drugs
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio " "It's an act that they created to get high on to see the end results. This is something that they're going to live with for the rest of their lives, with these burns."
Steubenville City Manager James Mavromatis spoke out after an incident near a local mall involving two juveniles.
Three people were burned after a vehicle fire near Fort Steuben Mall on Sunday morning. Police responded to the scene around 7 a.m.
Upon arrival, authorities said one adult and two juveniles were being treated by Ambulance Service, Inc. and the Steubenville Fire Department. During the investigation, Mavromatis said officials discovered the cause.
The three individuals were huffing, or inhaling chemical sprays, which eventually ignited the fire. Mavromatis said officials also found two pipes with marijuana residue in the car.
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MASSIVE TIRE FIRE DARKENS SKIES OVER MADRID
Tags: Spain, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Tire fires are incredibly dangerous things, with the fire releasing the chemical additives in a greasy, thick smoke that can cause anything from throat irritation to central nervous system damage to cancer. In addition to the dangerous smoke, burning tires are incredibly difficult to extinguish"they have been known to continue burning for months or years, with the tires continuing to burn when extinguished from the outside, and reigniting easily.
So, it is incredibly troubling that a huge pillar of toxic smoke rose above Madrid on Friday, as a fire raged in a tire dump 28 mies south of the city, near the city of Sesena. As firefighters and water-dropping helicopters battled the blaze, city officials said that the disaster was likely intentional.
"Everything points to the fact that this disaster was deliberate," said Sesena Mayor Carlos Velazquez. Tire fires are difficult to start in any case"fires are sometimes started by lightning strikes, but otherwise require a lot of work to light"but in the case of this fire, the area had just been hit by several days of rain, further lessening the possibility of this being an accident. Authorities in the area have already evacuated much of the population of a nearby residential area, as the fire has spread across the 25-acre dump site.
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STATE TESTING LAB TO PAY FINE, BUY EQUIPMENT FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS
Tags: us_ME, laboratory, discovery, environmental, corrosives, illegal, wastes
The state"s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory in Augusta will pay $100,000 in fines and equipment purchases to settle a claim that it violated state and federal hazardous waste laws.
The settlement was announced Monday by the New England Regional Office of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
An EPA news release said the Maine laboratory will pay a $27,000 fine and buy $73,000 worth of equipment for emergency responders in Augusta and Waterville, including the fire departments in both cities, and the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The equipment includes $25,000 worth of self-contained breathing apparatus bottles, $15,000 for propane heating systems and $9,000 for bulky equipment storage.
The federal agency said the state lab violated the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and state hazardous waste laws by "failing to properly identify hazardous wastes, failing to segregate incompatible hazardous wastes so that they are not stored next to one another, creating a potential for fire or explosions. The laboratory also failed to follow its own procedures for the treatment of certain corrosive laboratory wastes."
Following the complaint, the state laboratory reviewed and complied with practices and procedures, the news release said.
Several people who serve as spokesmen for the state Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory, were unavailable to respond to questions about the settlement on Monday.
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NITROGEN LEAK SPURS HAZMAT RESPONSE TO WAYNE BUILDING
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, response, nitrogen
WAYNE " A nitrogen leak at a building on Route 23 prompted a response by the township fire department and hazardous materials team Saturday morning, police said.
Nitrogen leak at Wayne building
A hazardous materials team responded to a nitrogen leak at a building in Wayne Township on Saturday, police said.
Officers responded to the building at 1123 Route 23 at 6:30 a.m. on May 14 on a report of a white-colored cloud and possible foam coming from the side of the building, Wayne police Capt. Laurence Martin said in a news release.
The white vapor was leaking from a nitrogen tank pipe fitting so repair companies were notified and responded.
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FIRE CREWS PUT OUT 2-ALARM FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN SALT LAKE CITY
Tags: us_UT, industrial, fire, response, various_chemicals
SALT LAKE CITY " Fire crews have put out a 2-alarm fire at a chemical plant in Salt Lake City near 2334 Directors Row in Salt Lake City.
Authorities have not said how the fire started.
No one was seriously injured.
It appears the fire started at the Brenntag Pacific building.
Here is an update from SLC Fire crews:
The fire originated in an add-on structure, connected to the main building. This area is used primarily for the storage of empty plastic drums, which had been used to store various chemicals. Several drums, ranging in sizes from 55 to 500-gallon, were damaged during the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The fire extended into the building, activating suppression sprinklers. Fire crews had the fire under control within 20 minutes of arrival, and completely extinguished shortly thereafter.
No injuries were reported. All 15 employees who were at the business at the time of the fire had evacuated the building prior to the arrival of fire crews.
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AVONDALE GAS EXPLOSION HIGHLIGHTS GAS LEAK DANGERS
Tags: us_AZ, public, explosion, response, other_chemical
AVONDALE., AZ - Avondale police say an elderly couple severely burned after a gas line explosion are still in serious condition.
Firefighters were called out to an explosion and house fire on Saturday morning. The fire spread to three other homes.
Police said an uncapped gas line was the cause of the fire. ABC15 contacted Southwest Gas to find out how something like this could happen.
Officials with Southwest Gas said, safety starts with the homeowner. The company will feed the gas up to the meter outside your home, once it gets into the lines connected to your appliances, it is your responsibility to maintain them.
Police are still trying to figure out why the couple's line was uncapped. They have not been able to talk to the couple yet. Firefighters said gas leaks and uncapped lines are extremely dangerous.
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MAN DIES IN EXPLOSION AT PHOENIX-AREA HOME
Tags: us_AZ, public, explosion, death, fireworks
A man making his own fireworks has died after a house explosion in a West Valley suburb.
Police in Surprise said Derek Baldwin, 38, died of injuries suffered Sunday night in the area of Greenway Road and 135th Drive.
When emergency units arrived, Baldwin was lying in the driveway, already in critical condition.
Crews evacuated neighbors until they could clear the home of any other hazards.
There were no other injuries reported.
Debris from the explosion landed several yards away.
After other fireworks-making material was collected, residents were allowed to return to their homes.
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