Carla Jane Dona

KEY POINTS
01 02 03
BACKGROUND DISASTER EFFECTS

04 05 06
LONG-TERM EFFECTS CAUSES/FINDINGS PREVENTIVE
MEASURES
BACKGROUND
01
Bhopal Gas Tragedy
 UCIL FACTORY
● Union Carbide India Limited
● Built in 1969 at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
● Produces pesticide Sevin (UCC’s brand name for
carbaryl)
● Methyl isocyanate (MIC) production plant added in
1979
● In the early 1980s, demand for pesticides had fallen but
production continued, leading to an accumulation of
stores of unused MIC.
METHYL ISOCYANATE (MIC)
SEVIN (Carbaryl)
DISASTER
02
 EARLIER LEAKS
1983-1984 1982 1982 1981 1976
Leaks of other MIC leak Phosgene leak A worker was Complained of
gases affected 18 that exposed 24 accidentally pollution within
workers workers splashed with the plant
phosgene
 LIQUID MIC STORAGE
● UCIL factory housed three underground 68,ooo
liter liquid MIC storage tanks: E610, E611, and E619.
● No one tank should be filled more than 50% (30
tons) of liquid MIC.
● Each tank is pressurized with inert nitrogen gas.
● In late October 1984, tank E610 lost ability to
effectively contain most of its nitrogen gas
pressure.
 LIQUID MIC STORAGE
● E610 contained 42 tons of liquid MIC
● Parts of the plant were shut down including flare
tower to repair corroded pipe.
● Carbaryl production resumed in late November,
using MIC stored in the two tanks still in service.
● Attempt to re-establish pressure in tank E610 on
December 1 failed.
 THE RELEASE
● Early December 1984, most of the plant’s MIC
related safety systems were malfunctioning.
● Many valves and lines were in poor condition.
● Several vent gas scrubbers had been out of service
as well as the steam boiler, intended to clean
pipes.
● The introduction of water
into the tank subsequently
resulted in a runaway
exothermic reaction.
● About 30 tons of MIC
escaped from tank into the
atmosphere in 45 to 60
minutes
● Gases were blown in
south-easterly direction
over Bhopal
EFFECTS
03
 CASUALTIES
According to government affidavit in 2006:
➢ 558,125 injuries
● 38,478 temporary partial injuries
● 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries
➢ 8,000 died within two weeks
➢ 8,000 or more died from gas-related disease
 ACUTE EFFECTS
Initial Effects:
Coughing
Severe eye irritation
Bleophasm Burning in respiratory tract
Breathlessness
Stomach pains and vomiting
Feeling of suffocation Primary Cause of Death:
Choking
Reflexogenic circulatory collapse
Pulmonary oedema
● Autopsies revealed changes not only
in the lungs but also cerebral oedema,
tubular necrosis of kidneys, fatty
degeneration of liver and necrotising
enteritis
● Stillbirth rate increased by up to 300%
● Neonatal mortality rate increased by
around 200%
GAS CLOUD COMPOSITION
Methylamine
E610 Dichloromethane

Chloroform
E610 Hydrogen chloride
E610 Trimethylamine
Carbon dioxide
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
● Outside temperature following the gas leak sharply
increased from 13 to 34 degree Celsius
● Leaves on trees within 1.5km of the factory were visibly
damaged and eventually fell off
● Vegetable crops showed white spots and were not edible
● Around 2000 animals including cattle and buffalo died
● Fish mortality rates were up to 70% in nearby areas and
authorities closed fish main market.
LONG TERM
EFFECTS
04
 LONG TERM EFFECTS
Chronic conjunctivitis,
scars on cornea, corneal Impairment of memory,
opacities, early cataracts PTSD finer motor skills, numbness
EYES PSYCHOLOGICAL NEUROLOGICAL

RESPIRATORY TRACTS CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Obstructive/restrictive Peri and neonatal death
disease, pulmonary fibrosis, rates increased. Failure
aggravation of tuberculosis, to grow, intellectual
chronic bronchitis impairment, etc.
WEBBED AND EXTRA
FINGERS
 SEVERE
DEFORMITIES AND
CEREBRAL PALSY
LEG AND FEET DEFORMITIES
CAUSES &
FINDINGS
05
 CAUSES
Main cause of gas leak:
● Penetration of water into a MIC liquid tank

Long-time factors that triggered the disaster:

● Under-maintained and decaying facilities
● Weak attitude towards safety
● Under-trained workforce
Other factors which made the incident worse:

1. Poor health infrastructure

2. Knowledge about the hazardous chemical
 FINDINGS

Safety regulations stated that each tank should hold

less than 30 tons of liquid MIC, however, tank E610 was
almost at full capacity at 42 tons.
 FINDINGS
In the plant, there was a chemical processing unit right
next to the three MIC tanks and was sprayed with water
for routine maintenance. However, to cut down on cost,
Union Carbide installed a jumper line connecting the
processing unit to the MIC tanks so that parts could be
used interchangeable. This provided a direct route for
water to enter the MIC tanks.
 FINDINGS
Three different defenses to stop the gas from being
released into the atmosphere (that also failed to operate
during the incident):

1. Vent gas scrubber

2. Flare tower
3. Emergency water hoses
PREVENTIVE
ACTIONS
06
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO
PREVENT THE DISASTER?
While natural disasters are largely unpredictable,
environmental disasters are caused directly or indirectly
by human behavior. Chemical disasters, like to one in
Bhopal, are preventable if risks are identified and
addressed early on.
 COMBINED EFFORT

Developing policies to ensure that industries operate in

accordance with technical and safety standards and
allocating resources for risk assessment and monitoring.
 COMBINED EFFORT

Most of all, it is important to adhere to environmental

norms. Taking environmental safety and public health risk
seriously, and promoting do-no-harm industrial
development can make a big difference.
 WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE
● National governments and international agencies should focus on widely
applicable techniques for corporate responsibility and accident
prevention
● Local governments clearly cannot allow industrial facilities to be
situated within urban areas
● Existing public health infrastructure needs to be taken into account
when hazardous industries choose sites for manufacturing plants
● Future management of industrial development requires that appropriate
resources be devoted to advance planning before any disaster occurs
● Communities that do not possess infrastructure and technical expertise
to respond adequately to such industrial accidents should not be chosen
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