Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Science, Economics, and Ethics Case Study:
A Black Day in Bhopal, India
The world's worst industrial accident occurred in 1984
at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India.
December 2, 1984, will long stand as a black day in
Indian history. On that date, the world's worst indus-
trial accident occurred at a Union Carbide pesticide
plant in Bhopal, India.
An explosion in an underground storage tank
released a large quantity of highly toxic methyl iso-
cyanate (MIC) gas, used to produce carbamate pesti-
cides. Water leaking into the tank through faulty valves
and corroded pipes caused the explosive chemical
reaction.
Once in the atmosphere, some of the toxic MIC
was converted to more deadly hydrogen cyanide gas.
The toxic cloud of gas settled over an area of 78 square
kilometers (30 square miles), exposing as many as
600,000 people. Many were illegal squatters living near
the plant because they had no other place to go. The
deadly cloud spread through Bhopal without warning
because the plant's warning sirens had been turned off
to save money.
Indian officials say that at least 10,000 people died
within a few days after the accident. Union Carbide put
the death toll at 3,800. The International Campaign for
Justice in Bhopal estimates that by 2001 the accident
had killed 20,000. It also puts the number of people suf-
fering from chronic illnesses from the accident at
120,000-150,000. An international team of medical spe-
cialists estimated in 1996 that 50,000-60,000 people sus-
tained permanent injuries such as blindness, lung dam-
age, and neurological problems. Clearly, this was the
world's largest industrial tragedy.
Indian officials claim that Union Carbide might
have prevented the tragedy by spending no more
than $1 million to upgrade plant equipment and im-
prove safety. According to an investigation by India's
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the company's
U.S. corporate managers decided to save money by
cutting back on maintenance and safety because the
plant had proven to be a financial disappointment for
the firm. The CBI found that on the night of the dis-
aster six safety measures designed to prevent a leak
of toxic materials were inadequate, shut down, or
malfunctioning.
In 1989, Union Carbide agreed to pay $470 million
to compensate the victims without admitting any guilt
or negligence concerning the accident. The Indian gov-
ernment has distributed only part of these funds to the
victims or their families, with the average payment
amounting to $500.
In 1992, the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate
for Bhopal charged Warren Anderson, CEO of Union
Carbide at the time of the accident, with “culpable
homicide” (the equivalent of manslaughter) and issued
a warrant for his arrest. He has refused to appear in
court, and the U.S. government has not responded to
India's request to extradite him to India to stand trial.
Science: Detoxifying Hazardous Waste
Chemical and biological methods can be used to
remove hazardous wastes or to reduce their toxicity.
In Denmark, all hazardous and toxic waste from in-
dustries and households is delivered to 21 transfer
stations throughout the country. The waste is then
transferred to a large treatment facility. There, three-
fourths of the waste is detoxified by physical, chemi-
cal, and biological methods; the rest is buried in a
carefully designed and monitored landfill.
Some scientists and engi-
neers consider biological treat-
ment of hazardous waste as the
wave of the future for cleaning
Produce Less Waste
Manipulate
processes
to eliminate
or reduce
production
Recycle and
reuse
Convert to Less Hazardous or Nonhazardous Substances
Chemical,
physical, and
biological
treatment
Ocean and
atmospheric
assimilation
Land
treatment
Thermal
treatment
Incineration
Figure 17-14
Solutions:
priorities
for dealing with hazardous waste. To
date, these priorities have not been
followed in the United States or most
other countries.
Critical thinking: why
do most countries not follow these
priorities?
(Data from U.S. National
Academy of Sciences)
Put in Perpetual Storage
Arid region
unsaturated
zone
Underground
injection
Waste
piles
Surface
impoundments
Salt
formations
Landfill
