What happened Seveso 1976?
On July 10, 1976, an explosion at a northern Italian chemical plant released a thick, white cloud of dioxin that quickly settled on the town of Seveso, north of Milan. First, animals began to die. See TIME’s story on returning to Seveso two years after the disaster.
Why did Seveso happen?
According to Doctor Uehara’s “the cause of the Seveso accident”, 190 °C overheated steam was used as a heat medium for distillation to prevent the process temperature rising above 180 °C. According to “Loss Prevention”, 300 °C steam was supplied during the accident due to a low load of the steam turbine.
What happened in Seveso Italy?
In July 1976, a chemical plant explosion near Seveso, Italy exposed locals to the highest known levels of 2,3,7,8-tetracholorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD or dioxin) exposure to a residential population (Mocarelli 2001; Pesatori and Bertazzi 2012).
What caused the explosion in Seveso?
How many animals died in Seveso disaster?
Seveso disaster AFP/Getty Images A dioxin leak from the Icmesa factory near Seveso, a town about 13 miles north of Milan in July, 1976, caused the death of 3,300 animals upon contact with the gas and another 80,000 animals were slaughtered to prevent them from entering the food chain.
Why did the Seveso disaster occur?
Abstract—The accident which occurred during the production of TCP at Seveso. Italy, was possibly caused by an unforeseeable exothermic reaction with increase of temperature, slow decomposition of the reaction mass, formation of gas and rise in pressure.
Was the Seveso disaster avoidable?
No immediate human fatalities happened, however a small number of domestic animals in the area died due to exposure. This release also cause more than 77,000 animals to be slaughtered in order to protect the food chain. This accident could have been prevented.
What are the long term effects of the Seveso disaster?
Research into the long-term health effects of the Seveso disaster is ongoing. One study from 2008 found that babies born to women living in the contaminated area at the time of the accident were about six times more likely to have altered thyroid function than other babies.
When did the Seveso disaster happen in Italy?
The Seveso disaster was an industrial accident that occurred in 1976 in Italy.
What was the impact of the gas release in Seveso?
Within a few hours after the ICMESA facility gas release, over 37,000 people throughout the Seveso area were exposed to unprecedented levels of dioxin. Among the first to suffer, however, were the area’s animals. According to Time, “One farmer saw his cat keel over, and when he went to pick up the body, the tail fell off.
What did ICMESA do after the Seveso disaster?
In January 1977, an action plan consisting of scientific analysis, economic aid, medical monitoring and restoration/decontamination was completed. Shortly after ICMESA began to pay the first compensations to those affected.