Chlorine incidents

Chlorine Emergency Plan (CHLOREP), established by The Chlorine Institute to provide information and assistance for chlorine incidents. — Pesticide Safety Team Network (PSTN), coordinated by the National Agricultural Chemicals Association to help witti incidents involving Class B poison pesticides. 

Human incidents have been reported in workers involved in the production or uses of PCNs. In the United States as well as in Germany and Austraha, the severity of the PCN-induced toxicosis was higher after exposure to the higher chlorinated PCN mixtures. In humans the inhalation of hot vapors was the most important route of exposure and resulted in symptoms including rashes or chloracne, jaundice, weight loss, yellow atrophy of the hver, and in extreme cases, death (75,77—79). 

Of great concern for air pollution problems resulting from the incident are dioxin-like compounds. In general, dioxin-like compounds can be generated when chlorine donor compounds are present. Depending on the source of the coal tar, chlorine content may range between 1 and 5000 ppm. 

One incident is described in Section 2.8 (a). Several incidents have occurred because drums or bottles were unlabeled and people assumed that they contained the material usually handled at the plant. In one case, six drums of hypo (sodium hypochlorite) had to be added to a tank of water. Some of the drums were not labeled. One, which contained sulfuric acid, was added after some of the genuine hypo and chlorine was given off. The men adding the material in the drums were affected by the fumes. 

In another incident, on a new plant, two flanged joints leaked an hour after chlorine was introduced. The gaskets were removed and analyzed and were found to be made from titanium although they were stamped Hastelloy, the material specified [5]. 

In one incident paraffin wax and chlorine were reacted at atmospheric pressure. Some paraffin traveled from the reactor back up the chlorine line and reacted with liquid chlorine in a catchpot, which exploded with great violence. Bits were found 30 m away [3]. 

Since our main objective was to remove all the chlorine and hydrogen atoms from the polymer chain, C-PVC films were further exposed to the UV radiation of the medium pressure mercury-lamp. This led to a dark brown material w.hich was found to be unable to carry an electrical current, even after extended irradiation time. Therefore we turned to a powerful laser source, a 15 W argon ion laser tuned to its continuous emission at 488.1 nm. At that wavelength, the degraded polymer film absorbs about 30 % of the incident laser photons. The sample was placed on a X-Y stage and exposed to the laser beam at scanning rates in the range of 1 to 50 cm s, in the presence of air. 

Janssen and Hoogland (J3, J4a) made an extensive study of mass transfer during gas evolution at vertical and horizontal electrodes. Hydrogen, oxygen, and chlorine evolution were visually recorded and mass-transfer rates measured. The mass-transfer rate and its dependence on the current density, that is, the gas evolution rate, were found to depend strongly on the nature of the gas evolved and the pH of the electrolytic solution, and only slightly on the position of the electrode. It was concluded that the rate of flow of solution in a thin layer near the electrode, much smaller than the bubble diameter, determines the mass-transfer rate. This flow is affected in turn by the incidence and frequency of bubble formation and detachment. However, in this study the mass-transfer rates could not be correlated with the square root of the free-bubble diameter as in the surface renewal theory proposed by Ibl (18). 

From the weakness of chlorine s absorption in the visible, it is very probable that for the first three cases the fractional reduction of intensity of the incident beam was small surely so in the first two cases. 

When liquid chlorine was added to carbon disulfide in an iron cylinder, an explosion occurred, owing to the iron-catalysed chlorination of carbon disulfide to carbon tetrachloride. The operation had been done previously in glassware without incident. 

Interaction of chlorine with methane is explosive at ambient temperature over yellow mercury oxide [1], and mixtures containing above 20 vol% of chlorine are explosive [2], Mixtures of acetylene and chlorine may explode on initiation by sunlight, other UV source, or high temperatures, sometimes very violently [3], Mixtures with ethylene explode on initiation by sunlight, etc., or over mercury, mercury oxide or silver oxide at ambient temperature, or over lead oxide at 100°C [1,4], Interaction with ethane over activated carbon at 350°C has caused explosions, but added carbon dioxide reduces the risk [5], Accidental introduction of gasoline into a cylinder of liquid chlorine caused a slow exothermic reaction which accelerated to detonation. This effect was verified [6], Injection of liquid chlorine into a naphtha-sodium hydroxide mixture (to generate hypochlorite in situ) caused a violent explosion. Several other incidents involving violent reactions of saturated hydrocarbons with chlorine were noted [7],... 

In a review of incidents involving explosive reactivity of liquid chlorine with various organic auxiliary materials, two involved hydrocarbons. A polypropylene filter element fabricated with zinc oxide filler reacted explosively, rupturing the steel case previously tested to over 300 bar. Zinc chloride derived from the oxide may have initiated the runaway reaction. Hydrocarbon-based diaphragm pump oils or metal-drawing waxes were violently or explosively reactive [8], A violent explosion in a wax chlorination plant may have involved unplanned contact of liquid chlorine with wax or chlorinated wax residues in a steel trap. Corrosion products in the trap may have catalysed the runaway reaction, but hydrogen (also liberated by corrosion in the trap) may also have been involved [9],... 

See Chlorine Nitrogen compounds, or Dimethyl phosphoramidate Phosphorus pentachloride Urea Sodium chloride Nitrogen compounds See other irradiation decomposition incidents... 

During preparation of chlorine by addition of the cone, acid to solid permanganate, a sharp explosion occurred on one occasion [1], Sulfuric acid was not used in error, nor was tube blockage involved [2], A similar incident was reported later [3], It appears remotely possible that permanganate may be able to oxidise chlorine to chlorine oxide [4], which as a dilute mixture with chlorine would be mildly explosive in the gas phase. 

See also chlorinated RUBBER metal oxides See Other METAL-HALOCARBON INCIDENTS... 

Chlorine." In Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents Volume III—Medical Management... 

Some reactions occur much faster if the reacting system is exposed to incident radiation of an appropriate frequency. Thus, a mixture of hydrogen and chlorine can be kept in the dark, and the reaction to form hydrogen chloride is very slow however, if the mixture is exposed to ordinary light, reaction occurs with explosive rapidity. Such reactions are generally called photochemical reactions. 

On August 14, 2002, a 1-in chlorine transfer hose (CTH) used in a rail-car offloading operation at DPC Enterprises in Festus, Missouri, catastrophically ruptured and initiated a sequence of events that led to the release of 48,000 lb of chlorine into neighboring areas. The material of construction of the ruptured hose was incorrect. The distributor fabricated bulk CTH with Schedule 80 Monel 400 end fittings and a high-density polyethylene spiral guard. Three hoses were shipped directly to the Festus facility from the distributor two were put into service on June 15, 2002. The hose involved in the incident failed after 59 days in service. 

My day job is as a civil service electrician for the last thirty-four years at the Veteran s Administration hospital. March 5, 2006,1 had thirty-four years with civil service. After duty at the VA hospital, all the rest is a volunteer as a firefighter, rescue worker, or helping the county sheriff and the State Highway Patrol as an interpreter. Basically, I stay pretty busy. The federal government gave us three fire vehicles after the chlorine gas incident because our old equipment was done-in by corrosion caused directly by poison chlorine gas. This gas took the paint and chrome off our fire vehicles so it was unusable for any other purpose what do you think it did to my lungs and body at the same time ... 

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