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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 (15 articles)
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2016 07:44:45 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: 01EF12EA-BC58-4336-9B01-647675013406**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 7:44:31 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=gtCwTdxg3alwE5Jtr0Cac5wA_9yILJhfn_H6KwbPVTM&s=vgKnjJMkWNtut5-1tULuUOKoVpi-G2BLN1wI8NNgUDc&e=
Table of Contents (15 articles)
GROWERS AT 12 WINERIES WATCHING CROP EXPOSED TO SMOKE FROM SOBERANES FIRE
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
WORKERS SHELTERED AT LYONDELLBASELL REFINERY DUE TO CHEMICAL RELEASE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, sulfur_dioxide
TESTS SHOW ELEVATED CHEMICAL LEVELS NEAR COAKLEY LANDFILL
Tags: us_NH, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
"HOME RECIPE" PESTICIDE MIX SENDS HAMILTON WOMAN TO HOSPITAL
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, pesticides
CHEMICAL SPILL AT CASE FARMS THREATENS FISH IN NIMISHILLEN CREEK
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, response, corrosives
HAZMAT CREW RESPONDS TO LARGE PROPANE LEAK IN HARRISONBURG
Tags: us_VA, public, release, response, propane
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO SPILL IN OSNABURG
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, injury, other_chemical, diesel
DUMPSTER FIRE TURNS DANGEROUS IN CHANDLER; CHEMICALS STARTED THE FIRE; 3 FIREFIGHTERS HOSPITALIZED
Tags: us_AZ, public, fire, injury, hydrofluoric_acid, nitric_acid, waste
TTDI SCHOOL EVACUATED AFTER SULFURIC ACID SPILLS IN CHEMISTRY LAB
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, release, injury, milk, sulfuric_acid
ACTIVE UNDERGROUND METH LAB DISCOVERED NEAR AMHERST WALMART
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, response, meth_lab
TODDLERS AT HIGHEST RISK OF CHEMICAL EYE BURNS
Tags: us_MD, public, discovery, environmental, cleaners
SMALL EXPLOSION REPORTED AT BONHAM FERTILIZER PLANT
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, pesticides
CHURCH SPARED IN FIRE, FIREFIGHTERS SPARED EXPOSURE TO PCBS
Tags: us_IN, public, fire, response, illegal, oils
MAKING SURE CHEMICAL TOXICITY TESTS DON‰??T MISS METABOLITES
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, pesticides
WOMAN AND DOG FOUND DEAD IN BERRIEN SPRINGS, CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTED
Tags: us_MI, public, release, death, carbon_monoxide
---------------------------------------------
GROWERS AT 12 WINERIES WATCHING CROP EXPOSED TO SMOKE FROM SOBERANES FIRE
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
Grape growers are keeping their eyes on their crops at a dozen wineries in Carmel Valley closest to the Soberanes Fire, which has burned over 60,000 acres since it began more than two weeks ago in Monterey County.
The grapes have been exposed to heavy levels of smoke as they undergo veraison, when the berries change color indicating they're moving closer to ripening, and many growers can't do much to protect their crop, Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association executive director Kim Stemler said.
The Soberanes Fire sparked on July 22 at Garrapata State Park due to an illegal campfire and has charred 60,400 acres. It was 45 percent contained as of morning, Cal Fire officials said.
More than 5,000 firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze, which isn't expected to reach full containment until the end of the month and has already destroyed 57 homes and 11 outbuildings, according to Cal Fire.
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WORKERS SHELTERED AT LYONDELLBASELL REFINERY DUE TO CHEMICAL RELEASE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, sulfur_dioxide
Workers from the LyondellBasell plant tell abc13 Eyewitness News the plant was evacuated this afternoon due to a chemical release.
The Houston refinery located on the 12000 block of Lawndale was evacuated at about 2pm, according to employees who were taking shelter at a nearby park.
The company says a localized power failure resulted in the shutdown of the sulfur recovery unit. During the shutdown, there was a brief release of sulfur dioxide. However, the company says that out of an abundance of caution, employees were asked to remain in place, but no evacuation of the plant was called.
Air monitoring shows the levels of material detected are within safety standards, according to the company. Power has been restored and efforts are being made to restore the affected unit. The other parts of the refinery continue to operate.
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TESTS SHOW ELEVATED CHEMICAL LEVELS NEAR COAKLEY LANDFILL
Tags: us_NH, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
GREENLAND, N.H. ‰??New Hampshire officials have found elevated levels of a potentially cancer-causing chemical at wells near the Coakley Landfill.
Groundwater tests conducted by the Department of Environmental Services and Environmental Protection Agency found perfluorochemicals (PFCs) including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in nine of 20 wells.
Officials said Monday the levels ranged from 1 parts per trillion to 1,133 parts per trillion. The groundwater standard for PFOA/PFOS is 70 parts per trillion.
Eight wells at or near the landfill previously showed elevated levels of PFCs. The landfill in Greenland and North Hampton is a federal Superfund site.
Along with Coakley, contamination from PFCs, used in Teflon coatings, has been found at several industrial sites in the state including near the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics facility in Merrimack.
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"HOME RECIPE" PESTICIDE MIX SENDS HAMILTON WOMAN TO HOSPITAL
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, pesticides
A woman was taken to hospital Tuesday afternoon after inhaling toxic fumes from mixing three household cleaning products as a form of pest control in her home.
Hamilton firefighters responded to a medical call on Oriole Crescent in the east end and it turned into a hazardous materials operation.
Nine units, including the HAZMAT team, were dispatched to the scene just after 1 p.m.
Fire department spokesperson Claudio Mostacci declined to reveal precisely which substances were mixed, but they were all conventional cleaning products found in any home.
Mostacci said the woman had followed a "home recipe" pesticide solution by mixing the products in several small containers and then placed them on each level of her home to combat insects.
Firefighters responded to a 911 call when the woman became ill; they found her in distress outside her home.
The HAMAT team determined the home brew had produced toxic gases called chloramines, which can induce everything from coughing to chest pains, a sore throat, and fluid in the lung.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL AT CASE FARMS THREATENS FISH IN NIMISHILLEN CREEK
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, response, corrosives
CANTON A chemical spill at a Case Farms chicken processing facility Tuesday morning that went into the city's storm sewer system prompted an evacuation, and firefighters spent hours pumping water into the system to minimize the chances of an explosion, the city's fire department said.
Fire Chief Tom Garra said someone at the Case Farms facility at 1925 30th St. NE around 10 a.m. reported that a tow motor on a forklift punctured a 330-gallon polyurethane container with the chemical Perasafe FB-100, which contains acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid. The mishap took place in an outdoor area.
About two-thirds of the chemical in the container leaked out and drained into the storm sewer system, Garra said. An information sheet about the Perasafe said it is corrosive and is harmful if swallowed. In diluted form, the chemical is used to reduce "bacterial contamination and cross-contamination that may cause product spoilage or decay of edible food products."
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT CREW RESPONDS TO LARGE PROPANE LEAK IN HARRISONBURG
Tags: us_VA, public, release, response, propane
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) -- A HAZMAT team is responding to a large propane leak in Harrisonburg.
The leak was reported at 703 Greenbriar Dr around 5:30 p.m. A lawn mower reportedly struck a line in this area. That's what started the leak. This is near University Outpost just off of Port Republic Rd.
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HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO SPILL IN OSNABURG
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, injury, other_chemical, diesel
OSNABURG TWP. A tanker truck traveling south on state Route 44 that was carrying 600 gallons of toulene and diesel fuel overturned Tuesday morning, causing chemicals to spill onto the road and the nearby woods, the township fire department said.
Township Fire Chief Rick Shearer said the crash happened at 8:35 a.m. in the 3300 block of Ravenna Avenue SE, north of Mapleton Street SE and south of Orchard View Drive SE. Firefighters found the heavily damaged truck overturned. The cause is unclear. He said the driver was transported to Mercy Medical Center with minor injuries. No one else was hurt and no other vehicles were involved.
The spill was contained with booms within a few hours, and while the chemicals came close, the spilled materials did not make it into the nearby creek, the chief said. There was no threat to human health, he said.
---------------------------------------------
DUMPSTER FIRE TURNS DANGEROUS IN CHANDLER; CHEMICALS STARTED THE FIRE; 3 FIREFIGHTERS HOSPITALIZED
Tags: us_AZ, public, fire, injury, hydrofluoric_acid, nitric_acid, waste
CHANDLER, AZ - Three firefighters were sent to a hospital Monday night after a hazardous materials situation in Chandler.
Crews were called to a dumpster fire at MSR-FSR, a metal cleaning business near Chandler Boulevard and Kyrene Road, Battalion Chief Blas Minor said.
Two chemicals, hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid, had mixed in a dumpster and started a fire, Minor said.
When firefighters sprayed water on the fire, the brownish-yellow color of the smoke signaled a possibly hazardous situation, Minor said.
Four firefighters were decontaminated at the scene, three of whom were taken to a hospital, Minor said. One was transported for hypertension, the other two were taken to the hospital as a precaution, Minor said.
---------------------------------------------
TTDI SCHOOL EVACUATED AFTER SULFURIC ACID SPILLS IN CHEMISTRY LAB
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, release, injury, milk, sulfuric_acid
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 22 students from a secondary school in Taman Tun Dr Ismail here suffered skin irritation after a chemical spill at their school chemistry laboratory this afternoon.
City Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Azizan Ismail said the department were alerted to the incident at 4.02pm.
"A team of firemen from Sri Hartamas including the hazardous material (Hazmat) team was dispatched.
"The team discovered that a bottle of sulfuric acid had broken and spilled."
Azizan said the staff and students were forced to evacuate the building for cleanup operations.
"We advised the students to consume milk and take a shower. We advised the teachers to ensure that the children were taken to the hospital if their condition worsened."
---------------------------------------------
ACTIVE UNDERGROUND METH LAB DISCOVERED NEAR AMHERST WALMART
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, response, meth_lab
An active underground meth lab was uncovered Monday in a storm sewer in the parking lot of the Walmart on Sheridan Drive and Bailey Avenue, Amherst police said.
Firefighters from both Amherst and Buffalo companies and specially trained state police in hazmat suits were lowered down into the storm sewer Monday afternoon to investigate and clean up the small but potentially toxic lab.
‰??We always take precautions because of the chemicals ... The chemicals are highly volatile,‰?? said Detective Lt. JoAnn DiNoto of the Amherst Police narcotics unit.
Amherst Detective Capt. Scott Chamberlin said police discovered the underground lab while on routine patrol late Monday morning in the vicinity of the parking lot.
Seized from the manhole were an assortment of aerosol spray cans, various chemicals, plastic soda bottles, jars of clear liquid and suspected methamphetamine, which were laid out on a table under a white tent.
---------------------------------------------
TODDLERS AT HIGHEST RISK OF CHEMICAL EYE BURNS
Tags: us_MD, public, discovery, environmental, cleaners
It‰??s long been thought that adults are at greatest risk of accidental chemical burns to the eye, but new research led by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland, US, overturns this conventional wisdom. The team found that one and two-year-old toddlers represent ‰??the single highest-risk group‰?? for such accidents, suffering twice the number of chemical-related eye injuries.
The Hopkins team analysed four years of data from the US Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, which includes information from roughly 30 million annual emergency room visits from more than 900 hospitals across the country. The researchers found that there were over 144,000 chemical ocular burns diagnosed at US emergency departments between 2010 and 2013. The rate of chemical burn injuries to the eyes was almost 29 per 100,000 for one-year-olds, and 23 per 100,000 for two-year-olds. By comparison, it was just 13 per 100,000 for adults aged 18 to 64.
The researchers surmised that unsafe storage of cleaning products may be largely responsible for these accidents. ‰??These children do not deal with chemicals on the job,‰?? said study leader R Sterling Haring. ‰??They are injured largely because they get into chemicals such as household cleaners that are improperly stored.‰??
---------------------------------------------
SMALL EXPLOSION REPORTED AT BONHAM FERTILIZER PLANT
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, pesticides
BONHAM, Texas - Crews responded to the explosion at the Voluntary Purchasing Group plant in Bonham around 7:30 Monday morning.
....
Fannin County Emergency Management Coordinator Darrell Brewer said there was no fire; a chemical just exploded out of its tank.
Brewer said part of the sprinkler system was compromised in the explosion but contaminated water did not make it past the dike that encircles the entire plant.
"I'm pleased that the safety precautions that we had in place, a fully diked facility, a state of the art water sprinkler system, did what they were supposed to do,‰?? VPG President and CEO Steve Money said.
Money said based upon the preliminary stage of the investigation the chemical that exploded is believed to be an herbicide called "triclopyr". He said the facility sustained some damage but there is no hazard to workers, the public or wildlife.
‰??It looked like a tank exploded straight up from what we can tell,‰?? Money said.
Officials are still investigating what exactly caused the explosion.
Nichols said a truck was being offloaded in the warehouse where the explosion happened but could not confirm if it was related to the explosion.
---------------------------------------------
CHURCH SPARED IN FIRE, FIREFIGHTERS SPARED EXPOSURE TO PCBS
Tags: us_IN, public, fire, response, illegal, oils
‰??One transformer had opened up and leaked out oil,‰?? says Poseyville Fire Chief, Sam Martin. ‰??They're uncertain what oil was in it.‰??
Some transformer oil contains a carcinogenic chemical called PCB. The chemical was banned in the United States in 1979, but some products made before then still contain the dangerous compound.
Firefighters were quickly concerned about exposure to the dangerous oil, walking through pools, or picking up tools off the ground.
Professor Arlen Kaufman, with University of Evansville Environmental Studies, says exposure to PCB can cause rashes on the skin, but if it's ingested, it won't leave your system and it's proven to cause cancer.
It wasn't clear right away if the spilled oil contained PCB, so major precautions were taken to clean up the mess. Clean-up crews were washing oil from a storm drain, and gear for a dozen firefighters was quarantined for hours.
Martin says it was about $40,000 worth of equipment set aside. Gear that couldn't be used in another emergency. Gear that would have to be destroyed if PCB chemicals were found.
After hours of waiting, test results from Indianapolis showed low levels of PCB, and Martin says there is no threat. All of the gear was cleared and available.
---------------------------------------------
MAKING SURE CHEMICAL TOXICITY TESTS DON‰??T MISS METABOLITES
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, pesticides
Once hailed as a safe alternative to the persistent organochlorine insecticide DDT, methoxychlor was widely used for decades to fight flies, mosquitoes, roaches, and other household pests. It was also extensively applied to fruits and vegetables, grains, and livestock.
But after laboratory animal studies linked the substance to developmental and reproductive side effects‰??including miscarriages, reduced fertility, and small litter size‰??regulators took action. The European Union banned sales of methoxychlor in 2002 and the U.S. followed suit in 2003.
Without data from animal studies, regulators would have likely missed the adverse effects of methoxychlor. The insecticidal chemical itself is relatively benign. Once it enters the body, however, metabolic enzymes in the liver convert the chemical into 2,2-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (HPTE), a substance with estrogenic activity. This metabolite disrupts the body‰??s endocrine system.
Compounds such as methoxychlor present a major challenge for regulators who are hoping to reduce the number of animal studies needed to demonstrate the safety of chemicals. They pin big hopes on high-throughput human cell-based assays that would replace slow and costly in vivo animal studies for evaluating chemical toxicity. Standing in their way, however, is the fact that such cell-based assays can‰??t yet detect the effects of unrecognized metabolites.
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WOMAN AND DOG FOUND DEAD IN BERRIEN SPRINGS, CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTED
Tags: us_MI, public, release, death, carbon_monoxide
Berrien Springs, MI - The Berrien Springs Oronoko Fire Department found an elderly woman and her dog dead in a home on the 4900 block of Appain Way in Berrien Springs.
Because there were two bodies, officials thought the cause of death might not be old age.
A hazardous materials team responded to the home for a reported gas leak Sunday evening.
Investigators confirm high levels of carbon monoxide was found in the home.
"When they went in they found that their meters had very high carbon monoxide readings." Captain Rocky Adams said. "Somewhere around the 1000 parts per million range. 1200 Is somewhere around where CO is lethal for people."
This measurement was taken several hours after the death of the woman, so the levels were much higher before fire crews shut down the home's appliances.
"It has reduced since we were out here from 5:00." Adams said. "The levels have went down and dissipated a little bit. Right now, the fire department is further evacuating the house of any kind of gases that are in there, so they're trying to push all that out."
The signs point to carbon monoxide being the cause of death, but the investigation is still underway.
Officials
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