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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (8 articles)
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2020 07:51:49 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 38B45358-23AD-42FD-86EC-5ADCB035014B**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 7:51:34 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 (8 articles)
HAZMAT TEAMS CALLED IN AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT DISNEY‰??S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Tags: us_fl, industrial, release, response, cleaners
RADIOACTIVE OBJECTS RECOVERED FROM DP ROAD CONSTRUCTION SITE
Tags: us_nm, public, discovery, response, radiation
NEW WASTE CRIME SQUAD TO TACKLE ILLEGAL RUBBISH AND CHEMICAL STOCKPILES
Tags: australia, public, discovery, wastes
JUDGE DELAYS ARKEMA CRIMINAL TRIAL, CITING WITHHELD EVIDENCE
Tags: us_tx, industrial, followup, other_chemical
EXCLUSIVE: COMMUNICATIONS AFTER TPC GROUP BLAST GIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ASBESTOS DISCOVERY, OFFICIAL RESPONSE
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, asbestos
FIRE REPORTED AT A CHEMICAL SUPPLIES STORE IN PILIYANDALA
Tags: Sri_Lanka, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A TALE OF 2 EXPLOSIONS
Tags: us_WI, public, explosion, environmental, dye, hydrogen_peroxide
ANALYTICAL MICROWAVE FIRE
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
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HAZMAT TEAMS CALLED IN AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT DISNEY‰??S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
https://wdwnt.com/2020/02/hazmat-teams-called-in-after-chemical-spill-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/
Tags: us_fl, industrial, release, response, cleaners
According to the Orlando Sentinel, a hazmat team has been called in to Disney‰??s Hollywood Studios to clean up a chemical spill after 255 gallons of sodium hypochlorite spilled from a storage tank on the ground. The spill is attributed to equipment failure, according to a notice from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Sodium Hydrochlorite is typically used as a disinfectant or bleaching agent. Thankfully, no waterways were affected and the spill was contained. No injuries were reported as part of the spill.
Cleanup is underway at the Reedy Creek Energy Services Chiller Plant that‰??s located at 245 Showbiz Blvd, which is behind Beauty and the Beast ‰?? Live on Stage and also near Tower of Terror. Out of adherence for environmental laws, the Reedy Creek Improvement District must report these spill to the state.
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RADIOACTIVE OBJECTS RECOVERED FROM DP ROAD CONSTRUCTION SITE
https://www.lamonitor.com/content/radioactive-objects-recovered-dp-road-construction-site
Tags: us_nm, public, discovery, response, radiation
A construction crew working at a site on DP Road Feb. 14 unearthed radioactive materials that were buried in the ground. A Radiological Assistance Program Team Thursday from the National Nuclear Security Administration examined the materials, and determined they posed no risk to public health.
The land the crew was working on was transferred to the county from the Department of Energy in January 2018.
The materials were found to be contaminated by uranium and plutonium.
According to Los Alamos County Manager Harry Burgess, the contractor, Parker Construction, discovered the objects while digging to install a sewer pipe that was to support two apartment complexes being built on the road.
Burgess is currently waiting for a report from the NNSA "to determine a path forward."
"I was happy they came out to support us on it because the land was already transferred," Burgess said. "They retained responsibility for the things that were found, so they were quick to come out."
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NEW WASTE CRIME SQUAD TO TACKLE ILLEGAL RUBBISH AND CHEMICAL STOCKPILES
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/victoria/new-waste-crime-squad-to-tackle-illegal-rubbish-and-chemical-stockpiles-20200225-p544ab.html
Tags: australia, public, discovery, wastes
A new waste crime investigation squad will target cowboys who amass huge quantities of dangerous chemicals and toxic rubbish, in a $71 million push to tackle illegal stockpiles.
The squad will monitor and prosecute waste disposal operators who accumulate harmful materials, including asbestos, without handling them properly.
Bradbury Industrial Services' Campbellfield factory in the days after the April 2019 fire.
Bradbury Industrial Services' Campbellfield factory in the days after the April 2019 fire.
The Waste Crime Prevention Inspectorate will be set up as a new division within the Environment Protection Authority, which is responsible for preventing pollution and waste.
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JUDGE DELAYS ARKEMA CRIMINAL TRIAL, CITING WITHHELD EVIDENCE
https://kfgo.com/2020/02/24/judge-delays-arkema-criminal-trial-citing-withheld-evidence/
Tags: us_tx, industrial, followup, other_chemical
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A district judge on Monday delayed opening arguments for a criminal trial accusing a U.S. arm of French chemicals company Arkema SA and its executives for their role in toxic fires following a 2017 hurricane, after prosecution lawyers failed to disclose certain evidence.
Arkema Inc, Chief Executive Richard Rowe and the former manager of the Crosby, Texas, plant, Leslie Comardelle, face criminal charges for recklessly releasing toxic emissions as organic peroxides burned during flooding from Hurricane Harvey.
State judge Belinda Hill found the prosecution improperly withheld evidence that might have benefited the defense. The judge issued a continuance for the defense and said she might issue further sanctions against the prosecution for the misconduct.
Pre-trial motions will now start on Wednesday and opening statements on Thursday.
Arkema and another executive, Michael Keough, Arkema's former vice president of logistics, also face assault charges for failing to disclose the danger to emergency workers posed by pollutants released by the fires.
Many of those exposed to the fumes were emergency responders, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board found in a report on the incident issued in May 2018.
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EXCLUSIVE: COMMUNICATIONS AFTER TPC GROUP BLAST GIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ASBESTOS DISCOVERY, OFFICIAL RESPONSE
https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/EXCLUSIVE-Communications-after-TPC-Group-blast-15078676.php
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, asbestos
PORT NECHES ‰?? Asbestos from the TPC Group explosions in Port Neches was found in debris blast recovered as far away as Bridge City. After company officials discovered that asbestos had been released from the Nov. 27 blast, they waited seven hours before informing county officials who were part of the joint command operation and responsible for alerting the public to potential hazards. Leaks of butadiene and other chemicals continued for more than a month afterward.
Such are the findings from a series of emails, text messages and other communications between TPC officials and Jefferson County staff members obtained by the Beaumont Enterprise. The newspaper requested the records from the county and followed up with TPC and with County Judge Jeff Branick to get a better understanding of the hectic days and weeks that followed the Thanksgiving Eve-explosions and fires.
The messages sent also show that in two instances, Branick insisted that officials use a stricter standard for determining air-quality levels for deciding on evacuations and shelter-in-place recommendations.
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FIRE REPORTED AT A CHEMICAL SUPPLIES STORE IN PILIYANDALA
https://www.newsfirst.lk/2020/02/24/fire-reported-at-a-chemical-supplies-store-in-piliyandala/
Tags: Sri_Lanka, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Colombo (News 1st) ‰?? A fire has erupted at a chemical supplies store in Wewala, Piliyandala.
The Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Fire Service Department said 2 fire trucks have been dispatched from the unit and two fire trucks have been dispatched from the Moratuwa Urban Council.
The cause of fire is yet to be determined.
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A TALE OF 2 EXPLOSIONS
https://cen.acs.org/safety/A-tale-of-2-explosions/98/i8
Tags: us_WI, public, explosion, environmental, dye, hydrogen_peroxide
In 2019, the most-viewed video on TikTok‰??a short-form mobile video platform‰??was a chemistry experiment: a massive demonstration of the hydrogen peroxide‰??potassium iodide reaction known as elephant toothpaste. To date, the 12 s video of four mad scientists in David Dobrik‰??s backyard pouring four buckets of a mysterious yellow fluid into a giant test tube of blood-red liquid has 183.7 million views on TikTok. The yellow fluid, of course, was potassium iodide, the catalyst that rapidly decomposes hydrogen peroxide. In the video, the potassium iodide was added to a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, water, soap, and red food coloring to create water, iodine, and oxygen gas, which gets trapped in the soap to create the characteristic foamy eruption.
With that TikTok, Dobrik and Nick Uhas, another scientific social media maven, set out to make a world record for the amount of foam produced from an elephant toothpaste experiment. However, after the video went viral, there was social media controversy about the legitimacy of the record-breaking eruption. So, for their next attempt, the duo committed to quadruple the (approximately) 67.5 m3 of foam produced in the viral TikTok clip.
In a video with over 22 million views on YouTube, the scientists put a whopping 625 L of 35% hydrogen peroxide (in addition to the soap, water, and food coloring) in a 1,893 L plastic drum. They then rigged a pulley system, which involved placing a trash can on top of a lifeguard chair, to efficiently dump the 91 L of potassium iodide catalyst into the drum. In the video, a dramatic exothermic reaction is shown, producing approximately 200 m3 of foam.
It might look cool, but the Newscripts gang felt compelled to consult some safety experts.
‰??I am familiar with this stupidity,‰?? David Katz, a chemistry educator and demonstrator, tells Newscripts. He says that the 35% hydrogen peroxide can cause severe burns.
Furthermore, ‰??the blobs of foam seen floating down the valley could contain unreacted hydrogen peroxide,‰?? which could hurt innocent bystanders, says Sandra Koster, a retired senior lecturer from the University of Wisconsin‰??La Crosse.
Yikes! Want to try an elephant toothpaste experiment at home? Stick with the safer 3% hydrogen peroxide you can buy at the drugstore. While yeast won‰??t produce the same dramatic explosion, using that as a catalyst will lead to a slower buildup of foam and be less likely to permanently stain walls. And always, always, always use personal protective equipment.
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ANALYTICAL MICROWAVE FIRE
https://opexshare.doe.gov/lesson.cfm/2020/2/17/30503/Analytical-Microwave-Fire
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A fire occurred in a CEM MARS 6 analytical microwave (Figure 1) during microwave-assisted, acid digestion of a soil sample in a Research and Development (R&D) laboratory. The soil sample had been pretreated at 550oC for ~4 hours in a furnace prior to digesting in the microwave. Less than 1-gram aliquots of the pretreated soil sample were placed into separate microwave reaction vessels (Figure 1, lower right) along with an acid mixture used for digestion. The microwave was used to facilitate digestion of the samples. Microwave reaction vessels were loaded with acid and soil samples, sealed in cassettes, and the cassettes placed onto a microwave carousel (Figure 1, upper right). A temperature probe that senses the reaction temperature during the run was inserted into the Reference Cell thermowell. The contents of the Reference Cell were identical to the contents of the other reaction cells. The researcher initiated the run and then left the laboratory to perform other work!
. Upon returning to check the digestion run, flames and smoke were observed originating from the microwave. The researcher exited the lab, immediate emergency actions were taken, and the local fire department responded and extinguished the fire. No personnel were injured, and no facility structural damage occurred. The affected microwave is a total loss (Figure 2).
Lessons Learned Recommendations:
1. Ensure the temperature probe is compatible with the microwave model being used. Consult the manufacturer if there is any doubt.
2. Remove incompatible parts/consumables from the equipment operational area.
3. For accurate temperature measurements during a microwave run, the thermocouple needs to measure the temperature of the liquid phase during the run. The minimum liquid volume needed per 100 ml reaction vessel is stated as 5 ml acid by the manufacturer when using a compatible thermocouple in an EasyPrep sample vessel.
4. Consider use of the exhaust acid/organic vapor sensor for unattended microwave runs.
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