All you need to know about Styrene- the gas that choked Vizag The gas leaked from LG Polymers, a styrene plant owned and managed by South Korean chemical company LG Chem Limited. Vizag gas leak: Is it under control? Eight people, including a child, have died and several people have fallen ill after styrene gas leaked in the wee hours of Thursday from LG Polymers, a chemical plant facility located near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The leak has been plugged and NDRF teams moved into the five affected villages and have started opening the houses to find out if anyone was stranded inside. Hearing loss has been observed in animals exposed to very high concentrations of styrene. Tear gas is commonly used by law enforcement to control riots and crowds. Styrene (C₆H₅CH=CH₂) is a colorless liquid that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell. The leak occurred as a result of styrene gas not being kept at the appropriate temperature. Styrene is the precursor to polystyrene and several copolymers. P ag e 5 of 9 MSDS -STYRENE below the Airborne Exposure Limits. Styrene effects on health. Please refer to the ACGIH document, Industrial Ventilation, A Manual Styrene (/ ˈ s t aɪ r iː n /) is an organic compound with the chemical formula C 6 H 5 CH=CH 2.This derivative of benzene is a colorless oily liquid, although aged samples can appear yellowish.The compound evaporates easily and has a sweet smell, although high concentrations have a less pleasant odor. Local exhaust ventilation is genera lly preferred because it can control the emissions of the contaminant at its source, preven ting dispersion of it into the general work area. Styrene Styrene is a chemical used to make latex, synthetic rubber, and polystyrene resins. Styrene (C3H8) is a colorless or sometimes yellowish gas with a soft smell detectable from 0.15 ppm. This volatile organic compound is very harmful by inhalation and can cause irritation to the skin and eyes (R36/38). The customer wanted to coat the storage tank with three layers, thus inducing a styrene emission of 150kg per layer or a total of 450 kg styrene to be removed. You are probably familiar with some of the stories that have made the news in recent years regarding tear gas. Is it under control? “Tear gas works by releasing an inhalant that infiltrates the mucous membranes,” according to Andrew Whitmarsh, AfterMath’s Operations Safety and Compliance Manager in Aurora, IL. EPA-454/R-93-011 EPA Contract No. Styrene is also produced naturally in some plants. Breathing high levels of styrene may cause changes in color vision, tiredness, feeling drunk, slowed reaction time, concentration problems, or balance problems. There was 1,800 tonnes of styrene stored at the plant at the time of the leak. This caused a pressure build-up in the storage chamber that contained styrene and caused the valve to break, resulting in the gas leakage. How People Are Exposed to Styrene . 4 Tips to Neutralize Tear Gas. According to the Center for Disease Control, USA, ‘Styrene is a chemical used to make latex, synthetic rubber, and polystyrene resins. Type of impurities: Styrene; Concentration of impurities: 100-200mg/m 3 but variable; Treatment objective: Odour threshold of < 1 ppm. These resins are used to make plastic packaging, disposable cups and containers, insulation, and other products. 68-D2-0160 Work Assignment No.01 LOCATING AND ESTIMATING AIR EMISSIONS FROM SOURCES OF STYRENE Final Report Prepared for: As it is flammable between 0.9 % and 6.8 % volume, styrene vapors can form explosive gaseous mixtures.It also features reprotoxic effects. As a result of styrene that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell from 0.15 ppm very harmful inhalation. 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