Chemical Safety Headlines =46rom Google
Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at 7:42:20 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:dchasTable of Contents (15 articles)
A LOOK AT THE EXPLOSIVES USED IN THE NEW YORK BOMBING
Tags: us_NY, industrial, follow-up, environmental, bomb
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO ANHYDROUS AMMONIA LEAK AT FARGO HOTEL
Tags: us_ND, transportation, release, response, ammonia
HOMEOWNER IN PORT RICHEY BUTANE HASH OIL EXPLOSION TURNS HIMSELF IN
Tags: us_FL, public, follow-up, response, butane, drugs, illegal
SMALL EXPLOSION OCCURRED AT UNION BEACH PERFUME MAKER
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT INCIDENT SPARKS HILLSIDE FIRE IN TRACY
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, response, other_chemical
CHEMICAL FUMES MAKES EMPLOYEES NAUSEOUS
Tags: us_ID, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical, waste
CHINA CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS CAUSE 199 DEATHS FROM JAN-AUG: GREENPEACE
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical
SCARE AT SCHOOL AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL IN SCIENCE LAB
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical
FIRE SAFETY CHEMICALS =E2=80=98THREATEN' PUBLIC HEALTH, ALLIANCE WARNS -
EURACTIV.COMTags: Belgium, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
MEMBRANE COATING COULD HELP REMOVE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS FROM WASTEWATER
Tags: Hong_Kong, laboratory, discovery, environmental, water_treatment
HIGH LEVELS OF =E2=80=98ERIN BROKOVICH' CHEMICAL IN MANY NJ WATER SYSTEMS, STUDY SAYS
Tags: us_NJ, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
SUSPECT BLASTS SFPD OFFICER IN FACE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, fire_extinguisher
CFD INVESTIGATES CHEMICAL SPILL AT SAINT XAVIER SCIENCE LAB
Tags: us_IL, laboratory, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
VERDIGRIS COMPANY'S EMPLOYEES EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_OK, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
NO STUDENTS ENDANGERED IN SMALL CHEMICAL SPILL AT RUNDLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tags: us_NH, laboratory, release, response, hydrochloric_acid, sulfuric_acid
---------------------------------------------
A LOOK AT THE EXPLOSIVES USED IN THE NEW YORK BOMBING
Tags: us_NY, industrial, follow-up, environmental, bomb
Initial reports about a device used in Saturday's bombing in New York City suggested the explosive could have been a commercially available material called Tannerite. Stories from the Associated Press and New York Times reported the claim, citing anonymous officials involved in the investigation of the attack that injured 29.
But, on the basis of the material's properties, explosives experts and the makers of Tannerite doubt it alone could have caused the explosion. A subsequent report from the New York Times seemed to confirm these doubts, indicating that officials had detected the explosive hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) in devices related to the attack.
The suspected bomber, Ahmad Khan Rahami, was arrested after a shootout in New Jersey on Monday. He allegedly set off bombs in New Jersey and in New York on Saturday. According to news reports, anonymous officials identified Tannerite at the New York bomb site, and a second report linked HMTD to both bombings.
Tannerite, made and sold by Tannerite Sports, is used to produce exploding targets for long-range shooting practice. The targets explode when hit by a bullet, allowing shooters to hear and see that they've successfully made the shot. Occasionally, "tannerite" is used to describe similar products.
An exploding Tannerite target consists of an 8:1 ratio of oxidizer to catalyst, which come in separate containers and are mixed and shaken together prior to use. The Tannerite patent says that, in the optimal composition, the oxidizer contains 85% ammonium nitrate powder by weight, and 15% ammonium perchlorate. The catalyst is 90% explosive grade aluminum powder, 5% titanium sponge, and 5% zirconium hydride.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO ANHYDROUS AMMONIA LEAK AT FARGO HOTEL
Tags: us_ND, transportation, release, response, ammonia
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - UPDATE:
After speaking with Fargo Police and Fargo Fire Department officials, the tanker truck with the anhydrous leak has been dealt with and the truck sent to Grand Forks for a repair to a cracked valve.
Officials say the leak was generally small in size and did not pose significant risk to the public, and there were no evacuations.
Crews were called out just before midnight.
Police were blocking off streets and the Fire Department called in their HAZMAT team to deal with the leak.
---------------------------------------------
HOMEOWNER IN PORT RICHEY BUTANE HASH OIL EXPLOSION TURNS HIMSELF IN
Tags: us_FL, public, follow-up, response, butane, drugs, illegal
A Port Richey man, wanted for blowing up his house on Sept. 3 while attempting to cook butane hash oil, turned himself in to Pasco County authorities Monday.
Steven Brown, 24, faces more than 10 charges, including first-degree arson, several drug charges and two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. He is being held at the Pasco County Jail with bail set at $795,100.
In what authorities called the first explosion due to cooking butane hash oil in Pasco County, Brown grabbed his drugs and ran out of the burning house at 6210 Westport Drive, leaving behind a 1-year-old baby and two caged dogs, deputies said. The baby was uninjured, deputies said, but the dogs died.
An arrest warrant for Brown was issued Sept. 9, but authorities were unable to locate him, deputies said. That same day, Brown evaded arrest by fleeing from a traffic stop in a white Kia Optima.
---------------------------------------------
SMALL EXPLOSION OCCURRED AT UNION BEACH PERFUME MAKER
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
UNION BEACH, NJ-- A small explosion happened at the International Flavors and Fragrances location in Union Beach at 11:53 AM, fire officials said.
The explosion took place at the rear of the building, Union Beach Police Department said. Two employees had burns and respiratory issues, but no one was killed or seriously injured.
Officials do not believe the explosion was suspicious, and a preliminary investigation shows that it was an accident.
A spokesperson for International Flavors & Fragrances told the Asbury Park Press the explosion "didn't sound like anything major. It sounds like what might have happened was the result of a chemical failure. The first concern is the safety of everybody."
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT INCIDENT SPARKS HILLSIDE FIRE IN TRACY
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, response, other_chemical
TRACY (CBS SF) - A hazmat incident at a corporate test facility in an isolated part of Tracy sparked a hillside fire on Tuesday evening, according to fire officials.
Alameda County fire officials said they received a call at 7:18 p.m. for a hazardous materials incident at a site run by SRI International.
SRI International's website says they run experiments and evaluate hazards at Corral Hollow Experiment Site in Tracy.
A spokesman from SRI International said a storage tank of Divinylbenzene was "off-gassing" as it was supposed to be doing inside of a temporary wood structure.
The spokesman said this process includes a controlled flame, and that the controlled flame may have caught the wood structure on fire and then spread to the hillside.
The chemical was likely a contributing factor to the fire, according to the SRI International spokesman.
Fire officials are warning residents of inhalation risks due to the chemical and haven't said how far the fire spread.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL FUMES MAKES EMPLOYEES NAUSEOUS
Tags: us_ID, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical, waste
JEROME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) - A chemical caused the Jerome transfer station to be shut down after fumes made employees nauseous Tuesday afternoon.
At about 3:35 p.m. Tuesday, the Jerome Fire Department responded to a report of a liquid that had been dumped at the Gap Transfer Station in Jerome about an hour before that was changing consistency and caused employees to become nauseous.
Authorities were unsure of what the substance was as of about 3:50 p.m. but classified it as an "unacceptable waste dump."
As of 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Battalion Chief Brooks of Twin Falls Fire Department said the chemical had characteristics of ammonia.
Fire Chief Donald Utt of the First Segregation Fire District of Eden and Hazelton told Idaho's First News that the contaminated dump apparently came from American Disposal.
Fire Chief Utt also said that the contamination came from a dairyman.
According to Fire Chief Utt, American Disposal allegedly could smell that the load was contaminated, but that they dumped it anyways.
---------------------------------------------
CHINA CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS CAUSE 199 DEATHS FROM JAN-AUG: GREENPEACE
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical
China had 232 chemical-related accidents from January to August this year, causing 199 deaths and 400 injuries, according to research from the environmental group Greenpeace published on Wednesday.
Greenpeace said China needs to "radically overhaul" the way it manages its chemical industry, which is now "appallingly under-regulated".
"The government must take urgent action to manage chemicals in a sound manner, provide a safety net for workers and citizens, and protect ecologically important areas across the country," said Cheng Qian, a campaigner with the group.
According to publicly available data from 2010-11, the majority of China's 33,625 chemical facilities are located in densely populated eastern coastal regions, Greenpeace said, adding that more transparency was needed to provide a more accurate picture of the industry.
China has struggled to enforce its rules on acquiring, producing, storing and disposing of dangerous chemicals, and experts have complained that rules published at the end of 2011 are inadequate and need to be tightened significantly.
Last year, 165 people were killed following a series of explosions in a chemical warehouse in the northern city of Tianjin. The government said hazardous materials had been stored illegally at the site.
---------------------------------------------
SCARE AT SCHOOL AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL IN SCIENCE LAB
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical
KUALA LUMPUR: A chemical spill in a secondary school caused a scare and prompted the deployment of Fire and Rescue Department personnel.
Hazmat personnel and firelighters were rushed to the school in Jalan Perwira at about 1.10pm Tuesday.
The spill, which occurred in a science laboratory, occurred after a rack holding a variety of chemical substances broke.
It is estimated that the rack held about four litres of a mix of chemical substances, including phosphorous and lithium.
A spokesman for the department said hazmat personnel had to separate and neutralise the substances.
One of the more dangerous substances that was spilled, lithium, is known to combust upon contact with water.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE SAFETY CHEMICALS =E2=80=98THREATEN' PUBLIC HEALTH, ALLIANCE WARNS -
EURACTIV.COMTags: Belgium, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
The use of chemical flame retardants in furniture to improve fire safety can also have severe implications for public health, a number of associations have warned.
An alliance of stakeholders representing equipment makers, environmental NGOs, cancer organisations, firefighters, and labour unions have expressed concern about the safety of using flame retardants in furniture.
Flame retardants are chemicals which are used in materials, such as plastics and textiles, aiming to prevent or delay the spread of fire.
In the case of furniture products, these chemical substances can be found in foam and textiles (couches, chairs, etc.). While they contribute to fire safety standards, some of them can end up being quite harmful for public health, experts say.
Health impact
The alliance presented their views at a conference in Brussels on 8 September.
Dr. Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Officer at the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), a public health NGO, told
EurActiv.com that chemical flame retardants were linked to fertility problems, issues in children's development (birth weight, attention, IQ, coordination), cancers, and other effects on the immune system and metabolism.
---------------------------------------------
MEMBRANE COATING COULD HELP REMOVE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS FROM WASTEWATER
Tags: Hong_Kong, laboratory, discovery, environmental, water_treatment
Water-stressed communities from California to Singapore have begun reclaiming wastewater for drinking and other uses, but they face a challenge: It's hard for the treatment process to remove trace organic pollutants, such as endocrine disruptors. Now researchers have developed a potential solution, coating a commonly used filtration membrane with a material that rejects endocrine-disrupting molecules (Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2016, DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00263).
Many of the commercially available nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes currently used to clean wastewater were optimized for desalination. They're made with a relatively hydrophobic polyamide composite that rejects salt and other ions. Since many endocrine disruptors, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and parabens, are also hydrophobic, these compounds tend to stick to the membrane and can eventually diffuse through to the other side (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2004, DOI: 10.1021/es034952r).
Chuyang Y. Tang of the University of Hong Kong and his colleagues thought that adding a hydrophilic coating to the membranes might prevent this problem. They tested their hunch with polydopamine, a thin hydrophilic coating researchers are exploring as a way to prevent membrane fouling in wastewater treatment. The researchers coated a commercial polyamide-based nanofiltration membrane, NF90, by shaking it with a solution of dopamine hydrochloride for up to four hours; the dopamine self-polymerizes on the membrane surface. Then they tested the system's performance in filtering water containing four endocrine disruptors: ethylparaben, propylparaben, benzylparaben, and BPA, at 200 =CE=BCg/L, which is comparable to or higher than their average concentration in wastewater.
---------------------------------------------
HIGH LEVELS OF =E2=80=98ERIN BROKOVICH' CHEMICAL IN MANY NJ WATER SYSTEMS, STUDY SAYS
Tags: us_NJ, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Drinking water in more than 150 New Jersey water systems contained the carcinogenic chemical chromium 6 at levels that exceeded a health limit recommended by California scientists when the local systems were tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a national analysis published on Tuesday.
The study by the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy nonprofit, concluded that 218 million Americans in all 50 states, or some two-thirds of the population, are drinking water that contains the chemical at levels that are above the proposed California health limit but below current limits adopted by both that state and the federal government.
The chemical, best known for having been exposed as a threat to public health by the environmental campaigner Erin Brockovich, a battle depicted in the movie starring Julia Roberts, was found in different concentrations around New Jersey when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tested water systems in 1,370 counties across the country from 2013 to 2015.
---------------------------------------------
SUSPECT BLASTS SFPD OFFICER IN FACE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, fire_extinguisher
A rampaging man blasted a San Francisco police officer in the face with a fire extinguisher over the weekend, prompting his immediate arrest, officials said.
Several people called police about the 24-year-old San Francisco man, who had been acting erratically Sunday at a building on the 300 block of Leavenworth Street in the city's Tenderloin, police said.
When police went to check on the situation around 5:30 p.m., the suspect sprayed the caustic fire retardant chemical into an officer's face, said Officer Giselle Talkoff, a San Francisco police spokeswoman.
Three additional officers responded to the scene that was obscured in a chemical cloud and helped take the suspect into custody.
---------------------------------------------
CFD INVESTIGATES CHEMICAL SPILL AT SAINT XAVIER SCIENCE LAB
Tags: us_IL, laboratory, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Emergency crews were called to Saint Xavier University Monday afternoon for a chemical spill in a science lab, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
Saint Xavier said the incident happened in a biology class and that there were no injuries.
In a CFD tweet at about 5:30 p.m., officials said there was a "minor spill under investigation" and there is "1 possible injury."
A half gallon of hydrochloric acid was accidentally spilled, fire officials said.
Chopper 7HD spotted emergency vehicles outside the Warde Academic Center at the school, located in the 3700-block of 103rd Street on Chicago's Far South Side.
---------------------------------------------
VERDIGRIS COMPANY'S EMPLOYEES EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_OK, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
A hydrochloric acid spill at a galvanizing plant east of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, which caused some of the plant's employees to be evacuated, has been contained, according to the Verdigris Fire Department.
VFD Chief Mike Shaffer said no injuries were reported after a tank breach occurred at the Valmont Coatings-Oklahoma Galvanizing plant located in the Riverview Industrial Park in Verdigris Monday afternoon.
Shaffer said some of the plant's employees were evacuated to a nearby plant as a precautionary measure while trained Valmont employees and a private mitigation company worked to make the area safe.
The chemical was contained thanks to a system in place at the plant.
Shaffer said a truck service was performing a "pump transfer from one tank to another" when a vacuum on one of the tanks caused the tank to implode, tearing welded seams and leaking the chemical onto the floor.
---------------------------------------------
NO STUDENTS ENDANGERED IN SMALL CHEMICAL SPILL AT RUNDLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tags: us_NH, laboratory, release, response, hydrochloric_acid, sulfuric_acid
No students were endangered when two chemicals spilled and mixed at Rundlett Middle School on Monday morning, the superintendent said.
Hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid spilled after a shelf collapsed inside a secure cabinet within a closet, prompting the classroom to be evacuated out of caution and the fire department to respond to the 144 South St. middle school.
"There was no need to evacuate the school. The fire department responded to support our team in their assessment that it simply needed to be cleaned up," Superintendent Terri Forsten said in a statement sent by email from her assistant. "Everyone was safe. No concerns."
The Concord Fire Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
---------------------------------------------
