Slide 1

BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY

Legacy of disappointments

That nightIt was a very happy life before the incident. Noone even knows that there was a Union Carbide factory or that someone that makes this kind of gas existed.But just after the midnight on 2nd -3rd dec. 1984,a union carbide pesticides plant in bhopal,leaked toxic gas into the air.None of the safety systems were working at the plant,and so 27 tonnes of Methyl isocyanate were released,spreading throughout the city.People awoke to the feeling that their eyes were being burned with chillies and they ran for their lives. As,union carbide would not tell anyone which chemicals were there in the toxic cocktail released,and so doctors did not know how best to treat the victims.

What is bhopal gas tragedy?The Bhopal gas tragedy (Bhopal Disaster) was one of the worlds worst industrial catastrophe in the Indian History. It was gas leak incident in India. It occurred on the night of 2nd-3rd December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited(UCIL) pesticide of plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of hundreds of thousands of people.

What were the Causes of this disaster?A tank containing methyl isoyanate(MIC)leaked.MIC is an extremely reactive chemical and is used in the prodution of insecticide carbaryl.The scientific reason for the accident was that water entered the tank where about 40 cubic meters of MIC was stored.When water and MIC mixed an exothermic chemical reaction started,producing a lot of heat.

ContinuedAs a result,the safety valve of the tank burst,because of the increase in pressure.It is presumed that between 20 to 30 tonnes of MIC were released during the hour that the leak took place.The gas leaked from a 30m high chimney and this height was not enough to reduce the effects of the discharge.

What were the effects on human health?Respiratory disorders- Irritation to the lungs , caused coughing and /or shortness of breathing .Higher exposure caused build up of fluids(pulmonary enema),caused asthama.Cancer Hazard- caused mutation(genetic changes).It caused cancer.Reproductive hazard-association between exposure to methyl isocyanate and miscarriages.It may damage the growing fetus,may also affect fertility in men and women.After effect-Traces of many toxins were found in the brest milk of mothers and were in turn transmitted to the recipent babies.

Consequences 7,10,000 people died from the gas in 72 hours.Over an half million people were exposed to the gas, and more than 25000 have died as a result of exposure.This tragedy is ongoing, as the next generation are also ill.The accident and the pollution at the union carbide site have caused more than 120,000 people to be chronically ill.Children are ten times more likely to be born with birth defects in Bhopal now,than elsewhere in India.

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