Seveso Case Study

Seveso dioxin disaster - is one of the biggest environmental disasters happened in the world due to the interference of humans. It is put on the same influential level with Chernobyl and Bhopal catastrophes. The name was given because of the nearest effected location to where the dioxin emission happened; a town Seveso with population of 17 thousand people. The actual explosion occurred on 10th of July, 1976 in Meda, Italy in a TCP reactor owned by the ICMESA chemical company. Due to this detonation a huge toxic cloud of dioxin (TCDD - a form of cancer-causing dioxin) was discharged into the air and immediately damaged the area as it put-out to nearby region. An area of six kilometers long and one kilometer wide was crucially damaged, killing

The following consequences were not expected at all. However, because cooling mechanisms were turned off the chemical plant was getting extremely hot, making the temperature inside of one of the plants tanks reach a critical level. As a result, pressure increased to its limits forcing a pressure release valve open. At the end, about 6 thousand kilograms of toxins were released into an atmosphere putting surrounding communities and ecosystems in danger. Within only few hours after the release of gas more than 37 thousand people throughout Sevesa area including all nearby animals were exposed to large amounts of dioxin.

The effect was calamitous. Dioxin chemical is known as a cancer-causing substance, leading to heavy diseases due to short term exposure as well as because of long term exposure. After a short term consequences are likely to be сhloracne (a serious skin condition that looks like very bad acne), spotty darkening of the skin and changing of liver function. After a long term exposure reproductive functions, the immune system, the endocrine system and the developing nervous system are disordered. In terms of animals, it causes different types of cancer to

However, the case could have been prevented or made less dangerous. Firstly, the facility of ICMESA itself had inadmissible technical conditions. In terms of pressure, the explosive disc, which is supposed to protect against superfluous pressure in the compressed air that was used to transfer the materials to the reactor, was set at three point five bar. If set pressure was lower, then the discharge would be much less perilous. In addition, the reactor control system was not automatic and had inaccuracy in measuring, making the process of regulating the system vain. An error should have been carried about already and kept track of. Secondly, besides general technical issues, the irresponsible behavior of ICMESA company served its purpose. It was found out that, although, ICMESA was aware of dangerous characteristics of the principal exotherm, it still kept the weak exotherms working in a system increasing the possibility of runaway reaction. At long last, ICMESA did’t provide any information about the chemicals, which were released. It also didn’t inform about emission of the toxins earlier than a few days after the valve blew up. Despite bugs in the mechanism of the facility, the aftermath could be less severe if ICMESA didn’t act as selfish. By providing the characteristics of the released gas there could be a higher chance to cure infected people and animals by creating a specialized medical care. By