What is Styrene gas that killed 11 in Andhra Pradesh?

A major early morning chemical leak from a polymer plant near Vishakhapatnam impacted villages in a five-km radius, leaving eleven people dead and scores of citizens suffering from breathlessness and other problems, as the Andhra Pradesh government ordered a probe into the issue.

The leak of styrene, a chemical used to make synthetic rubber and resins, among others, occurred in the wee hours of Thursday while people were still fast asleep.

What is Styrene?

It is a flammable liquid, primarily used in the production of polystyrene plastics and resins. According to the US National Library of Medicine, styrene is also used to make automobile parts, insulation, pipes, and is found in cigarette smoke and vehicle exhaust.

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What happens if you are exposed to Styrene?

Exposure to styrene, also known as ethenylbenzene, vinylbenzene can affect the central nervous system (CNS), causing headache, fatigue, weakness, and depression.

As per the US-based Environment Protection Agency (EPA), short-term exposure to the substance can result in irritation to the eyes, skin and nose respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal issues.

Long-term exposure to styrene can also cause cancer.

For latest updates on Vizag gas leak, click here

"The spread of styrene monomer vapours in the air depends on the wind speed and currently, personnel are working to neutralise the air with chemicals such as 4-tert-Butylcatechol (TBC)", a senior official of the Department of Factories told PTI.

What is the situation in Vishakhapatnam?

The government sent a specialised CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) team of the NDRF and medical specialists to Vishakhapatnam after the news broke out.

As of now, 11 people have lost their lives and 20-25 people are critical due to the gas leak. Nearly 1,000 people were directly exposed to living in close proximity to the plant where the leak took place.

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also announced an ex- gratia payment of Rs one crore each to the kin of those killed in the gas leak incident.

LG Polymers was established in 1961 as "Hindustan Polymers" for manufacturing Polystyrene and its Co-polymers at Visakhapatnam. It merged with Mc Dowell & Co. Ltd of UB Group in 1978, according to the company's website.

(With PTI inputs)