Leakage or Generation of Toxic Substance

In chemical laboratories or similar facilities at the time of an earthquake, chemicals may leak that produce an irritating or corrosive gas. For instance it was reported that, in the Miyagi Offshore Earthquake in a chemical laboratory of the Prefectural Sendai Technical High School, a bottle containing an acid dropped from a table and filled the room with an odor so irritating that people could not enter the room 4 c 1. It was also reported that, in a chemistry lecture room of Tohoku University, vapors of pyridine and tetrahydrofuran filled the room to the extent that restoration work could not be started until two days after the earthquake 3 5 .  

In the Middle Japan Sea Earthquake, there were no chemical fires, but the destruction of a bottle of a chemical in a school was reported 4 9). In the Noshiro Technical High School, Akita Prefecture, no chemical fire occurred, but a 18,000cm 3 bottle of sulfuric acid in the chemical storehouse in the science room was broken. Although the acid was immediately neutralized, the concrete floor was corroded 5 0 .  

As described in section 2.5.1.2, schools, laboratories, pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors offices generally store numerous chemicals, many of which are have a possibility of either generating a toxic vapor or mist if the bottles are damaged, or producing a toxic substance through their reaction with other substances. In past earthquakes, however, no casualties have been reported through accidents of these types. 

---