Toxic orange cloud spreads after chemical blast near Barcelona

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

MADRID (REUTERS) - Three people were injured in an explosion at a chemical plant in northern Spain on Thursday and authorities advised residents of several small towns near Barcelona to stay indoors as a large toxic cloud spread over the area.

The regional government of Catalonia said in a statement that the blast appeared to have been caused by two chemicals coming into contact during delivery to the plant, owned by Spanish company Simar.

Simar could not immediately be reached for comment.

A thick orange cloud could be seen emanating from the site in Igualada, some 60 km from Barcelona, according to pictures and television footage of the incident, before spreading over residential areas nearby.


Read more: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/europe/story/toxic-orange-cloud-spreads-after-chemical-blast-near-barcelona-20150212

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[Thor_MN]

1. WTH? When did Boehner leave the country?

Is he going to take any questions from the press while there or is he going to pull a Walker?

[Kelvin Mace]

2. A large toxic orange cloud?

Well, THAT'S bloody informative.

[jakeXT]

4. nitric acid and ferric chloride

Exposure to nitric acid vapor can cause problems if it is inhaled, swallowed or comes into contact with the eyes or skin. It is usually just an irritant, commonly affecting the eyes, throat and skin but higher doses can cause sever burns. Prolonged exposure to the chemical can also lead to breathing difficulties and eventually lung damage.

People working with nitric acid or ferric chloride must wear protective clothing and are told to wash with soapy water if contaminated before seeking emergency help from hospital.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2950648/Toxic-orange-cloud-created-nitric-acid-explosion-chemical-plant-spreads-FIVE-Spanish-towns-forcing-authorities-order-stay-inside.html

[valerief]

3. So long as the rich people who own the shop don't lose money, all is well

with the world. If some people get severely ill and die from the negligence, well, that's just a cost of business, isn't it? Because the most important thing in the world is for rich people to get richer, and if that means hiring poorly trained employees who don't know enough to avoid toxic explosions, then so be it.

[AngryDem001]

12. Ah. The Andrew Ryan way.

Gotta love it.

[Ghost Dog]

13. There is no way anyone in upper-levels of management,

much less any owner could possibly be investigated, much less found guilty of negligence or worse at this factory in squeaky-clean (ha ha) Catalunya.

Although some relatively lowly scapegoat (only following orders) might be found...

At least the above, from my long experience around here, would be par for the course.

[DFW]

5. Hoy shit, I was just down there 48 hours ago!

I was only in town and at the airport, but that is scary enough. Plus I have to run back down there again on Tuesday. I wonder if I should bring an oxygen mask?

[Orrex]

6. Better work on your alibi

[DFW]

8. Tell me about it!

[elleng]

17. Be VERY careful, DFW!

This, according to #14 below: Nitric acid is capable of oxidizing chloride to chlorine -- that's why "aqua regia" (nitric and hydrochloric acids) can dissolve gold. I really, really hope that gets blown out over the ocean before it's washed down by rainfall -- that would be incredibly corrosive rain, and produce highly irritating toxic fumes. If that stuff drops to the ground without water, that's even worse -- I would think lung damage from breathing it could turn fatal in a hurry.

[DFW]

19. If it blows out over the sea

I'm not sure I want to eat any of my beloved seafood meals I always have down there.

If it comes down as rain over land, I'm not sure I want to order any more of the 5 liter kegs of cold-pressed olive oil I get 4 times a year from down there. This is REALLY scary, potentially more poisonous than anything Chernobyl tossed our way, as it was pretty much diluted by the time it got this far west. The Barcelona thing is local.

[elleng]

20. Yes, really scary,

and moreso for the particulars you mention.

[Nihil]

21. I'd much rather it blew out to sea than over Barcelona.

Five towns were under "stay indoors" rules according to the latest news I could find.

If it drifts over a major population centre, it could be a complete nightmare.

[DFW]

22. I have to run down there again next Tuesday

I hope they don't have the whole city locked down!

[Mnemosyne]

7. Very creepy. Is there a Bhopal waiting to happen in the US someday? Argh. nt

[Renew Deal]

9. Your post is an example of a weird phenomenon on DU

This story has nothing to do with the US. But people can never let a bad thing happen in another part of the world without either blaming the US for it, equating the US to it, or claiming that Americans are somehow hypocrites about it. There are Americans with a real dim view of their country.

[Mnemosyne]

10. The dim view comes from having paid attention for several decades. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. Airborne Toxic Event

[eppur_se_muova]

14. Holy $#!%, that's a lot of NO2/NOCl/Cl2 !! Incredibly nasty stuff !

Nitric acid is capable of oxidizing chloride to chlorine -- that's why "aqua regia" (nitric and hydrochloric acids) can dissolve gold. I really, really hope that gets blown out over the ocean before it's washed down by rainfall -- that would be incredibly corrosive rain, and produce highly irritating toxic fumes. If that stuff drops to the ground without water, that's even worse -- I would think lung damage from breathing it could turn fatal in a hurry.

[elleng]

16. Oceans not nearby, unfortunately.

Igualada is a municipality of the province of Barcelona in Spain. It is located on the left bank of the Anoia river, and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona railway.

Here's Catalonia. Igualada is a bit south east of the center of the province. The large body of water is the Mediterannean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igualada#mediaviewer/File:Catalonia_location_map.svg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igualada

[BlueStater]

18. It's okay. John Boehner just had Taco Bell for lunch. N/T

[hack89]

23. Looks like a Doritos factory just exploded. nt