Bangkok — Authorities encouraged air and water to be more carefully examined for leftover hazardous compounds after a chemical factory burst into flames previously this week on Thursday, Jul 8.
A firefighter was killed as well as 33 other individuals were injured when chemical fires broke out at the Ming Dih Chemical plant around Bangkok’s outskirts near the Suvarnabhumi Airport. Despite the fact that many fire trucks and aircraft were dispatched to put out the fire, it burned for 15 hours after the explosion.
This accident led to releasing many hazardous toxins into the air and water around the area and causing a black cloud above the accident scene, polluting the environment around its radius.
About 500 inhabitants from the surrounding region were relocated to two shelters for safety purposes. The prime source of the incident was eventually determined to be an exploding storage tank carrying styrene monomer, which is used for the production of polystyrene foam.
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If burned and mixed into the air, the chemical styrene can be lethal as well as toxic to humans and the surrounding environment. The authorities of Thailand announced on Wednesday that the people who lived further than a one-kilometre radius may return to their homes gradually.
The Pollution Control Department said that the styrene concentrations in the atmosphere were between eight and 20 particles per million within one kilometre of the location, dropped from 1,035 ppm. The acceptable amount is up to 20 ppm, while exposure over 1,100 ppm can be hazardous to human health.
Mr Athapol Jaroenchansa, director-general of the department stated that officials are collecting water and soil tests on a daily basis and that any pollution should dissipate within a week and also said “The air is now safe because the pollutants have thinned out and risen into the atmosphere.”
Divyanshi Singh is an intern at The Independent SG /TISG