2.

4 Possible impacts of dangerous chemicals

The wrong handling of dangerous chemical substances may cause accidents which impacts may be very
serious. They can pollute water, kill living people and organisms, destroy property and affect the economy. In
the following part of the text potential consequences are under view.

2.4.1 Pollution of water and mortality of fauna and flora. Chemicals discharged into the water can affect the
aquatic ecosystem in many ways (Pardo, 1999).

• Impact on the exchange of gases spilled into the water start biological processes which consume the oxygen
in the water.

• Energy release cause water temperature increase

• Toxic properties on the surface and in the water affect negatively marine life.

Chemical pollution can be a direct or a long term. When the direct impact affects the environment
immediately, then the long-term influences the flora and fauna even after the disappearing of the pollution.
The reason is that some chemicals can enter into the organic food cycle and affect fish’ and mammals’
fecundity and 14 growth, physical disturb feeding or cause tainting and accumulation of substances into the
organisms.

2.4.2 Destruction of property

Explosions and fires of hazardous chemicals are the main reasons of the damage of vessel and port structure.
Especially dangerous are substances belonging to UN classes 1, 2, 3 and 4. To show the impact of an explosion,
the “Fort Strikene” example is described. The cargo vessel “Fort Strikene” was moored alongside Victoria dock
in Bombay in 1944. There were 1,260 tonnes of dynamite and 1,648 tonnes of bales of cotton loaded in the
same hold. The cotton ignited itself and caused dynamite explosion. The “Fort Strikene” exploded with such a
force that nine ships sank and the port was completely destroyed. More worse, extremely high waves killed
1,376 people and damaged hundreds of houses (Compton, 1999). The incident shows that when large
quantities of explosives or flammable chemicals are transported extreme safety measures must be taken into
consideration.

2.4.3 Death and serious injuries to human life

Explosions, fires and toxic vapours of different chemicals are the main dangers affecting people. As the results
of explosions and fires have been already described in part 2.3.2 then now the main concentration is dedicated
to the impact of vapours. To show the seriousness of vapour release, the Bhopal gas cloud disaster is
described. The pesticide factory situated in Bhopal, a city with a population of 670,000 in central India. On the
3 of December in 1984, 15 tonnes of the highly toxic and irritant gas methyl isocyonate (UN no 2480) leaked
from the tank. The gas cloud covered a 30- mile long and 1.5- mile wide area. It was estimated that 200,000
people breathed the vapour, 2,500 of whom died due to the flooding of their lungs. 125,000 people required
hospital treatment, of whom 20,000 were seriously sick. (HCB, 1985).

2.4.4 Negative impact to the economy of the area where the accident occurred

Pollution’s negative affect the economy basis on its high cost which is can be divided into two groups. When
direct costs are related to the recovery of physical damage, reconstruction work, and also clean up operations
them indirect costs can be associated with the closure of affected areas for navigation, sea use and customers
trust (tourists number decreases, fish products are boycotted by consumers). Although international funds
(today the International Oil Pollution Fund, which covers crude oil pollution and in the future the HNS Fund,
which covers pollution of hazardous substances) cover expenses, there are very often occasions when their
financing is not sufficient or the pollution claims are not accepted by the fund. In this case the money must be
taken from the government budget which causes poor financing of some other area.