From: Secretary ACS DCHAS <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] CHAS Tweets and Chemical Safety headlines (15 articles)
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2013 07:37:57 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: 8EF12526-7EA1-4A72-9180-1D458AB4B9C9**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


**At_Symbol_Here**ACSDCHAS and **At_Symbol_Here**LabSustain tweets and Chemical Safety Headlines
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
Tweets available on our ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety (DCHAS) Facebook Page
Tagged Article summaries are available at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

labsustain C&EN: Carbon Dioxide-To-Chemical Processes Poised For Commercialization: European firms seek to open market http://t.co/CpigvwgS0P

labsustain Perusing Alternatives: Substitutes for Uranyl Acetate in TEM Thin Section Post-Staining http://t.co/wE9mCy76Zs

acsdchas Nanosafety Job at Maastricht University - PhD Student NUTRIM / Bioinformatics http://t.co/Qy25gP2WQH

acsdchas RT **At_Symbol_Here**NSF: "Carbon-based Computer" -- The Discovery Files: Engineers at Stanford have built and succe... http://t.co/d1lhP0DKok 18 hours ago

acsdchas NIOSH Current Intelligence Bulletin 66: Derivation of Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) Values http://t.co/1JcY299cEz

acsdchas Nanosafety Job at Maastricht University - Postdoc NUTRIM / Bioinformatics http://t.co/8l7E3bnchH

acsdchas C&EN: Making Hydrogen: Core-shell nanowires aid quest to produce renewable fuel http://t.co/9oqi3rYTQk

labsustain ES&T: Activated Carbon Mitigates Mercury and Methylmercury Bioavailability in Contaminated Sediments http://t.co/r2qix77K7m

acsdchas C&EN: New NIST Standard For Handheld Chemical Detectors http://t.co/TrKzAEkVPI http://t.co/tRKIiQdoq2

labsustain C&EN: Switching To Biodiesel May Have Little Health Benefit http://t.co/Bc2o4IGS85 http://t.co/KGFQwezQGf

labsustain C&EN: Microbial Changes in Fracturing Fluids and Produced Water from Shale Gas Extraction http://t.co/HoJNgvichD http://t.co/c46UPo0iz0

chemsafetyboard CSB Commends **At_Symbol_Here**NFPA for Expedited Development of a Comprehensive Standard for Fuel Gas Safety http://t.co/8SJ2ctoAsv 22 hours ago retweeted by acsdchas

acsdchas "One injured in Woburn lab explosion, officials say" http://t.co/zOECjnd3iY

labsustain Environmental oncology & pollution: What in the Air Causes Lung Cancer? **At_Symbol_Here**PacificStand - http://t.co/J2AwglpiVr 10 hours ago

Table of Contents (15 articles)

BURN VICTIMS RUSHED TO TRAUMA CENTER AFTER CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, injury, nitric_acid

MAN ALLEGEDLY EXTRACTING HASH OIL FROM MARIJUANA CAUSES EXPLOSION, BURNING HIMSELF, ROOMMATE
Tags: us_IL, public, explosion, injury, drugs, solvent

STUDENT INJURED IN CHEMISTRY LAB EXPLOSION AT MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY
Tags: Australia, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

DEFUNCT FACTORY UNIT IN PAWANE CATCHES FIRE
Tags: India, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

3 SUSTAIN CHEMICAL BURNS IN SUSPECTED MOBILE METH LAB
Tags: us_PA, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab

CHEMICAL EXPLOSION KILLS ONE, INJURES OTHERS
Tags: us_FL, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

THE BAY'S NEWS FIRST
Tags: New_Zealand, public, release, response, acids

TRUCK SPILLS CHEMICAL ON WEST VALLEY CITY ON-RAMP
Tags: us_UT, transportation, release, response, corrosives

MODELING NANOSILVER TRANSFORMATIONS IN FRESHWATER SEDIMENTS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, nanotech

OIA WORKERS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER FORMALDEHYDE EXPOSURE
Tags: us_FL, public, release, injury, formaldehyde

SPILLED MERCURY DROPS COST HOMEOWNER $850
Tags: Canada, public, follow-up, response, mercury, waste

PORTLAND POSTAL WORKERS DOSED BY CARRIER'S SPRAY
Tags: us_WI, public, release, injury, pepper_spray

TEXAS FIRE MARSHAL DEBUTS AMMONIUM NITRATE SEARCH
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate

2 WORKERS INJURED IN EXPLOSION AT WOBURN, MASS. INDUSTRIAL PARK
Tags: us_MA, industrial, explosion, injury, flammables, metals

CHEMICAL RELEASE EXPOSES WORKERS AT PLANT IN ELWOOD
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, injury, other_chemical


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BURN VICTIMS RUSHED TO TRAUMA CENTER AFTER CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/bucksinq/Burn-victims-rushed-to-trauma-center-after-chemical-explosion.html
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, injury, nitric_acid

Two people suffered burns from an industrial accident involving nitric acid this morning in Falls Township, Bucks County, at a company that makes dental implants.

Their injuries do not appear to be life threatening, according to Mike McClellan, chief of Falls Township and U.S. Steel fire companies, which responded.

The burn victims, who work for Hiossen Inc. on Ben Fairless Drive, were taken to Helene Fuld Medical Center in Trenton.

The accident remains under investigation. The workers were mixing chemicals into a five gallon pale when it exploded, McClellan said.

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MAN ALLEGEDLY EXTRACTING HASH OIL FROM MARIJUANA CAUSES EXPLOSION, BURNING HIMSELF, ROOMMATE
http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/23602447-418/man-allegedly-extracting-hash-oil-from-marijuana-causes-explosion-burning-himself-roommate.html
Tags: us_IL, public, explosion, injury, drugs, solvent

A South Loop man trying to extract hash oil from his marijuana stash caused an explosion in his apartment this week, causing minor burns to himself and second-degree burns to his roommate, authorities said.

Daniel Tatman‰??s experiment in his bathroom late Tuesday night also caused roughly $20,000 in damages to his seventh floor unit, according to Assistant Cook County State‰??s Attorney Lorraine Scaduto.

Police said Tatman, 21, was using an ‰??incendiary device‰?? on the marijuana when the explosion occurred.

Hash oil is created by ‰??blasting‰?? the cannabis with butane or another chemical solvent, according to High Times, a publication for advocates for the legalization of marijuana. Tatman and his roommate were both treated at Stroger Hospital for the burns, authorities said.

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STUDENT INJURED IN CHEMISTRY LAB EXPLOSION AT MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/student-injured-in-chemistry-lab-explosion-at-melbourne-university/story-fni0fit3-1226756073022
Tags: Australia, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

A CHEMISTRY experiment gone wrong has left a university student with cuts to his face and arms.

The man, aged in his 20s, was mixing chemicals when a glass container exploded in front of him at Melbourne University.

MFB spokesman Ian Morris said the man was believed to have been working in a chemistry lab at the university's Parkville campus.

Students and staff were evacuated from the area as fire crews assessed the scene to figure out what went wrong.

Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman Susannah Hicks said the man was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.

Melbourne University spokesman David Scott confirmed the man was a university student who was working in a chemical engineering research lab.

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DEFUNCT FACTORY UNIT IN PAWANE CATCHES FIRE
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/navi-mumbai/Defunct-factory-unit-in-Pawane-catches-fire/articleshow/25397457.cms
Tags: India, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

NAVI MUMBAI: A fire broke out in Reliance Silicone company in Pawane MIDC on Thursday around 6 pm, despite the company been shut down some 10 years ago. As the Emergency Response Station of Pawane MIDC fire brigade was situated adjacent to the company located along the Thane-Belapur road, the fire fighters immediately rushed to the spot and got engaged in the fire fighting operation.

The fire broke out on the company's first floor where there existed a chemical laboratory. The Fire officials claimed that due the October heat, the discarded chemicals bottles may have heated up and the chemicals may have caught fire. The other version of the fire officials been that the vacant building is been intruded by unknown people and the possibility cannot be denied that somebody may have thrown a lighted cigarette which could have been the cause of fire.

As the fire gradually spread on the entire first floor, engulfing the walls, two fire tenders and around 5-6 fire fighters swung into action, which took them around one hour to extinguish the fire and bring the situation under control.

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3 SUSTAIN CHEMICAL BURNS IN SUSPECTED MOBILE METH LAB
http://citizensvoice.com/news/3-sustain-chemical-burns-in-suspected-mobile-meth-lab-1.1581903
Tags: us_PA, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab

KINGSTON TWP. ‰?? Three people were injured Thursday after a mobile methamphetamine lab ‰??blew up‰?? and sprayed lighter fluid and Draino on the occupants of a moving vehicle, according to police.

Two occupants of the vehicle and a good Samaritan who tried to help them were injured after the apparent meth lab exploded in the 700 block of Carverton Road about 10:20 a.m., police said.

Police were called to the area for a report of a vehicle fire and arrived to find a black Chevrolet Equinox in the road with smoke billowing from the passenger‰??s side front window, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in court.

A good Samaritan had arrived just before the first officer got on the scene, police said.

‰??As a result of what happened, either inside or right outside the car, he was injured,‰?? Kingston Township Police Chief James Balavage said, adding he didn‰??t know the extent of his injuries.

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CHEMICAL EXPLOSION KILLS ONE, INJURES OTHERS
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21012155742595/chemical-explosion-kills-one-injures-others/
Tags: us_FL, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

OPA-LOCKA. Fla. (WSVN) -- Police say one person has died after an explosion at a local warehouse.

The explosion occurred at American Vinyl Company at 2410 N.W. 147 St., Thursday afternoon.

According to hazmat crews, a storage container in the building that holds 20,000 gallons of liquid unexplainably exploded. The storage container went airborne creating a hole in the roof of the company.

"If it over-pressurizes and some sort of reaction occurs, a chemical reaction, within the tank, and there's no outlet for that pressure to be released, it can very easily cause an explosion," Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesperson Arnold Piedrahita said. "As you can see, it blew through the roof."

One person passed away and five employees were injured. Two of them had trouble breathing and were transported to the hospital.

Crews are not sure whether the man died because of the initial impact of the explosion or if the storage container landed on top of him.

The hazmat team found the employees covered in a yellow liquid. Investigators are unsure what the liquid is exactly.

"We see chemical spills, that's a common occurrence, but something of this nature where a large chemical tank explodes through the roof of a warehouse, that's not something that we get everyday," Piedrahita said.

---------------------------------------------

THE BAY'S NEWS FIRST
http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/57314-acid-spill-judea.html
Tags: New_Zealand, public, release, response, acids

The cause of a commercial-based acid spill in Judea which kept firefighters and the Hazmat unit busy last night is yet to be determined.
Tauranga Fire Brigade was called to the commercial site on Cypress Street, Judea about 8pm after receiving calls from concerned owners of the acid spill within the building.
‰??It was less than five litres I would think.‰??
The building was already evacuated when fire crews arrived, but the cause of the spill is yet to be determined, says Mark.
‰??We are a little unclear at this stage as to how the spill came about but we will be speaking with the owner on this matter.‰??

---------------------------------------------

TRUCK SPILLS CHEMICAL ON WEST VALLEY CITY ON-RAMP
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57098573-78/spill-ramp-chemical-clean.html.csp
Tags: us_UT, transportation, release, response, corrosives

A chemical spill in West Valley City on Thursday snarled traffic trying to get on Interstate 215.

The spill sent between 50 and 100 gallons of aluminum sulfate onto the on-ramp at 3500 South, according West Valley City Fire Marshal Bob Fitzgerald. The accident happened when a truck went around a corner about 3:48 p.m. and a 300-gallon barrel fell off the back. It did not damage the road and there were no injuries.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce said the chemical is "necessary a hazardous material" but it could be corrosive.

---------------------------------------------

MODELING NANOSILVER TRANSFORMATIONS IN FRESHWATER SEDIMENTS
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es402341t
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, nanotech

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), an effective antibacterial agent, are a significant and fast-growing application of nanotechnology in consumer goods. The toxicity of AgNPs released to surface waters during the use or disposal of AgNP-containing products will depend on the chemical transformations the nanoparticles undergo in the environment. We present a simple one-dimensional diagenetic model for predicting AgNP distribution and silver speciation in freshwater sediments. The model is calibrated to data collected from AgNP-dosed large-scale freshwater wetland mesocosms. The model predicts that AgNP sulfidation will retard nanoparticle oxidation and ion release. The resultant Ag2S-coated AgNPs are expected to persist and accumulate in sediment downstream from sources of AgNPs. Silver speciation and persistence in the sediment depend on the seasonally variable availability of organic carbon and dissolved oxygen. The half-life of typical sulfidized (85% Ag2S) AgNPs may vary from !
less than 10 years to over a century depending on redox conditions. No significant difference in silver speciation and distribution is observed between ‰?´50% Ag2S and 100% Ag2S AgNPs. Formation and efflux of toxic silver ion is reduced in eutrophic systems and maximized in oligotrophic systems.

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OIA WORKERS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER FORMALDEHYDE EXPOSURE
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-oia-vapors-hazmat-20131106,0,1596009.story
Tags: us_FL, public, release, injury, formaldehyde

Three Orlando International Airport workers were taken to the hospital after being exposed to formaldehyde this morning.

Around 4:25 a.m. four workers noticed vapors coming from a bag in the security screening area of the checked baggage claim at OIA, spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said.

Inside the bag was a cracked bottle labeled formaldehyde, Fennell said.

Orlando hazmat was called in to inspect the bag and the bottle while three of the four exposed workers were taken to a local hospital.

While the hazmat team investigated the incident OIA officials moved the more than six miles of baggage claim to a different part of the airport, but have since reopened the area to travelers.

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SPILLED MERCURY DROPS COST HOMEOWNER $850
http://www.aldergrovestar.com/news/230890201.html
Tags: Canada, public, follow-up, response, mercury, waste

Langley Township fire chief Stephen Gamble is defending his department‰??s decision to send an $850 clean-up bill to a home owner whose thermometer broke, causing a tiny amount of mercury to leak.

On April 4, 2012, a mother of two, who is fairly new to the country, called 911 after a she accidentally broke a thermometer. A few drops of mercury spilled out onto her kitchen floor.

Gamble said the fire department was dispatched to a ‰??hazmat‰?? call at a residential home in Willoughby.

‰??Our crew met the resident and her children outside after the 911 operator had told them to evacuate the home,‰?? said Gamble.

He claims his firefighters went into the home and saw that she had attempted to clean up the mercury, further spreading it. Gamble said his firefighters followed protocol and did the right thing by calling in a private company they use to do hazmat clean ups.

The private company is based in Richmond. It billed for six hours of travel time. Gamble said this is because of the time it takes to go get their equipment, drive out on ‰??off duty‰?? time and put on hazmat suits. They also had to put in a costly disposal bill for the mercury. Normally, hazmat clean-up bills go right to a company but because this was a homeowner situation, the fire department took on the bill, with an agreement that the homeowner would pay it, he said.

Gamble said the fire department doesn‰??t have the equipment or the training to handle hazardous material situations, even something as simple as a drop of mercury.

---------------------------------------------

PORTLAND POSTAL WORKERS DOSED BY CARRIER'S SPRAY
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/weird-news/portland-postal-workers-dosed-by-carrier-s-spray/article_3d02ca84-43d8-545f-a15a-4c6e2362cb9c.html
Tags: us_WI, public, release, injury, pepper_spray

A letter carrier's spray intended to fend off aggressive dogs accidentally went off inside a Portland, Ore., post office Wednesday, sending three employees to the hospital to have their eyes flushed.

Workers fled the facility and someone called 911 to report chemical contamination.

Firefighters swarmed in, wearing masks with oxygen supplies and deploying sensors for biological, radiological and chemical hazards.

A Portland Fire Bureau spokesman, Lt. Rich Chatman, says he doesn't know how the spray was discharged, although he said it's easy to "hit the button accidentally."

He says the spray was a heavy-duty version of pepper spray known as bear spray.

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TEXAS FIRE MARSHAL DEBUTS AMMONIUM NITRATE SEARCH
http://www.theeagle.com/news/texas/article_4d82cb3a-a8ee-50ef-b27a-375ff2c10644.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate

The Texas Fire Marshal's Office has launched a website to let Texans search for facilities near them that store large amounts of ammonium nitrate, the chemical that ignited in an April fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 people.
The search tool posted this week lets users search by ZIP code to find storage facilities with more than 10,000 pounds, or 5 tons, of ammonium nitrate, a chemical commonly used as a fertilizer and industrial explosive. Investigators believe between 28 and 34 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded inside West Fertilizer Co., causing a blast that registered as a small earthquake and destroyed a nearby apartment building, schools and homes.
The tool doesn't offer details on each facility, which officials said was necessary for security. Nor does it let users see all of the facilities in a list or on a map.
Ammonium nitrate was the explosive used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
The tool is part of a larger effort made by Fire Marshal Chris Connealy and his staff to understand the potential dangers in Texas of stored ammonium nitrate. Connealy said his staff combed through four federal and state databases for possible storage sites, eliminating redundancies and incorrect entries. Inspectors then visited sites to confirm they were storing ammonium nitrate and collect details, he said.

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2 WORKERS INJURED IN EXPLOSION AT WOBURN, MASS. INDUSTRIAL PARK
http://www.necn.com/11/05/13/2-workers-injured-in-explosion-at-Woburn/landing.html?blockID…6905
Tags: us_MA, industrial, explosion, injury, flammables, metals

(NECN: Kathryn Sotnik, Woburn, Mass.) ‰?? Two people were rushed to the hospital following an explosion at an industrial park in Woburn, Mass. It happened inside a building on Wildwood Avenue, which is just south of Interstate 95.

The explosion happened shortly after 12:30 p.m. at a business called "Powderpart," according to Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo, Jr.

The industrial park is located off of Wildwood Ave.

Captain Tim Ring of the Woburn Fire Dept. said, "He was conscious the entire time, the EMTS that were working on him and the paramedics, he was conscious the whole time and able to converse with them."

Barry Ryan lives nearby and was at the scene.

"Something went bad, something blew up and he was burned; they said he was awake, alive but pretty badly burned," said Ryan.

A second victim, a man, who police say tried to help the first victim, was taken to Leahy hospital for precautionary reasons, according to police.

Shortly after the explosion, investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, were at the scene.

From the air, smoke could also be seen emanating from the small fire following the explosion.
An online profile describing Powderpart is not complete, but it describes the company as manufacturing lasers and also doing work for aerospace.

Chief Ferrullo says the worker was in a garage at the time and may have sucked a chemical into a vacuum when it blew up.

"They have some industrial flammable metals inside. We're not 100-percent sure; it's under investigation right now," said Captain Ring.

He also said it's "too early" to tell if the burns to the first worker are life-threatening, but he did say the victim had burns to about 90-percent of his body.

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CHEMICAL RELEASE EXPOSES WORKERS AT PLANT IN ELWOOD
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/11/05/chemical-release-sickens-people-at-plant-in-elwood/
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, injury, other_chemical

CHICAGO (CBS) ‰?? Rescue crews are on the scene of a possible chemical leak at a plant in far southwest suburban Elwood.

The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday at Stepan Chemical Co., 22500 W Millsdale Road.

According to the Will County Emergency Management Agency, a relief valve opened up and a chemical called therminol was released in vapor form.

A total of 18 workers in the area were exposed and most used a decontamination shower to treat themselves. One person was taken to a hospital in Joliet.

Several ambulances and hazardous materials personnel were sent to the scene.

According to the company website, Stepan Company was founded in 1932 by Alfred C. Stepan Jr.

Headquartered in Northfield, Stepan manufactures basic and intermediate chemicals for a variety of food and pharmaceutical products.

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