The spread of styrene monomer vapors within the air depends on the wind speed and currently, personnel are working to neutralize the air chemically like 4-test-Butylcatechol (TBC), a senior official of the Department of Factories said on Thursday.
A major leak from a factory of LG Polymers near here within the wee hours' impacted villages within a five-km radius, leaving eight people dead and many citizens complaining of breathlessness, nausea, and other problems.
"The officials are using inhibitors to neutralize the vapors. Slowly the vapors are reducing. it had been not arrested fully. they're using neutralizers like TBC (4-test-Butylcatechol (TBC)," Joint Chief Inspector of Factories, Visakhapatnam, J Siva Sankar Reddy told PTI.
Exposure to styrene, also referred to as ethenylbenzene, vinylbenzene can affect the central systema nervosum (CNS), causing headache, fatigue, weakness, and depression.
It is primarily utilized in the assembly of polystyrene plastics and resins, consistent with experts.
"The spread could also be two or three kilometers wide. It depends on the wind speed. We cannot exactly say what percentage kilometers it's spread to. If the wind flow is heavy, there's an opportunity that it'll spread more within the air," the official added.
Reddy said the factory wasn't operational thanks to the lockdown.
"The company was getting to reopen it soon. there have been just a couple of employees -- security guards and maintenance personnel there at the time of the incident," he said.
According to Reddy, the firm, which has 350 to 400 employees, has all the necessary permits to work.
LG Polymers was established in 1961 as "Hindustan Polymers" for manufacturing Polystyrene and its Co-polymers at Visakhapatnam. It merged with Mc Dowell & Co. Ltd of UB Group in 1978, consistent with the company's website.
Taken over by LG Chem (South Korea), Hindustan Polymers was renamed as LG Polymers India Private Limited (LGPI) in July 1997, it said.
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