Vizag Gas Leak – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

DETAILS

• Styrene gas from the LG Polymer plant has leaked and spread over a radius of about three kilometres (covering around 5 villages) near Visakhapatnam
• At least 800 people were reportedly admitted to hospital. Ambulances, fire engines and policemen rushed to the chemical plant. Thousands of people were evacuated from the nearby villages

NOTES

•  The plant operated by LG Polymers was located in the outskirts of Visakhapatnam. The city and the surrounding area were home to around five million people. The plant was shut since late March due to coronavirus lockdown.

THE STATEMENT

•  The plant was shut for past 40 days due to coronavirus lockdown and minimum staff was deployed inside. “The gas leaked from two 5,000 tonne tanks, which had been unattended since March due to Covid-19 lockdown. It led to a chemical reaction and production of heat inside the tanks, which caused the leakage,” Visakhapatnam ACP (West Zone)

LG POLYMERS FACTORY

•  The LG Polymers factory was originally established in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers to manufacture polystyrene. It was merged with MCDowell &Co of the UB Group in 1978 and was taken over by South Koreabased LG Chem in 1997 which renamed it as LG Polymers.
• The factory manufactures general purpose polystyrene and high impact polystyrene, expandable polystyrene, and engineering plastics compounds.

POLYSTYRENE

• Polystyrene is a versatile plastic used to make a wide variety of consumer products. As a hard, solid plastic, it is often used in products that require clarity, such as food packaging and laboratory ware. When combined with various colorants, additives or other plastics, polystyrene is used to make appliances, electronics, automobile parts, toys, gardening pots and equipment and more.

LG POLYMERS FACTORY

• The LG Polymers plant makes polystyrene products, according to a company website, which are used in manufacturing electric fan blades, cups and cutlery and containers for cosmetic products such as make up.

WHAT IS STYRENE?

• Styrene is used to make insulation, pipes, automobile parts, printing cartridges and copy machine toner, food containers, packaging material, carpet backing, luggage, shoes, toys, floor waxes and polishes, according to US National Library of Medicine. Cigarette smoke and vehicle exhaust too contain styrene.

WHAT IS STYRENE?

• The Styrene gas affects the central nervous system, throat, skin, eyes and some other parts of the body, NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said. Styrene is highly flammable and releases a poisonous gas when burnt.
• The gas can cause nausea and dizziness when inhaled, and experts say that person exposed to the gas should be given medical treatment immediately.

WHAT IS GOVERNMENT DOING

• The Centre is mobilising specialised CBRN teams from Pune Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear team.

Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF

Sharing is caring!