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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, April 27, 2015 at 7:16:50 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (11 articles)
SOLVENT POSES RISKS TO WORKERS, CONSUMERS
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, solvent
780,000 CHEMICAL WEAPONS BEING DESTROYED IN COLO.
Tags: us_CO, industrial, discovery, environmental, explosives, mustard_gas, waste
DOLLAR TREE MUST PAY $3 MILLION FOR IMPROPER HAZMAT DISPOSAL
Tags: us_CA, public, release, environmental, batteries, corrosives, flammables, illegal, wastes
CHEMICAL SPILL VICTIM TALKS ABOUT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_FL, public, follow-up, injury, chlorine, cleaners
BEAR REPELLENT CAUSES HAZMAT, EVACUATION IN PIONEER SQUARE
Tags: us_WA, public, release, response, repellent
UNCOVERED BEAKER OF MERCURY DISCOVERED IN HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE LAB
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, discovery, response, mercury
THE SCIENTIST MAGAZINEå¨
Tags: laboratory, follow-up, response, acids, corrosives, ethanol, HCl, hydrochloric_acid, radiation, waste
CHEMICAL SPILL FORCES EVACUATION OF BANGOR FEDEX FACILITY ‰?? BANGOR ‰?? BANGOR DAILY NEWS ‰?? BDN MAINE
Tags: us_ME, transportation, fire, injury, oxidizer
POLICE RULE OUT DRUG MAKING IN APPLETON CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, response, drugs
LOWE‰??S SCRUTINIZED FOR SELLING POTENTIALLY HARMFUL FLOORING CHEMICAL
Tags: us_NC, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
HOTEL EMPLOYEE INJURED FROM CHEMICAL SPILL ON CITY'S NORTHWEST S
Tags: us_IN, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
---------------------------------------------
SOLVENT POSES RISKS TO WORKERS, CONSUMERS
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, solvent
Workers and consumers exposed to 1,4-dioxane, a widely used industrial solvent and contaminant found in many consumer products, face increased risks of cancer as well as skin, liver, and kidney damage, EPA concludes in an initial assessment. EPA currently classifies 1,4-dioxane as ‰??likely to be carcinogenic to humans‰?? by all routes of exposure. The agency plans to further evaluate the risks of exposure to 1,4-dioxane in products that are regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act. In particular, EPA will assess the risks to workers exposed to the chemical during the production and use of cleaning agents, as well as the risks to workers and consumers exposed to 1,4-dioxane as a contaminant in paints, adhesives, cleaners, and detergents. Although 1,4-dioxane is also found as a by-product in many cosmetics and shampoos, such products fall under the Food & Drug Administration‰??s jurisdiction. Risk assessments in Canada and Europe have concluded that current levels!
of 1,4-dioxane contamination do not raise concerns for human health, but EPA still plans to update its risk assessment.
---------------------------------------------
780,000 CHEMICAL WEAPONS BEING DESTROYED IN COLO.
Tags: us_CO, industrial, discovery, environmental, explosives, mustard_gas, waste
PUEBLO, Colo. ‰?? Workers have begun destroying a massive stockpile of American chemical weapons stored at a former Army munitions depot near Colorado's ninth-largest city, blasting the artillery rounds open with explosives and neutralizing them with solvents.
Workers perform their slow, painstaking task under heavy security and strict safety precautions, which include constant monitoring for leaks, armed guards on random patrols and video monitoring by independent observers. About 780,000 shells and mortar rounds filled with mustard agent are stored at the military-run Pueblo Chemical Depot, and all of them must be destroyed under a 1997 international law.
"You can't be too safe about what we're doing here," said Thomas Schultz, a spokesman for the Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant. "As long as things are dull, we're all happy."
Chemical weapons were once stored across the USA, including in Oregon and Utah, but the United States has been destroying the stockpile for years. Most were incinerated, but community concerns in Pueblo, about 115 miles south of Denver, and at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Ky., delayed destruction until the military could develop new techniques to reduce the risk of mercury contamination from the smoke.
USA TODAY
U.S. to destroy largest remaining chemical weapons cache
The meticulous disposal process is a stark departure from how the military used to get rid of chemical weapons: either by burying them or dumping them into the ocean.
In 2004 and 2005, some chemical munitions were accidentally dredged up off the New Jersey coast and ended up buried in residential driveways. The Army apparently dumped the munitions in relatively shallow water, said Lenny Siegel, the executive director of the California-based nonprofit Center for Public Environmental Oversight.
---------------------------------------------
DOLLAR TREE MUST PAY $3 MILLION FOR IMPROPER HAZMAT DISPOSAL
Tags: us_CA, public, release, environmental, batteries, corrosives, flammables, illegal, wastes
The Dollar Tree discount chain, which operates more than 30 stores in San Diego County, will pay nearly $3 million to settle an environmental protection lawsuit filed by 45 California district attorneys and two city attorneys, including San Diego‰??s, it was announced today.
The settlement was the result of an investigation into Dollar Tree Stores‰?? unlawful disposal of hazardous waste products into trash bins at each of its stores and distribution centers, more than 480 facilities in California.
The waste included ignitable and corrosive liquids, toxic materials, batteries, electronic devices and other e-waste, as well as other hazardous waste generated by circumstances including spills and damage.
Hazardous materials were being illegally handled and, rather than being transported to authorized hazardous waste facilities, hazardous wastes were illegally transported to local landfills that are not permitted to accept such waste.
Dollar Tree Stores, which cooperated throughout the investigation, admitted no guilt in settling the complaint and agreeing to pay $2.72 million in civil penalties and costs. As part of the settlement, Virginia-based Dollar Tree was ordered to continue implementing a company-wide hazardous waste compliance program.
‰??This is yet another victory for San Diego‰??s landfills, which were never meant to handle toxic and hazardous wastes,‰?? said San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith. ‰??The systematic illegal disposal of hazardous waste is a real threat to our water supply, our health, and the health of future generations.‰??
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL VICTIM TALKS ABOUT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_FL, public, follow-up, injury, chlorine, cleaners
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We‰??re learning more about a chemical explosion last week that sent four people to the hospital, including three firefighters.
The man who accidentally caused the explosion was 85-year-old Baldassaro Amico. He was mixing cleaning chemicals in his West Palm Beach condo, when they suddenly exploded.
"I'm a lucky guy because [I] could have died," said Amico.
He was released from West Palm hospital on Monday.
"I'm a survivor," he added.
The explosion happened in the kitchen. Firefighters rushed to the scene but three of them were overcome by fumes and were taken to Good Samaritan hospital. That's when the bomb squad showed up to investigate.
"I did something stupid," said Amico.
And that he regrets. He mixed household cleaners to kill weeds that he says were taking over his lawn.
"I had chlorine and wanted to put it in a container with Fantastic, as soon as I put it in there it exploded," he said. "Holy shepherds I didn't know what happened!"
Looking back now he understands what went wrong and says when it comes to sprucing his lawn, he learned a hard lesson.
"Have someone else do it, ask my landscaper to do it," he said
---------------------------------------------
BEAR REPELLENT CAUSES HAZMAT, EVACUATION IN PIONEER SQUARE
Tags: us_WA, public, release, response, repellent
SEATTLE ‰?? Bear repellent caused a hazmat response and the evacuation of a building in Pioneer Square Friday morning.
The incident occurred at a building at 77 Washington Square.
The building was evacuated after the spray was released in a bag in the basement of the building.
The building contains 102 units of transitional and permanent housing.
Three people were evaluated evaluated for mild irritation of their eyes and lungs, but no one needed treatment.
Alaskan Way South is closed from Yesler Way to South Main Street. Drivers should use alternate routes and expect long delays.
---------------------------------------------
UNCOVERED BEAKER OF MERCURY DISCOVERED IN HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE LAB
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, discovery, response, mercury
GOSHEN ‰?? No one was in any danger when an uncovered beaker of elementary mercury was discovered in a Goshen High School chemistry lab prep area on Friday, school officials said.
The dangerous material was found underneath a prep sink and measured less than five milliliters in volume.
District officials immediately contacted the Orange County Health Department and BOCES Risk Management, which then contacted hazmat and the Goshen Fire Department.
High School Principal Kurtis Kotes said hazmat and BOCES Risk Management advised that a building evacuation was unnecessary.
Air quality tests were conducted and Kotes said at no time were students or staff unsafe.
---------------------------------------------
THE SCIENTIST MAGAZINEå¨
Tags: laboratory, follow-up, response, acids, corrosives, ethanol, HCl, hydrochloric_acid, radiation, waste
After scientists shared memorable accidents, mistakes, and errors from their laboratory experiences on Reddit last week, The Scientist asked readers to share a #labblooper or two. Here are some reader responses from Twitter and Facebook:
Agar disasters
Tina Loane Peterson: ‰??Automated agar plate dispenser mishap. The gasket was not correctly aligned in the reassembled machine. I set up to make a batch of plates and went to lunch. Returned to a room looking like Slimer attacked it. I had to clean agar off of the ceiling!‰??
Charli Evans: ‰??As an undergrad I once lifted a Petri dish in excitement, the lid fell off, and the agar fell onto my face . . . complete with unidentified bacterial snot.‰??
Flames and fumes
William Chan: ‰??Nothing worse than setting your bench on fire when ensuring the ethanol is sterile during RNA extraction.‰??
Shyanne Page: ‰??Lit an ETOH covered bead on fire to sterilize it and accidentally dropped it on a Kim wipe. Instant fire!‰??
Alexander Weixelbaumer: ‰??An ex-colleague didn't secure the valve on his HCl gas bottle correctly. Over night the whole lab was gently flooded with the extremely corrosive gas. The ventilation wasn't strong enough and all electronic equipment was damaged beyond repair.‰??
Simon Wheeler: ‰??Once inhaled way too much acetyl nitrate while analysing fatty acids. Like inhaling all the malt vinegar in the world in one go!‰??
Radioactive gaffe
Jacqui Lee Mendez-Johnson: ‰??Spilled radioactive buffer while in the cold room spilling all over myself and shoes; panicked and ran down the hallway requiring the entire wing of the building being blocked off for days for decontamination.‰??
Lasting reminder
Marcel Kap: ‰??Tried to dispose of H&E staining solutions. Dropped the 10L waste jerry can on the floor. Floor still purple.‰??
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL FORCES EVACUATION OF BANGOR FEDEX FACILITY ‰?? BANGOR ‰?? BANGOR DAILY NEWS ‰?? BDN MAINE
Tags: us_ME, transportation, fire, injury, oxidizer
BANGOR, Maine ‰?? A chemical spill at the FedEx facility on Godsoe Road caused a small fire and forced the building to be evacuated on Friday morning, according to officials.
Bangor Assistant Fire Chief Darrell Cyr said the fire was contained to a trailer. Firefighters moved the trailer away from the building and put out the fire after learning what chemical was burning. Cyr described it as an oxidizer. An oxidizer can be a solid, liquid, or gaseous chemical often used to facilitate the combustion of other materials, such as fuel.
Firefighters were called to the scene around 5 a.m., Bangor Assistant Chief Dennis Nadeau said later Friday, along with a hazardous materials team from the Orono Fire Department.
Nadeau said one employee who was using a forklift was exposed to some of the smoke and hazardous chemical, but was decontaminated at the scene. He was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center for precautionary measures.
According to Nadeau, the drums in which the chemicals were being transported broke open, causing the fire.
‰??It‰??s unknown how they got broken open,‰?? he said. ‰??While removing [the chemical] there was some friction that caused something to catch on fire.‰??
---------------------------------------------
POLICE RULE OUT DRUG MAKING IN APPLETON CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, response, drugs
Police and state officials continue to investigate toxic and potentially explosive chemicals found in an Appleton apartment complex after what initially was a report of a break-in.
Officers are not giving away the names of the chemicals while the investigation is ongoing. However, they say the substances are not readily available in the area. Investigators believe they were purchased online.
The chemicals are legal for purchase, but explosive if mixed.
Investigators have a search warrant to go through the suspect‰??s computers and devices.
At about midnight Thursday, Appleton officers were called to the 2600-block of S. Kerry Lane for a report of a man trying to break into a neighbor‰??s apartment.
According to police, the 32-year-old man under the influence of Oxycodone forced his way into an apartment where a woman and a child were sleeping, then tried to pull the woman out of her apartment. The woman and child escaped and ran out of the building. The commotion caused another neighbor to call 911.
---------------------------------------------
LOWE‰??S SCRUTINIZED FOR SELLING POTENTIALLY HARMFUL FLOORING CHEMICAL
Tags: us_NC, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
Mooresville-based Lowe‰??s Home Improvement is facing scrutiny about selling flooring containing potentially dangerous chemicals after rival Home Depot pledged to phase out the products by the end of the year.
The decision from Home Depot, the world‰??s largest home-improvement chain, came Wednesday after the company said it worked with consumer groups who warned about vinyl flooring that contains chemicals called phthalates.
The retailer is urging other suppliers to phase out their use of the chemicals, too, the New York Times reported.
A recent study from HealthyStuff.org, a research group affiliated with the Ecology Center, found that the majority of vinyl flooring tiles sold at major retailers, including Lowe‰??s, contain toxic phthalates, which are commonly found in flooring at levels exceeding U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission children‰??s product standards.
Researchers said the chemicals have been linked to asthma, birth defects, learning disabilities, reproductive problems, liver toxicity and cancer.
---------------------------------------------
HOTEL EMPLOYEE INJURED FROM CHEMICAL SPILL ON CITY'S NORTHWEST S
Tags: us_IN, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
INDIANAPOLIS -
Hazmat was called to the report of a chemical spill Thursday morning on Indianapolis' northwest side.
A worker at the Wingate by Wyndham at 6240 Intech Commons Dr was mixing pool chemicals and received some chemical burns to face, according to the Pike Township Fire Department.
The worker was transported to St. Vincent Hospital in stable condition.
Pike Township Fire called Wayne Township Hazmat to assist and make sure the chemical fumes had dissipated.
---------------------------------------------
Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
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