A1258149923iYSQc

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Dealing with hazardous substances Incidences,
courses of events and causes of a chemical
accident (GDR) and its consequences for the
environment and ecology
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Hoechst Corporation
The hazardous incident of February 22nd 1993
A Chronological List of Incidents at Hoechst
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A Hazardous Incident at the Hoechst Corporation
Date ?
On February 22nd 1993
Time ?
at 4.14 a.m.
Where ?
in Frankfurt-Griesheim
Firm ?
Hoechst Corporation
What happened ?
Sticky, yellow precipitation escaped from a
safety valve that then covered over 360,000 m² of
the neighbouring area like a yellow carpet.
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Source
At what ?

• while mixing ortho-nitroanisole

• the paddle mixer was switched on too late
• the plant was unsupervised for two hours.

Mistake ?
Consequence ?
fast reaktion
overheating
increased pressure
(from 8 bars to 16 bars)
Activation of the safety valve
Emission of the toxic gases
into the surrounding area
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Effects and consequences
The yellow toxic carpet covered houses, cars and
trees.
Schools and nursery schools had to be closed.
Many inhabitants complained about burning eyes,
illness, vomiting and skin alterations.
If children swallow this substance it can be
fatal.
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Measures to contain the damages
the affected residential areas were evacuated
contaminated soil was replaced
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roads were de-contaminated
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Composition of the yellow precipitation
Ingredienzes
Ortho-nitroanisole Methanol
Products of the reaktion
Ortho-chloronitrobenzene Chloro-anisidine Chloro-
analines Chloro-aromates
imflammable and caustic
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Ortho-Nitroanisole
(Methoxy-2-nitrobenzene)
O
CH3
Toxic
NO2
hazardous to health
2-(NO2)C6H4OCH3
Properties and safety references
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Properties

• a yellow, odourless, liquid, carcogenic

and hazardous to health

• WPC 3

Safety references

• it must not come into contact with the

canalisation, waterways or soil

• it can cause health problems, if swallowed

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Ortho-Chloronitrobenzene
Cl
Toxic

• hazardous for the environment

NO2
C6H4ClNO2
Properties and safety references
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Properties

• yellow crystals

• toxic

• hazardous for the environment

• WPC 2

• Solubility 0.59g/l (20C)

Safety references

• it must not come into contact with the

canalisation, waterways or soil

• dont inhale, swallow or let it

contact with your skin
Symptoms
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This symptoms can occur after poisoning
Coughing inflammation of mucus membranes breathing
difficulties headaches vomiting dizziness and
fatigue In addition it is toxic to the liver and
kidneys.
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Methanol
(Methylalcohol, carbinol)
H I H C O H I H
Toxic
Highly inflammable
CH3OH
Properties and safety references
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Properties

• liquid, colourless
• characteristic oder
• toxic
• highly inflammable
• WPC 1

Safety references

• dont let it contact with your skin
• if taken orally it can lead to poisoning and

even cause blindness
Methanol is toxic for your nerves.
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Anisidine
(2-Aminoanosol, 2-Methoxyaniline)
O
CH3
Toxic
NH2
2-(CH3O)C6H4NH2
Properties and safety references
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Properties

• liquid, yellow
• WPC 3
• toxic
• carcogenic
• hazardous to reproduction
• Solubility 15g/L (25C)

Safety references

• dont inhale, swallow or let it comes into

contact with your skin

• it can alter hereditary genes

Symptoms
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This symptoms can occur after poisoning
skin resorption preventing the transport of
oxygene a blue colouring of the blood (cyanosis)

Methamo-globin-amine with headaches breathing
difficulties and cramps
heart rhythm disturbances lower blood pressure
Irreversible damage is possible
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Chloro-aniline
(1-Amino-2-chlorobenzene)
NH2
Toxic

• hazardous for the environment

Cl
2-(Cl)C6H4NH2
Properties and safety references
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Properties

• liquid, ranging in colour from colourless to
  yellow
• WPC 2
• hazardous for the environment
• toxic

Safety references

• it must not come into contact with the

canalisation, waterways or soil

• dont inhale, swallow or let it comes into

contact with your skin
Symptoms
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This symptoms can occur after poisoning
skin resorption preventing the transport of
oxygene a blue colouring of the blood (cyanosis)

Methamo-globin-amine with headaches breathing
difficulties and cramps
heart rhythm disturbances lower blood pressure
Irreversible damage is possible
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A Chronological List of Incidents at Hoechst
From 1986 to 2000 there happened 16 incidents.
Here are 5 examples
January 1991 July 1991 December 1991 May
1992 June 1998
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January1991900kg of sulphuric acid flows from a
cooling water canal into the river Main due to a
handling error.
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July 1991 Due to a faulty measurement device
used in the production of pesticides apparently
harmless substances from the plant are emitted
into the atmosphere. This incident is kept secret
at first.
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December 1991 In the district of Sossenheim
emissions from one of Hoechsts chimneys led to a
1cm thick white layer. The so-called industrial
snow was in fact frozen aerosols.
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May 1992 A loose valve on a tank wagon led to
chlorine gas being emitted that caused
inhabitants in the surrounding area to suffer
from vomitting and respiratory problems.
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June 1998 During the manufacture of the pain
reliever Novalgin 1.5 tons of a by-product
overflowed and flowed into the Main.
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