An Axios analysis of records obtained by the Data Liberation Project reveals the top three chemicals involved in most chemical accidents reported to the EPA over the past 20 years. Those chemicals are:
- Ammonia
- Chlorine and chlorine dioxide
- Hydrofluoric acid
Industry sources that regularly use these chemicals are advised to take note and ensure all precautions are in place to safely deal with accidental adverse exposure in the event of an emergency. Additionally, risk managers are advised to double-check risk management plans and EPA advisories regarding these and other hazardous substances.
Ammonia
“Ammonia is the most common culprit in chemical accidents at facilities that have filed a risk management plan with the [EPA],” notes Axios.
Roughly 80 percent of the ammonia produced by industry is used in agriculture as fertilizer. This chemical is also used in:
- Refrigeration;
- Water purification; and
- The manufacture of plastics, explosives, textiles, pesticides, dyes, and other chemicals.
“Ammonia is found in many household and industrial-strength cleaning solutions. Household ammonia cleaning solutions are manufactured by adding ammonia gas to water and can be between 5 and 10% ammonia,” according to the New York State Department of Health. “Ammonia solutions for industrial use may be concentrations of 25% or higher and are corrosive.”
Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in the air can lead to respiratory failure.
A recent story by CNN details problems experienced by Tyson Foods with ammonia leaks.
Chlorine and chlorine dioxide
The industrial uses for chlorine and chlorine dioxide are almost endless. They’re used for water purification and sanitizing, as fungicides, and to process industrial waste and sewage.
“Roughly two dozen people were hospitalized after a chlorine gas leak at a facility run by the Olin Corporation near Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2022,” Axios says.
“High exposure breathing can cause lung damage, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Depending on the extent of the exposure, the length of the exposure, it can cause permanent damage that can result in long-term wheezing and asthma-like symptoms,” said Ted Schettler, science director at the environmental nonprofit Science and Environmental Health Network, according to Axios.
Hydrofluoric acid (hydrogen fluoride)
The third most common cause of chemical accidents, according to Axios, is hydrofluoric acid/hydrogen fluoride (HF).
“[HF] is used to make refrigerants, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, high-octane gasoline, aluminum, plastics, electrical components, and fluorescent light bulbs,” notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Sixty percent of the [HF] used in manufacturing is for processes to make refrigerants.”
Even at low levels, exposure to this gas irritates the eyes, nose, and respiratory tract. An exposure to high levels of this gas or in combination with skin contact can cause death from an irregular heartbeat or from fluid buildup in the lungs, according to the CDC.
A recent story by Safety.BLR details kudos to the EPA from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) for initiatives that emphasize inspecting and addressing noncompliance at facilities that use highly toxic HF.
“In recent years, the CSB has investigated several incidents involving a release of HF or a ‘near miss’ of an HF release that put nearby communities at risk,” Safety.BLR says.
Risk management plans
EPA authority for the Risk Management Program (RMP) falls under Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), which requires the EPA to enact regulations for facilities holding more than a threshold amount of regulated substances to develop and submit a risk management plan that:
- Identifies the potential effects of a chemical accident,
- Identifies steps the facility is taking to prevent an accident, and
- Spells out emergency response procedures should an accident occur.
“Facilities that have a plan on file with the EPA are known as registered facilities,” reports Axios. “When the amount of chemicals at a facility is no longer above the EPA threshold quantity, the facility becomes deregistered and no longer needs to file plans with the EPA. However, those facilities may still house toxic and flammable chemicals.”
As part of its analysis of the records obtained by the Data Liberation Project, Axios also created a map of facilities storing large quantities of hazardous chemicals in the United States.
“A facility being mapped in the database does not mean that an accident there is imminent, but it does indicate that a large quantity of hazardous chemicals is being held there,” Axios adds. “Past reports have detailed spills, injury and death from mismanagement within these facilities.”