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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (11 articles)
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 07:53:37 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 87A7C71D-D45F-48A8-849F-6CC13CF9B285**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, April 10, 2020 at 7:53:23 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 (11 articles)
1 DEAD IN 3 VEHICLE CRASH NEAR AUBURN
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, ammonia
HOVERBOARD SPARKS 2-ALARM HOUSE FIRE IN ANDOVER
Tags: us_MA, public, fire, response, batteries
US EPA ADVANCES ROLLBACKS WHILE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC RAGES
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
KEG BEER BECOMES HAND SANITIZER THANKS TO A CUSTOM-BUILT DRAINING SYSTEM VIA PURSUIT DISTILLING, COLUMBIA DISTRIBUTING
Tags: us_WA, industrial, discovery, environmental, ethanol
COURIER CARRYING COVID-19 SAMPLES CRASHES ON INTERSTATE, PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
CHEMICAL FIRE CONSUMES ABLE TOOL & EQUIPMENT BUILDING IN SOUTH WINDSOR
Tags: us_CT, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
MATERIAL WORTH CRORES GUTTED IN MIDC FIRE
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
FEMALE FERTILITY DATA LACKING FOR NANOMATERIALS
Tags: Europe, discovery, public, nanomaterials
FACTORY FIRE REPORT PAINTS GRIM SAFETY PICTURE
Tags: India, fire, industrial, environmental
NO CANAL POLLUTION AFTER MAJOR BLAZE AT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE IN HYDE
Tags: uk, industrial, fire, response, sulphuric_acid
WHY THE BEST MATERIAL FOR A HOMEMADE CORONAVIRUS FACE MASK IS HARD TO IDENTIFY
Tags: us, public, discovery, environmental
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1 DEAD IN 3 VEHICLE CRASH NEAR AUBURN
https://www.wandtv.com/news/1-dead-in-3-vehicle-crash-near-auburn/article_d7512966-7aae-11ea-b5b9-43c61ee350ca.html
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, ammonia
AUBURN, Ill. (WAND) - One person has died in a Thursday evening crash, according to Illinois State Police District 9.
Troopers were on scene at Illinois Route 104 at Purdom Road, just east of Auburn around 3:20 p.m.
According to the preliminary investigation by ISP, a 2006 GMC Pickup truck pulling a trailer with two anhydrous tanks and a USPS mail truck were traveling westbound on Illinois Route 104 near Purdom Road. The USPS truck slowed to turn south onto Purdom Road. The driver of the GMC truck failed to slow down and rear ended the USPS truck.
ISP said the GMC truck driver swerved into the eastbound lanes, observed oncoming traffic and swerved back into the westbound lanes. This caused the trailer to overturn onto a 2010 Buick, which was traveling westbound on Rt. 104.
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HOVERBOARD SPARKS 2-ALARM HOUSE FIRE IN ANDOVER
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/09/metro/hoverboard-sparks-2-alarm-house-fire-andover/
Tags: us_MA, public, fire, response, batteries
A hoverboard charging on the first floor of an Andover home sparked a 2-alarm fire Thursday that displaced five residents, officials said.
The fire broke out at a two-family-home at 10 Temple Place at about 3:40 p.m. Heavy flames and smoke was visible when firefighters arrived, Andover police said in a press release.
Fire investigators determined that the blaze was caused by a hoverboard, a self-balancing scooter, which malfunctioned, officials said.
Hoverboards run on lithium-ion batteries that can overheat. They were linked to several fires in 2016, when the boards first became popular. The devices now must comply with national safety standards, officials said.
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US EPA ADVANCES ROLLBACKS WHILE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC RAGES
https://cen.acs.org/policy/regulation/US-EPA-advances-rollbacks-while/98/web/2020/04
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
The COVID-19 pandemic is upending education, business, and social activities. But it isn‰??t slowing the Trump administration‰??s efforts to diminish US Environmental Protection Agency regulation.
Despite requests from advocacy groups and members of Congress, the EPA has not postponed meetings or extended comment periods related to pending actions on several controversial chemicals and other public health matters. The agency is forging ahead with public meetings using virtual platforms even when external advisers have other obligations related to the novel coronavirus that preclude them from participating.
Earlier this month, 14 members of Congress who chair committees in the House of Representatives sent a letter to the White House asking for extra time for the public to provide input to the EPA and other federal agencies.
‰??The disruptions caused by COVID-19 will deprive citizens, local communities, and other stakeholders the opportunity to engage with agencies on these major policy revisions and many other rulemakings,‰?? they wrote. The lawmakers urged the EPA to extend the comment period for a proposal that would narrow the type of scientific data that the agency may consider for regulations. The agency extended the comment period by 30 days, but some lawmakers say that isn‰??t long enough because of the unprecedented change people are facing in their everyday lives.
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KEG BEER BECOMES HAND SANITIZER THANKS TO A CUSTOM-BUILT DRAINING SYSTEM VIA PURSUIT DISTILLING, COLUMBIA DISTRIBUTING
https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/featured/keg-beer-becomes-hand-sanitizer-thanks-to-a-custom-built-draining-system-via-pursuit-distilling-columbia-distributing/
Tags: us_WA, industrial, discovery, environmental, ethanol
Keg beer intended for now-shuttered Washington State bars and restaurants is not going to waste, thanks to a partnership between Pursuit Distilling Co. and its distribution partner Columbia Distributing. Using the beer and a custom-built keg draining system, the companies have developed a way to create neutral grain spirit for conversion into much-needed denatured alcohol.
Denatured alcohol is the primary disinfectant ingredient in American-produced hand sanitizers. TTB opened up the floodgates on this concept in March, which a ton of distilleries jumped on, but this innovation of taking keg beer that wasn‰??t going anywhere and repurposing it is a novel innovation.
‰??We‰??ve created a quick way to drain the beer kegs and then Pursuit distills the beer into neutral grain spirit liquid for use in denatured alcohol,‰?? said Devlin McGill, Senior Director of Spirits at Columbia Distributing. ‰??Our second challenge was delivering that type of alcohol. Fortunately, we found that Columbia already has a network of drivers that are hazmat certified so we can expedite our efforts in getting this essential material for hand sanitizer out to our state agencies. We‰??re extremely happy that we can help in such a meaningful way right now.‰??
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COURIER CARRYING COVID-19 SAMPLES CRASHES ON INTERSTATE, PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE
https://defensemaven.io/bluelivesmatter/news/courier-carrying-covid-19-samples-crashes-on-interstate-prompts-hazmat-response-mbZ-YeJhHUW2Hf-odenCdQ
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
Seekonk, MA ‰?? A courier carrying coronavirus samples to a lab for testing was involved in a crash on Interstate 195 in Massachusetts on Tuesday.
The crash occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on April 7 in the westbound lanes of I-195 when a Honda Civic driven by a 49-year-old female courier from Rhode Island collided with a tractor trailer, The Sun Chronicle reported.
Police said that when the courier lost control of her vehicle, she slammed into an ambulance that was also on the highway.
The first officers to arrive on the scene spotted liquid spilled on the roadway and were concerned it had come from the medical samples that had been in the courier‰??s trunk, The Sun Chronicle reported.
‰??Initial observations of a liquid spill led first responders to suspect the samples may have spilled and a state hazardous materials response team responded to the scene,‰?? Massachusetts State Police Spokesman Dave Procopio said in a statement.
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CHEMICAL FIRE CONSUMES ABLE TOOL & EQUIPMENT BUILDING IN SOUTH WINDSOR
https://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-br-south-windsor-commercial-fire-20200408-gplw7orks5g6jb5qlft2aztiau-story.html
Tags: us_CT, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A massive fire tore through Able Tool & Equipment on Tuesday morning in South Windsor, destroying the building after eight people escaped safely.
The fire began around 9:30 a.m. when multiple witnesses spotted smoke coming from the building at 410 Burnham Street near the South Windsor-East Hartford town line.
Fire crews from both towns responded and found heavy fire consuming the second floor of the structure, just above where a series of unknown chemicals were stored that caused the fire to quickly spread, South Windsor fire officials reported.
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MATERIAL WORTH CRORES GUTTED IN MIDC FIRE
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/material-worth-crores-gutted-in-midc-fire/articleshow/75055585.cms
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
Nagpur: A massive fire broke out at an ink making unit Vyankatesh Udyog Pvt Ltd in MIDC Hingna on Wednesday at around 2.30am. The massive blaze also engulfed an adjacent cardboard making factory. The cause of fire is still unknown as the companies were supposedly shut due to the ongoing lockdown.
Sources said that no one was injured in the incident but material and machinery worth crores was destroyed.
MIDC fire fighting teams rushed to the spot as soon as the fire was reported to them. They failed to control the fire for almost two hours and then sought help from Nagpur fire brigade at around 4am.
Several fire tenders of NMC, under the supervision of chief fire officer (CFO) Rajendra Uchake, were sent to the spot. Eleven fire tenders, including two bowsers, made several rounds to bring water from different locations. It took fire fighters more than 15 hours to control the massive fire.
Apparently, the ink unit had a huge stock of alcohol. The alcohol-based chemicals were stored in underground and over ground storage tanks and also in drums. The building structure as well as most of the chemicals was destroyed in fire. Fire spread to adjoining Sainath Packaging unit belonging to Gowardandas Balani.
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FEMALE FERTILITY DATA LACKING FOR NANOMATERIALS
https://euon.echa.europa.eu/view-article/-/journal_content/title/female-fertility-data-lacking-for-nanomaterials?_cldee=cnN0dWFydGNpaEBtZS5jb20%253d&recipientid=lead-e3a3bbf81ee8e8118107005056952b31-b11dbedf95d248aa80767d4d6a68daba&esid=4c263426-6579-ea11-811c-005056b9310e
Tags: Europe, discovery, public, nanomaterials
A study commissioned by the EU Observatory for Nanomaterials has found a lack of data on female fertility. Studies on reproductive performance were also scarce. As such, the study calls for more coordinated tests and follow up of outcomes when concerns are identified.
Helsinki, 6 April 2020 ‰?? This lack of data results in uncertainties on the potential toxic effects of nanomaterials over multiple generations.
The available information identified a concern for developmental toxicity for the materials that were tested and indicates that nanomaterials may be able to cross the placental barrier and reach developing foetuses, as well as affect critical organ systems.
The report also identifies a lack of studies comparing bulk and nanoforms of the same substance, resulting in uncertainties in possible differences in toxicity.
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FACTORY FIRE REPORT PAINTS GRIM SAFETY PICTURE
https://www.ecotextile.com/2020040725930/social-compliance-csr-news/factory-fire-report-paints-grim-safety-picture.html
Tags: India, fire, industrial, environmental
GLOBAL - A new report on fires in the fashion industry's global supply chains paints a bleak picture of factory safety by revealing a total of 66 reported blazes during the month of March - an average of more than two a day.
The report, entitled Fires in the Fashion Industry Supply Chain, was produced by Stephen Frost of the CUHK Business School in Hong Kong, in association with the GoBlu sustainability accelerator for apparel and textile companies.
The fires resulted in four deaths and 50 injuries, ranging from minor to serious, and were reported in 18 countries with India - which accounted for 30 per cent of the total - the worst affected.
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NO CANAL POLLUTION AFTER MAJOR BLAZE AT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE IN HYDE
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/hyde-fire-canal-pollution-fire-18057229
Tags: uk, industrial, fire, response, sulphuric_acid
The Environment Agency has said there's no evidence to suggest a large amount of chemicals seeped into a canal after a huge blaze at an industrial estate.
More than 50 firefighters tackled the raging blaze at the Adamson Industrial Estate on Croft Road in Hyde on Saturday night.
A number of business units were destroyed as the flames reached three separate brick buildings at the site.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said a large amount of chemicals were stored within the estate, which is next to a stretch of the Peak Forest Canal.
The Environment Agency was called to assist and advised the fire service over pollution control measures.
Aerial view captures extent of the damage (Image: GMFRS)
One chemical believed to have been used on site was sulphuric acid.
But the Environment Agency said investigations found nothing to suggest the canal has been badly polluted.
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WHY THE BEST MATERIAL FOR A HOMEMADE CORONAVIRUS FACE MASK IS HARD TO IDENTIFY
https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/infectious-disease/best-material-homemade-coronavirus-face/98/web/2020/04
Tags: us, public, discovery, environmental
The internet is exploding with mask-sewing patterns and advice on which materials are best to use, but many unanswered questions remain about how exactly SARS-CoV-2 spreads and what benefit widespread wearing of nonmedical masks may offer individuals and the public. Because of the inherent variability in household materials, mask design, and mask-wearing behavior, experts caution that the practice is no replacement for social distancing.
‰??It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus,‰?? according to the CDC‰??s web page on the use of cloth face coverings.
Understanding what a mask needs to do to protect the wearer and those around them begins with understanding how SARS-CoV-2 spreads. Experts think people pass the virus to others primarily through respiratory droplets. These infectious globs of saliva and mucus, expelled by talking and coughing, are relatively large and travel limited distances‰??they tend to settle on the ground and other surfaces within 1‰??2 m, although at least one study has suggested sneezing and coughing can propel them farther (Indoor Air 2007, DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2007.00469.x). Scientists have not yet reached a consensus on whether SARS-CoV-2 virus can also spread through smaller aerosols, which have the potential to spread farther and linger in the air. In one experiment, researchers found that the virus can remain infectious in aerosols for 3 h in controlled lab conditions (N. Engl. J. Med. 2020, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2004973). But this study has limitations. As the World Health Organization noted,!
the researchers used specialized equipment to generate the aerosols, which ‰??does not reflect normal human cough conditions.‰??
Homemade and other nonmedical cloth masks would function like surgical masks, which are designed to minimize the spread of the wearer‰??s germs to surrounding people and surfaces by blocking respiratory emissions from the wearer. Respiratory emissions include saliva and mucus droplets, as well as aerosols. These masks, often made of paper or other nonwoven materials, fit loosely around the face and allow air to leak in around the edges when the user inhales. As a result, they‰??re not considered reliable protection against inhalation of the virus.
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