THE BHOPAL DISASTER






‡Around 1 a.m. on Monday, the 3rd of December, 1984, In the city of
Bhopal, Central India, a poisonous vapour burst from the tall stacks of the
Union Carbide pesticide plant.
‡ This vapour was a highly toxic cloud of methyl isocyanate.
‡2,000 died immediately
‡300,000 were injured
‡7,000 animals were injured, of which about one thousand were killed.
 °
 
 


u|tarted in 1969 in Bhopal
uPhosgene, Monomethlyamine, Methyl Isocyanate
(MIC) and the pesticide Carbonyl, also known as
|evin.
uTaken over by DOW Chemicals in 2001.
uDOW refused Union Carbide·s Liabilities in
Bhopal, India.
 THE POSSIBLE CAUSES
uA tank containing methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked.
uMIC is an extremely reactive chemical and is used in
production of the insecticide carbaryl.
uThe scientific reason for the accident was that water entered
the tank where about 40 cubic meters of MIC was stored.
uWhen water and MIC mixed, an exothermic chemical
reaction started, producing a lot of heat.
uAs a result, the safety valve of the tank burst because of the
increase in pressure.
uIt is presumed that between 20 and 30 tonnes of MIC were
released during the hour that the leak took place.
uThe gas leaked from a 30 m high chimney and this height was
not enough to reduce the effects of the discharge
 THE WEATHER EGGED
ON THE PROCESS«
uThe high moisture content (aerosol) in the discharge when
evaporating, gave rise to a heavy gas which rapidly sank to the
ground.
uA weak wind which frequently changed direction, which in turn
helped the gas to cover more area in a shorter period of time
(about one hour).
uThe weak wind and the weak vertical turbulence caused a slow
dilution of gas and thus allowed the poisonous gas to spread
over considerable distances.
 THE POSSIBLE
REASONS«
uOne of the main reasons for the tragedy was found
to be a result of a combination of human factors and an
incorrectly designed safety system.
uA portion of the safety equipment at the plant had
been non-operational for four months and the rest
failed.
 Ú

 
 

uMedical staff were unprepared for the thousands of casualties
uDoctors and hospitals were not informed of proper treatment methods for
MIC gas inhalation. They were told to simply give cough medicine and eye
drops to their patients
uThe gases immediately caused visible damage to the trees. Within a few
days, all the leaves fell off
u2,000 bloated animal carcasses had to be disposed of
u"Operation Faith": On December 16, the tanks 611 and 619 were
emptied of the remaining MIC. This led to a second mass evacuation from
Bhopal
uComplaints of a lack of information or misinformation were widespread.
The Bhopal plant medical doctor did not have proper information about
the properties of the gases. An Indian Government spokesman said that
"Carbide is more interested in getting information from us than in helping
our relief work.
 |
   

uThe leakage caused many short term health effects in the surrounding areas
uThe gas cloud was composed mainly of materials denser than the
surrounding air, stayed close to the ground and spread outwards through the
surrounding community.
u The initial effects of exposure were coughing, vomiting, severe eye irritation
and a feeling of suffocation.
uThousands of people had succumbed by the morning hours. There were
mass funerals and mass cremations as well as disposal of bodies in the
Narmada river. 170,000 people were treated at hospitals and temporary
dispensaries. 2,000 buffalo, goats, and other animals were collected and
buried.
uA total of 36 wards were marked by the authorities as being "gas affected",
affecting a population of 520,000. Of these, 200,000 were below 15 years of
age, and 3,000 were pregnant women. In 1991, 3,928 deaths had been
certified. Independent organizations recorded 8,000 dead in the first days.
Other estimations vary between 10,000 and 30,000. Another 100,000 to
200,000 people are estimated to have permanent injuries of different
degrees.[
 
   

uIt is estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people have

permanent injuries.
uReported symptoms are eye problems, respiratory
difficulties, immune and neurological disorders, cardiac
failure secondary to lung injury, female reproductive
difficulties and birth defects among children born to
affected women.
The Indian Government and UCC deny permanent
injuries were caused by MIC or the other gases.
 UNION CARBIDE¶S
VERSION..
ü A disgruntled plant employee, apparently bent on
spoiling a batch of methyl isocyanate, added water to a
storage tankµ.
-------B. Browning Jackson
(Vice President)
 M     
uRespiratory Disorders ² Irritation to the lungs, causing coughing and/or
shortness of breathing. Higher exposure caused build up of fluids (pulmonary
edema). Caused Asthama.

uCancer Hazard ² Caused mutation (genetic changes). It caused cancer.

uReproductive Hazard ² Association between exposure to Methyl

Isocyanate and miscarriages. It may damage the growing fetus.May also affect
fertility in men and women.

uTraces of many toxins were found in the Brest Milk of mothers and were
inturn transmitted to the recepient babies.
 

   

uCompensation of $470 million ($500 per dead).
uTwenty years of passiveness.
uCase was reviewed and put up in American Court.
uDOW Refused Union Carbide·s Liabilities in Bhopal,
India.
 Y    



uMethyl Isocyanate is on the Hazardous |ubstances List and

is regulated by O|HA and cited by ACGIH, DOT, EPA
and others.

uIs on the |pecial Health Hazard |ubstance List because it is

flammable and reactive.
 LAPSES ON THE PART OF THE
GOVERNMENT
uThe Madhya Pradesh |tate government had not
mandated any safety standards.
uUnion Carbide failed to implement its own safety
rules.
uThe Bhopal plant experienced six accidents between
1981 and 1984, at least three of which involved MIC
or phosgene.
 WHY DID THE PEOPLE STAY
QUITE??
uThe country needed pesticides to protect her agricultural
production
uMIC is used to produce pesticides that control insects
which would in turn, help increase production of food as a part
of India·s GREEN REVOLUTION.
uInitially, India imported the MIC from the United |tates.
uIn an attempt to achieve industrial self-sufficiency, India
invited Union Carbide to set up a plant in the state of
Madhya Pradesh to produce methyl isocyanate.
uTo the people of the city of Bhopal, Union Carbide was a
highly respected , technically advanced Western company.
uThis coupled with political power and scientific expertise
worked together to changed the people·s perception of what
was dangerous and more importantly what was safe.
 LAPSES ON PART OF UNION
CARBIDE
uImproper design of chimneys (without consideration
of weather conditions in all seasons)
uImproper design and maintenance of safety
equipment.
uNot following safety regulations as that followed by
UCC plants in U|A.
uDecision to neglect a flare system in need of repair.
uInadequate emergency planning and community
awareness.
uLack of awareness of the potential impact of MIC on
the community by the people operating the plant.
uInadequate community planning, allowing a large
population to live near a hazardous manufacturing plant.
 Basic Green Chemistry
Principles
uThese principles would have averted the
disaster.
uEliminate or reduce the production of
Hazardous chemicals.
uHazardous chemicals produced should not be
stored and should be consumed in the course of
the reaction.
uThe inventory of Hazardous chemicals if
inevitable should be of many small containers and
not of one large container.
 Conclusion
uThe Bhopal gas tragedy could have been averted.
uThere were lapses on part of the government and
UCC.
uThe actual reason for the tragedy is contrary to
popular belief.
uAn alternate way to produce carbaryl was
suggested.
uDesign of Inherently safer process was required.