| Popis: |
July 8th 1992 an explosion in a production vessel followed by a conflagration took place at a polymer-plant in Uithoorn, the Netherlands. This disaster resulted in an enormous havoc and an emission of combustion products and volatile compounds. Half burned materials were blown away and deposited on neighbouring pastures. The section Environmental Incidents and Environmental Medicine of RIVM arrived within two hours at the accident site and carried out many measurements on air quality. Due to the enormous heat of the fire and a corresponding rise of the flue gasses, an exposition of the neighbouring population was unlikely during the first phase of the fire. In the second stage of less fire, the flue gasses reached the earth surface. Near the seat of fire the levels of compounds like toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene were measured in concentrations up to 40 ppm. In the surrounding residential quarters the concentrations have been below 2 ppm. Also nitrogenoxyde, ozone, dust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons proved to occur at background level, benzene was not detected. A few days later half-burned material has been collected from neighbouring pastures. It contained lead in contents up to 76 g/kg. Also the lead contents of grass and soil proved to be enhanced. It is unlikely that the high lead and also the high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon level of grass and soil have been caused by the explosion. Former measurements (1985) of the lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contents of soil from the surroundings showed increased levels also. In the phase of evaporation, a few days after the fire, rather high concentrations of benzene (up to 507 mug/m3) and other lower aromates could be measured near the demolished plant. |
