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Next by Date: Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (25 articles) Date: Mon, 24 May 2021 05:58:42 -0400 Author: Ralph Stuart |
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, May 21, 2021 at 6:31:17 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 (16 articles)
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS DISCUSS NEXT STEPS FOLLOWING GAS SPILL NEAR LYONS
Tags: us_CO, transportation, follow-up, environmental, gasoline
UPDATED: HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CREWS CALLED TO FALMOUTH
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
HOMES EVACUATED AFTER NATURAL GAS LEAK IN OTTAWA'S SOUTH END
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, natural_gas
ROYAL NAVY BOMB DISPOSAL TEAM EXPLODE TOXIC CHEMICAL FOUND AT LAUNCESTON COLLEGE
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, explosion, response, waste
HASTINGS ACTS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS AT HIGH HAZARD FACILITIES
Tags: us_IL, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
DEVELOPING: 4 TREATED FOR CONTAMINATION IN HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL LEAK AT PARSIPPANY MED SUPPLIER
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
FIRE ABOARD ‰??X-PRESS PEARL‰?? CONTROLLED TO A GREAT EXTENT
Tags: Sri_Lanka, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical
ECHA UPDATING GUIDANCE CONCERNING REACH INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR NANOFORMS
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, nanoparticles
REPURPOSING AN INTRODUCTORY ORGANIC AND INORGANIC LABORATORY COURSE FROM THE FOCUS ON TEACHING THEORY TO THE FOCUS ON TEACHING PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, discovery, environmental
RESEARCH ON THE RISK OF THERMAL RUNAWAY IN THE INDUSTRIAL PROCESS OF STYRENE SOLUTION POLYMERIZATION
Tags: China, industrial, discovery, environmental, styrene
COLORADO SPRINGS COSTCO EVACUATED DUE TO A POSSIBLE GAS LEAK
Tags: us_CO, public, release, response, other_chemical
CHEMICAL RELEASE PROMPTS EVACUATION AT CANON-MCMILLAN SENIOR HS ‰?? CBS PITTSBURGH
Tags: us_PA, education, release, response, chlorine
PARAMEDICS TREAT THREE PEOPLE FOR EXPOSURE TO 'PEPPER SPRAY TYPE PRODUCT'
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, pepper_spray
PFAS CLEANUP SYSTEM APPROVED AT TYCO FIRE PRODUCTS FACILITY
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
FIRE BREAKS OUT AT TAINAN PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY; NO INJURIES REPORTED
Tags: Taiwan, industrial, fire, response, pharmaceutical
THERE‰??S NO NEED TO CONTROL PFAS AS A CLASS, INDUSTRY SCIENTISTS SAY
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
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LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS DISCUSS NEXT STEPS FOLLOWING GAS SPILL NEAR LYONS
https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/05/20/local-organizations-discuss-next-steps-following-gas-spill-near-lyons/
Tags: us_CO, transportation, follow-up, environmental, gasoline
After gasoline spilled from a semi tanker late last month and seeped into the North St. Vrain Creek, local responders said the work to clean up and restore the area after the crash is not over.
‰??I want to make it clear that this is an ongoing investigation ‰?? we‰??re not done,‰?? said Melynda May, of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. ‰??We‰??re focusing on impacts to fish, aquatic invertebrates and algae.‰??
On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency, Boulder County Public Health, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Colorado Public Health hosted a virtual update to discuss the gas spill that occurred April 27.
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UPDATED: HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CREWS CALLED TO FALMOUTH
https://www.capecod.com/cape-wide-news/hazardous-materials-crews-called-to-falmouth/
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
FALMOUTH ‰?? Falmouth Fire-Rescue reports that just before 7 PM Thursday evening Engine 25 and Ambulance 37 were dispatched to a Red Brook Road residence for a possible hazardous materials incident. One occupant had been preparing pool chemicals. During the preparation, a vapor cloud formed. Engine 25 on arrival found all occupants out of the house. An initial investigation found some remaining chemical vapor. Crews secured the scene and requested a response from the Department of Fire Services HAZMAT team. Upon the team‰??s arrival, members entered the building and mitigated the chemicals. The structure has been vented and the area is safe. At no time did this pose a threat to neighboring homes.
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HOMES EVACUATED AFTER NATURAL GAS LEAK IN OTTAWA'S SOUTH END
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/homes-evacuated-after-natural-gas-leak-in-ottawa-s-south-end-1.5437301
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, natural_gas
OTTAWA -- Some homes have been evacuated after a natural gas leak in Ottawa's Hunt Club neighbourhood.
Ottawa fire dispatch received a call at 2:30 p.m. reporting a gas leak at the intersection of Uplands Drive and Paul Anka Drive.
Ottawa fire says firefighters discovered a large diameter gas line was leaking underground, causing the roadway to "heave up in the air and blowing dust into the air."
A small number of residences downwind of the leak were evacuated as a precaution, while other residents in the neighbourhood were told to close their doors.
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ROYAL NAVY BOMB DISPOSAL TEAM EXPLODE TOXIC CHEMICAL FOUND AT LAUNCESTON COLLEGE
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/royal-navy-bomb-disposal-team-5438636
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, explosion, response, waste
The Royal Navy bomb squad has carried out a controlled explosion at a Cornwall secondary school today after a hazardous substance was located.
Reports were coming in at around midday of a large explosion heard in the Launceston area. People described the explosion as "so loud" that it "shook houses" and "startled" them. Some thought it came from the direction of the A30.
A Royal Navy bomb disposal vehicle and police vehicle were also spotted at Launceston College, a secondary school and sixth form on Hurdon Road.
A spokesperson for the Royal Navy has now confirmed that the SDU 1 bomb disposal unit based in Devonport, Plymouth, attended the school to destroy an old bottle of a dangerous and toxic substance that staff had found in storage.
You can stay up to date on the top news and events near you with CornwallLive‰??s FREE newsletters ‰?? enter your email address at the top of the page.
Teams were able to explode the substance - known as Dess‰??Martin periodinane (DMP) - on the school field.
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HASTINGS ACTS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS AT HIGH HAZARD FACILITIES
https://www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com/caucus-news/32-senator-michael-e-hastings-news/2429-hastings-acts-to-prevent-accidents-at-high-hazard-facilities
Tags: us_IL, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
SPRINGFIELD ‰?? Workers at high hazard facilities could soon be required to undergo advanced safety training thanks to legislation passed by the Senate Executive Committee yesterday.
State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) is the chief sponsor of this initiative.
‰??Safety training is crucial at every job site, but the need at facilities where workers are handling dangerous substances is especially prudent,‰?? Hastings said. ‰??Those who have gone through proper training are statistically less likely to be at risk of making a mistake that could result in an accident. We cannot afford to lose lives on the job site due to neglect, and we certainly cannot afford to let these dangerous chemicals seep into our communities.‰??
This initiative is a response to a 2012 Chevron refinery explosion and subsequent fire in Richmond, Cal. According to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, approximately 15,000 people from the surrounding communities sought medical treatment at nearby medical facilities for ailments including breathing problems, chest pain, shortness of breath, sore throat, and headaches following the incident. Approximately 20 of these people were admitted to local hospitals as inpatients for treatment.
Under House Bill 3437, the Illinois Department of Labor would be required to develop a curriculum of approved advanced safety training for workers at high hazard facilities. These building and construction contractors would be required to pay prevailing wage and use a skilled and trained workforce to perform all onsite work at petroleum refining facilities, petrochemical manufacturing facilities, ethyl alcohol manufacturing facilities, and basic organic chemical manufacturing facilities. If these contractors fail to do so, they could face a monetary penalty.
---------------------------------------------
DEVELOPING: 4 TREATED FOR CONTAMINATION IN HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL LEAK AT PARSIPPANY MED SUPPLIER
https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/morris/police-fire/developing-4-treated-for-contamination-in-hazardous-chemical-leak-at-parsippany-med-supplier/809377/
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Four patients were treated for contamination and one hospitalized after a hazardous chemical leak at a Morris County medical supply center, according to initial reports.
The Morris County Haz-Mat unit responded with several EMS crews and the county medical ambulance bus to 10 Pomeroy Rd. in Parsippany shortly before 3 p.m., according to initial and unconfirmed reports.
The address shows on Google Maps as Zimmer Biomet, a medical supplier of products for joint reconstruction, skeletal repair, spine and dental reconstruction.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE ABOARD ‰??X-PRESS PEARL‰?? CONTROLLED TO A GREAT EXTENT
https://www.newsfirst.lk/2021/05/21/fire-aboard-x-press-pearl-controlled-to-a-great-extent-navy/
Tags: Sri_Lanka, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical
COLOMBO (News 1st); The fire aboard the container ship ‰??X-PRESS PEARL‰?? was controlled to a great extent, said Navy Spokesperson Captain Indika De Silva on Friday (21).
He said yellow smoke was observed on Thursday (20) from one area of the vessel and it was determined the smoke was the result of a chemical reaction between chemicals aboard the vessel and rainwater.
A fire broke out aboard the vessel later on Thursday (20) and the Sri Lanka Navy dispatched 02 Offshore Patrol Vessels, Sri Lanka Naval Ship (SLNS) Sagara, SLNS Sindurala and a Fast Attack Craft to the scene of fire.
Further 01Tug from the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is engaged in firefighting efforts as of now.
The container ship was in anchorage about 9.5 nautical miles northwest of Colombo harbour as the incident was reported.
---------------------------------------------
ECHA UPDATING GUIDANCE CONCERNING REACH INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR NANOFORMS
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/echa-updating-guidance-concerning-reach-4710078/
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, nanoparticles
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is in the process of updating its guidance on the information requirements and chemical safety assessment (IR&CSA) for nanoforms under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. ECHA has developed three appendices concerning information requirements (appendices to IR&CSA Guidance Chapters R.7a, R.7b, and R.7c) to provide advice to registrants for use when preparing REACH registration dossiers that cover nanoforms. ECHA is updating two of the appendices, Appendix R7-1 to Chapter R.7a and Appendix R7-2 to Chapter R.7c. The draft update states that the advice provided focuses on specific recommendations for testing materials that are nanoforms of substances. Annex VI defines the terms ‰??nanoform‰?? and ‰??set of similar nanoforms‰?? and establishes the requirements for characterization of the identified nanoforms/sets of similar nanoforms of the substance. According to the draft upda!
te, part of the advice provided is not strictly nanoform specific and may also be applicable to other particulate forms of substances (e.g., relevance of dissolution rate). The draft update notes that when such advice has been included, ‰??it is because it is considered especially relevant for nanoforms and should be part of the nanoform specific guidance.‰?? In the absence of any suitable specific provision (either because the endpoint is not relevant for nanoforms, because the guidance already provided is considered to be equally applicable to nanoforms as to non-nanoforms, or because more research or adaptation is needed before developing advice), no additional guidance for the information requirement has been included.
---------------------------------------------
REPURPOSING AN INTRODUCTORY ORGANIC AND INORGANIC LABORATORY COURSE FROM THE FOCUS ON TEACHING THEORY TO THE FOCUS ON TEACHING PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01210
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, discovery, environmental
A traditional laboratory course with the primary learning outcome of improving students‰?? theoretical knowledge has received much criticism over the years due to the lack of evidence that these goals have achieved. We report our efforts to redesign a traditional first-year organic and inorganic (also known as synthetic) laboratory course from having a focus on teaching theory to the development of practical skills. With better alignment between the core learning outcomes of the course and the type of experiments embedded into the curriculum, we report that the redesigned course improved students‰?? practical skills from a number of measures, including students‰?? grades pre- and postcourse and from students‰?? self-assessment of core skills in synthetic chemistry.
---------------------------------------------
RESEARCH ON THE RISK OF THERMAL RUNAWAY IN THE INDUSTRIAL PROCESS OF STYRENE SOLUTION POLYMERIZATION
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.oprd.0c00554
Tags: China, industrial, discovery, environmental, styrene
Polymerization reactions are exothermic processes that are often accompanied by viscosity changes, and they can pose hazards due to thermal runaway. This paper describes an investigation of the potential for thermal runaway in the industrial process of styrene solution polymerization, in which particular focus was devoted to the effects of the monomer concentration and the solvent. As the monomer concentration increased from 20.0 to 50.0 wt %, the heat of reaction Qr and the adiabatic temperature rise ë?Tad increased in a linear manner from 19.0 å± 0.2 to 58.1 å± 0.6 kJ and 21.7 å± 0.1 to 64.8 å± 0.6 K, respectively, and the maximum temperature attained by the synthesis reaction (MTSR) was also increased from 86.1 å± 0.2 to 101.5 å± 0.2 å¡C. In addition, the molecular weight distribution of polystyrene was around 1.9, and the distribution was broad. The risk of a potential runaway reaction was evaluated using the Stoessel assessment criteria and Zurich Hazard Analysis. The c!
riticality of runaway polymerization remained constant with increasing concentration, and class 1 risk was observed. However, the severity of a potential runaway reaction was increased from negligible to medium class. It was found that the solvent had an important effect on the risk of thermal runaway during polymerization. The criticality of the high-boiling solvents toluene and cyclohexanone used in this work was class 1, while that of the low-boiling solvent ethyl acetate was class 3. This work provides valuable insight that can help to control thermal risk in the chemical industry.
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COLORADO SPRINGS COSTCO EVACUATED DUE TO A POSSIBLE GAS LEAK
https://www.kktv.com/2021/05/19/colorado-springs-costco-evacuated-due-to-a-gas-leak/
Tags: us_CO, public, release, response, other_chemical
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A popular store was evacuated in Colorado Springs on Wednesday due to a gas leak.
The store is expected to remain closed until Thursday.
Just after 5 p.m. the Colorado Springs Fire Department tweeted the following in reference to the Costco off N. Nevada Avenue:
#ColoradoSpringsFire is on scene at the Costco on North Nevada for a reported gas odor in the building. Costco is evacuated at this time and hazmat 14 is inside the building with meters investigating. No injuries reported at this time #CSFDHazmat14 pic.twitter.com/YHvyzMLc3R
‰?? CSFD PIO (**At_Symbol_Here**CSFDPIO) May 19, 2021
Crews believe they were able to isolate the gas leak to a valve at the water heater.
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CHEMICAL RELEASE PROMPTS EVACUATION AT CANON-MCMILLAN SENIOR HS ‰?? CBS PITTSBURGH
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/05/19/chemical-leak-prompts-evacuation-at-canon-mcmillan-senior-hs/
Tags: us_PA, education, release, response, chlorine
CANONSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) ‰?? A chemical leak prompted the evacuation of Canon-McMillan Senior High School on Wednesday morning.
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According to a letter to families from district officials, the chemical gas release was confined to the school‰??s swimming pool area. It involved liquid chlorine.
About 400 students and staff members were in the building at the time.
The school was evacuated while North Strabane firefighters and Washington County Hazmat checked out the situation.
---------------------------------------------
PARAMEDICS TREAT THREE PEOPLE FOR EXPOSURE TO 'PEPPER SPRAY TYPE PRODUCT'
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/paramedics-treat-three-people-for-exposure-to-pepper-spray-type-product-1.5434869
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, pepper_spray
OTTAWA -- Ottawa paramedics say three people have been treated at the scene after being exposed to a chemical irritant.
The hazardous materials team was called to a stretch of Catherine Street between Percy Street and Bronson Avenue at around 1:30 p.m. on reports from residents of a strange odour and irritation.
Paramedics said the three patient were in their late 20s or early 30s and did not go to the hospital. Ottawa Fire Public Information Officer Carson Tharris told CTVNewsOttawa.ca that the residents were all able to walk on their own.
In a tweet, Ottawa Fire Services they rinsed and decontaminated the residents with fresh water. The chemical irritant was described as a "pepper spray type product."
---------------------------------------------
PFAS CLEANUP SYSTEM APPROVED AT TYCO FIRE PRODUCTS FACILITY
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2021/05/19/pfas-cleanup-system-approved-tyco-fire-products-facility-marinette/5162774001/
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
A company known for mixing firefighting foam containing "forever chemicals" in northeastern Wisconsin is aiming to reduce the amount of contamination in the soil beneath its facility, but it won't be able to eliminate the hazardous compounds completely.
Tyco Fire Products, a subsidiary of Johnson Controls, will begin work on a groundwater extraction treatment system this year, according to conditional approval it received from the state Department of Natural Resources. The system is expected to be built and start cleaning water by the end of the year.
The system will remove water from the ground underneath the company's property via extraction wells, according to a DNR release, and will be fed into a treatment system building on the property. The treated water will then be released into what is known on the site as Ditch B, near Pierce Avenue in Marinette.
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FIRE BREAKS OUT AT TAINAN PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY; NO INJURIES REPORTED
https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202105200003
Tags: Taiwan, industrial, fire, response, pharmaceutical
Taipei, May 20 (CNA) A fire broke out Thursday at a factory affiliated with Standard Chem & Pharm Co. in Tainan but no injuries were reported, according to the city's fire department.
More than 100 firefighters and 51 fire engines were dispatched to battle the blaze, which covered about 100 square meters, the fire department said.
The fire started around 6:16 a.m. at a factory belonging to Syn-Tech Chem & Pharm Co., a subsidiary of Standard Chem & Pharm Co., where 50 types of chemical substances were kept on the site, according to firefighters.
As of 8:35 a.m., the fire had been brought under control and all the employees of the pharmaceutical group were reported safe, the business conglomerate said, adding that the two companies will suspend operations Thursday to tackle the aftermath of the blaze.
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THERE‰??S NO NEED TO CONTROL PFAS AS A CLASS, INDUSTRY SCIENTISTS SAY
https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/no-need-control-PFAS-as-class-industry-scientists-say/99/i19
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
The number of commercial per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that need screening for possible regulation number in the hundreds, not thousands, industrial chemists say (Integr. Environ. Assess. Manage. 2021, DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4450).
Their analysis counters a policy proposal in the European Union that would restrict production and use of most PFAS‰??persistent synthetic chemicals designed to resist degradation‰??as a single class. Exposure to PFAS that are metabolically active is linked to cancer, immune system problems, developmental problems, and other health effects.
‰??It‰??s not scientifically accurate or appropriate to base regulation on a false premise, which is what some authorities are proposing to do by saying that the number of PFAS is so high that it‰??s impossible to distinguish among them,‰?? says lead author Robert Buck, a technical fellow at Chemours.
....
Linda Birnbaum, a former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and now an emeritus scientist there, takes issue with the study‰??s numerical conclusions. IThe US Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are some 600 PFAS in commerce and more than 9,000, including breakdown products and by-products, of interest to regulators and found in the environment, says Birnbaum, who was not involved with the industry analysis.
Buck‰??s team suggests that for regulatory risk assessment, commercially relevant PFAS can be divided into five categories: nonpolymer perfluoroalkyls; nonpolymer polyfluoroalkyls; fluoropolymers; perfluoropolyether polymers; and side-chain fluorinated polymers. Each of these groups, Buck says, ‰??possess very different physical-chemical properties and toxicological profiles.‰??
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