What happened in the Seveso disaster?
The Seveso disaster was a chemical accident on 10 July 1976, at the small Italian town of Meda, 20 km from Milan in Lombardy. There was an explosion at a chemical factory which released a lot of the toxic poison dioxin, TCDD, into the air. The cloud of poison gas covered an area 6 km long and 1 km wide.
What caused Seveso?
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.
How did the Seveso disaster affect humans?
Three decades after an accident at a chemical factory in Seveso, Italy in 1976, which resulted in exposure of a residential population to the most dangerous type of dioxin, newborn babies born to mothers living in the contaminated area at the time of the accident are over six times more likely to have altered thyroid …
What was the cause of the dioxin contamination near Seveso Italy?
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 does Seveso stand for?
The Seveso Directive – Technological Disaster Risk Reduction Major accidents involving dangerous chemicals pose a significant threat to humans and the environment.
How did they clean up the Seveso disaster?
The local government, in coordinated efforts with ICMESA, embarked on cleaning up the contaminated area. Some evacuees were able to return to their homes, and the local government turned the rest of the zone into a public park known as the Seveso Oak Forest Park.
When did the Seveso disaster end?
July 10, 1976
Seveso: Before and After the Disaster Overall, the plant was not perceived as a threat by the local population. All that changed, however, on the afternoon of Saturday, July 10, 1976, as parts of the plant were being shut down for the weekend.
What is Seveso classification?
The Seveso Directives are the main EU legislation dealing specifically with the control of on-shore major accident hazards involving dangerous substances. The Seveso III Directive came into force on 1 June 2015, replacing the Seveso II Directive.
Who cleaned up the Seveso disaster?
Mannesmann Italiana
Borrowing techniques from the nuclear industry, the plant was sealed, dismantled and the most heavily contaminated waste packed into 41 lead-lined barrels and removed from the site in September 1982 by contractors Mannesmann Italiana.
What is the purpose of Seveso directives?
The Seveso Directive – Summary of requirements. The Seveso-III-Directive (2012/18/EU) aims at the prevention of major accidents involving dangerous substances. However, as accidents may nevertheless occur, it also aims at limiting the consequences of such accidents not only for human health but also for the environment …
How did they cleaned up the Seveso disaster?