Release Of Hazardous Materials Research Articles

Development of parametric fragility curves for storage tanks: A Natech approach

Natural hazards impose great distresses on many type of structures, which leads to large economic, environmental, and human losses. Large storage areas, in which large cylindrical storage tanks are used, are particularly vulnerable to certain natural events such as earthquakes, tsunami, and storms. This vulnerability can result in technological accidents (also known as Natech) such as the release of hazardous materials or the loss of valuable resources. The objective of this paper is to present a Natech-based approach for the development of fragility curves that can be used in the performance analysis and the design of storage tanks, for a large variety of tank configurations, and for various types of storage park/area setups. This is achieved through a parametric methodology that allows for specific tank modelling, instead of more traditional approaches (i.e., historical records). Furthermore, a formulation for the analysis of tank groups subjected to extreme events is presented. The model for isolated and grouped tanks, and its applications, are illustrated through several examples. This analysis is restricted to the case of ground supported, liquid-atmospheric storage tanks. Specifications for other tank geometries and operation conditions (e.g., elevated, rectangular or pressurized tanks) can be found elsewhere.

Source localization for hazardous material release in an outdoor chemical plant via a combination of LSTM-RNN and CFD simulation

Chemical leak accidents not properly handled at the early stage can spread to major industrial disasters escalating through fire and explosion. Therefore, it is very important to develop a method that enables prompt and systematic response by identifying the location of leakage source quickly and accurately and informing on-site personnel of the probable location(s). In this study, a model that predicts the suspicious leak location(s) in real-time, using sensor data, is proposed. Feed-forward neural network and recurrent neural network with long short-term memory that learned the data gathered from the installed sensors are proposed to predict the Top-5 points in the order of highest likelihood. In order to train and verify the neural networks, the sensor data generated from computational fluid dynamics simulations for a real chemical plant are used. The model learns the inverse problem solving for accident scenarios and predicts the leak point with very high accuracy.

Cost–benefit analysis approach for the management of industrial safety in chemical and petrochemical industry

The high complexity of chemical and petrochemical installations determines a complex safety management of these establishments, therefore, there is a need to find innovative solutions to guarantee the prevention of failures and losses of containment from process equipment. In this frame, the use of the API Risk Based Inspection (RBI) assessment approach permits a significant reduction of maintenance costs and, simultaneously, the increase of plant's reliability and availability. To increase the level of industrial safety, a proper selection of measures is also needed, even if the adoption of such measures poses costs. Given that resources for the companies are usually limited, a comparison amongst various solutions has to be done with the aim to find the best one, based on a comparison of costs and benefit. To this scope, recently a software, named Inspection Manager, has been developed by ANTEA and implemented thanks to a cooperation with the University of Padova (Italy). The Inspection Manager provides support in the application of the RBI approach by means of the use of plant-specific data, which are stored in its database; its further implementation, presented in this paper, has made it able to support also cost-benefit analysis and, thus, the selection of measures to be adopted to prevent accidental events causing the release of hazardous materials. A case-study is presented to test the new functionality of the tool; after the identification of the most effective measures, a careful cost-benefit assessment has been executed as a basis for decision-making.

Validation and Sensitivity Study of the PMSS Modelling System for Puff Releases in the Joint Urban 2003 Field Experiment

The Joint Urban 2003 (JU 2003) experimental campaign took place in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, comprising both continuous and puff releases of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer gas. In the framework of the UDINEE project, intensive operation period 8 (IOP 8) conducted during the night is simulated using the Parallel-Micro-SWIFT-SPRAY (PMSS) three-dimensional modelling system. The PMSS modelling system is the assembly of a diagnostic or momentum flow solver (PSWIFT) and a Lagrangian particle dispersion model (PSPRAY) accounting for buildings and developed in parallel versions. A sensitivity study is performed regarding the flow modelling options, namely the meteorological data input, the characteristics of the turbulence, and the use of the diagnostic or momentum solver. Results shed light onto issues related to modelling puff releases in a built-up environment. Flow and concentration results are compared to measurements at the sample locations in IOP 8 and statistical metrics computed for all puffs released during IOP 8. These indicators illustrate satisfactory performance and robustness of the PMSS system with reference to the modelling options. Moreover, with moderate computational times and reliable predictions, the PMSS modelling system proves to be relevant for emergency response in cases of atmospheric release of hazardous materials.

Analysis of Complexities in Natech Disaster Risk Reduction and Management: A Case Study of Cilegon, Indonesia

Complex disasters may occur as a result of a natural disaster combined with an industrial or a technological disaster. These are also called “natural-hazard triggered technological (natech) disasters.” Currently, there is increasing awareness of the hazards of these natech disasters. Natural disasters could trigger a technological disaster including oil spills and the release of hazardous and flammable materials and toxic chemicals, causing cascading events. The impact of the damage on public health and safety could be catastrophic, as it may result in massive loss of life, environmental destruction, and asset and property loss. Moreover, it could cause business disruptions and affect a country’s reputation. This paper describes a case study on the application of disaster risk reduction and management for natech disasters in Cilegon, Indonesia. We introduce the analysis of risk assessment conducted in Cilegon, the preparedness of the Cilegon City government, a contingency plan that has been developed, and the state of disaster preparedness in industrial zones. Natural and technological disaster risks as well as several emergency preparedness efforts are discussed and multiple stakeholders are identified. The paper serves as a foundation for future research to address natech disasters.

A statistical analysis of causes and consequences of the release of hazardous materials from pipelines. The influence of layout

In the present paper a statistical analysis of accidents data on hazardous materials pipeline failures has been carried out to identify the most common causes and consequences of release and to derive the distribution of their probability of occurrence as a function of a number of parameters. The analysis has included three classes of materials among those most commonly transported via pipeline (crude oil, natural gas and oil refined products): differences and similarities have been highlighted and, where possible, explained. Particular attention has been devoted to assessing the influence of the installation layout of the pipeline (underground or aboveground) on the probability distributions. As a matter of fact, both the accident scenarios and their evolution were found to be significantly different for the two layouts. It is expected that the presented results can be of help in the assessment of the risk associated with the transportation of hazardous materials via pipeline, as well as in addressing efficient prevention strategies, which could reduce that risk.

Train-Level and Car-Level Modeling of Hazardous Materials Release in Railroad Incidents

This paper quantifies the impacts of incident, railroad, environment. and train/car characteristics on the probability of hazardous material (hazmat) release in a hazmat-carrying train incident and provides a prediction tool for hazmat release. Two sets of models utilized the Federal Railroad Administration 2012–2016 rail equipment incident dataset. The units of analyses for these two sets were trains and hazmat cars. Binary logit and binary mixed logit models were investigated to account for hazmat release and potential single-level and two-level grouping in the data (owing to possible hazmat release interdependence among hazmat cars belonging to a train and trains belonging to an incident). Development of receiver operating characteristics curves improved the prediction performance of the models by defining an appropriate cutoff point. Results showed that derailment increased hazmat release probability more than other incident types. Incidents resulting from signal and communication causes were most likely to result in hazmat release. Higher proportion of damaged/derailed hazmat cars and proportion of hazmat cars in a train, track classes 2 and 3, higher train speed, and train gross tonnage were the other important factors. Results of mixed models showed hazmat release from cars belonging to a train were interdependent and hazmat release from trains belonging to an incident were independent. Although models at both levels led to useful results, car-level models had better prediction performance.

Environmental hazards associated with open-beach breaking of end-of-life ships: a review.

End-of-life (EOL) ships contribute significantly to the flow of recycled industrial Fe and non-Fe metal materials in resource-poor developing countries. The ship scrapping (breaking) and recycling industry (SBRI) recycles 90-95% of the total weight of EOL ships and is currently concentrated in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and China, due to the high demand for recyclable and reusable materials there, an abundance of low-cost labor, and lenient environmental regulations. However, the SBRI has long been criticized for non-compliance with standards relating to occupational health, labor safety, and to the management of hazardous materials. Among the different EOL recycling options, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan use open beaching, a technique that exposes all spheres of the environment to the release of hazardous materials from EOL ships. This article summarizes the current state of knowledge on the environmental exposure of hazardous materials from SBRI, to judge the risks associated with the dismantling of EOL ships on open beaches. Our work includes an overview of the industry and its recent growth, compares available ship-breaking methods, provides an inventory of hazardous releases from EOL ships, and reviews their movement into different spheres of the environment. The economic dynamics behind open beaching, and apportionment of responsibility for hazards related to it, are discussed, in order to generate policy and legal recommendations to mitigate the environmental harm stemming from this industry.

Screening of Indigenous Ornamental Species from Different Plant Families for Pb Accumulation Potential Exposed to Metal Gradient in Spiked Soils

Contamination of surface soils with lead (Pb) is a global concern due to the release of hazardous materials containing the metal element. In order to explore ways to remediate contaminated soils with less impact on environment and costs, this study aimed at screening ornamental plant species exposed to Pb gradient in spiked soils for Pb phytoextraction. Twenty-one ornamental plant species that currently grow in Pakistan, were selected to assess their potential for Pb accumulation. Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the accumulative properties of the different plant species in unspiked control (Pb = 0) and spiked soils with different levels of Pb at 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 mg Pb kg−1 of soil. Biotranslocation factor (TF), Enrichment factor (EF) and Bioconcentration factor (CF) were calculated to assess the phytoremediation potential of tested plant species after seven weeks of exposure. Out of 21 plant species, Pelargonium hortorum and Mesembryanthemum criniflorum performed better and accumulated more than 1000 mg Pb kg−1 of shoot dry biomass when they were grown in 500, 1000 and 1500 mg Pb kg−1 contaminated soils. Both plants had no significant (P < 0.05) variation in the total dry biomass with increasing soil Pb concentration indicating a high tolerance to Pb. Considering the capacity of Pb accumulation, total dry biomass, TF, EF & CF indices, Pelargonium hortorum and Mesembryanthemum criniflorum could be considered as Pb hyperaccumulators and could have the potential to be used in phytoremediation.

Modeling the Probability of Hazardous Materials Release in Crashes at Highway–Rail Grade Crossings

Crashes at Highway–Rail Grade Crossings (HRGCs) that involve a truck or a train carrying hazardous materials (hazmat) expose people and the environment to potentially severe consequences of hazmat release. This research involved statistical modeling of the probability of hazmat release from trucks and/or trains in crashes at HRGCs to identify factors associated with hazmat release. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) HRGC crash dataset (2007–2016) yielded two subsets of crashes: 1) those involving hazmat-carrying trucks, and 2) those involving hazmat-carrying trains. Results from a logistic regression model using data subset 1 (crashes involving hazmat-carrying trucks) with hazmat release/no release as the response variable showed that standard flashing signal lights, railroad crossbucks, and railroad classes II and III (relative to railroad class I) were associated with lower hazmat release probability from hazmat-carrying trucks. Hazmat release probability from trucks was higher with freight train involvement. Results from a logistic regression model using data subset 2 (crashes involving hazmat-carrying trains) revealed that hazmat release probability from trains was lower with warmer temperature. However, the probability of release from trains was greater with railroad class II (relative to railroad class I), type of highway user (different types of trucks and motorcycle relative to automobiles), and weather conditions (fog, sleet or snow, relative to clear). A comparison of the results from this study with HRGC crash severity studies highlighted the importance and usefulness of this study.

Improving England’s Resilience to Incidents Involving Release of Hazardous Materials

Improving England’s Resilience to Incidents Involving Release of Hazardous Materials

Consequence Analysis of LPG Storage Tank

Consequence modeling refers to the calculation or estimation of numerical values (or graphical representation) that describes the credible physical outcomes of loss of containment scenarios involving f1ammable explosive and toxic materials with respect to their impact on people, assets or safety functions. The need to risk assessment and consequence modelling of process plant and hazardous storage facilities has become exceedingly critical due to the trend towards larger and more complex units that process toxic, flammable and otherwise hazardous chemicals under extreme temperature and pressure conditions. Moreover, the proximity of many such units to densely populated areas may magnify the potential damage. There are several types of explosion including deflagration, detonation, dust explosion, vapor cloud explosion and boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (BLEVE). PHAST RISK analyses complex consequences from accident scenarios, taking account of local population, land usage and weather conditions, to quantify the risk associated with the release of hazardous materials. In this project consequence analysis of LPG sphere is performed by PHAST 6.5.

Using the ALARP principle for safety management in the energy production sector of chemical industry

In the context of chemical industry, in particular in high hazard industries, the adoption of safety measures is essential to reduce risks and environmental impacts, due to the release of dangerous substances, at level that is reasonably practicable. The ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) principle is broadly used for decision-making in safety management, supported by cost-benefit analyses and the grossly disproportionate criterion, but without paying the proper attention to the decision frame (defined by the level of uncertainty and knowledge of the chemical phenomena, the use of best available technologies, the potential of major losses due to the release of hazardous materials and other items). In this paper, by examining the energy production sector of chemical industry, it will be argued that the decision context makes the application of the ALARP principle not always proper, whereas a dynamic interpretation, in which decisions are made oscillating between two borderlines, where in one case reference is made to expected values and in the other one to the precautionary principle, is more appropriate.

EPA finds benzo(a)pyrene to be less toxic – higher, less stringent, screening levels expected to follow

ABSTRACTNew toxicity criteria published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for benzo(a)pyrene yield higher environmental screening levels (e.g., RSLs) and remediation goals than in the past. As a result, fewer hazardous material release sites may need remediation and for those that do, the magnitude of the remediation should be reduced.

Sanitation safety planning as a tool for achieving safely managed sanitation systems and safe use of wastewater.

Increasing water stress and growing urbanization force a greater number of people to use wastewater as an alternative water supply, especially for irrigation. Although wastewater irrigation in agriculture has a long history and substantial benefits, without adequate treatment and protective measures on farms and in markets, use of wastewater poses risks to human health and the environment. Against this background, the World Health Organization (WHO) published Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture and aquaculture, in 2006. The Sanitation safety planning: manual for safe use and disposal of wastewater, greywater and excreta - a step-by-step risk-based management tool for sanitation systems - was published by WHO in 2016 to put these guidelines into practice. Sanitation safety planning (SSP) can be applied to all sanitation systems, to ensure the systems are managed to meet health objectives. This paper summarizes the pilot-testing of the SSP manual in India, Peru, Portugal, Philippines, Uganda and Viet Nam. Also reviewed are some of the key components of the manual and training, and an overview of SSP training and dissemination efforts and opportunities for implementation in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Lessons learnt during the piloting phase show how reducing health risks can be surprisingly easy, even in a low-income setting, especially when combining many smaller measures. The SSP approach can make an important contribution towards Sustainable Development Goal target 6.3, by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials, thereby halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.

CFD-RANS prediction of individual exposure from continuous release of hazardous airborne materials in complex urban environments

ABSTRACTOne of the key issues of recent research on the dispersion inside complex urban environments is the ability to predict individual exposure (maximum dosages) of an airborne material which is released continuously from a point source. The present work addresses the question whether the computational fluid dynamics (CFD)–Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) methodology can be used to predict individual exposure for various exposure times. This is feasible by providing the two RANS concentration moments (mean and variance) and a turbulent time scale to a deterministic model. The whole effort is focused on the prediction of individual exposure inside a complex real urban area. The capabilities of the proposed methodology are validated against wind-tunnel data (CUTE experiment). The present simulations were performed ‘blindly’, i.e. the modeller had limited information for the inlet boundary conditions and the results were kept unknown until the end of the COST Action ES1006. Thus, a high uncertainty of the results was expected. The general performance of the methodology due to this ‘blind’ strategy is good. The validation metrics fulfil the acceptance criteria. The effect of the grid and the turbulence model on the model performance is examined.

An Integrated System-Oriented Model for the Interoperability of Multiple Emergency Response Agencies in Large-Scale Disasters: Implications for the Persian Gulf

Failures in complex technological systems could have multiple dire aftermaths, including many deaths and injuries. These events, such as nuclear accidents, pose serious threats and long-lasting health and environmental consequences to workers, the local public, and possibly the whole country and neighboring regions. Such failures, given interconnectivities and interdependencies, could also have spillover effects and threaten the integrity of other systems operating in the same area. There is an essential need for effective integration and interoperability among multiple emergency response agencies, possibly from different countries, in the case of an accident in a safety-sensitive industry that causes the release of hazardous materials or contaminants. This article proposes a generic integrated system-oriented model to address this urgent need. It has been applied to the Persian Gulf area and its waters as a case study because of the existence of multiple co-located, safety-sensitive industries such as nuclear power generation, offshore oil and gas drilling, seawater desalination, and seafood harvesting. The Persian Gulf region and its ecosystems are highly vulnerable, and the countries around the Gulf are tightly interdependent, with an urgent need for cooperative emergency response planning. The Black Sea and other semiclosed, water-based ecosystems can also benefit from this model.

Conditional probabilities of post-release events for hazardous materials pipelines

Pipelines are commonly considered a safe alternative for the transportation of hazardous materials. However, in case of failure, pipelines still pose major risks to the environment and to the population potentially exposed. The aim of the present work is to provide occurrence probabilities of the intermediate and final events following the accidental release of hazardous materials from pipelines. A collection of incidents and accidents occurred worldwide in connection with the use of onshore long-distance pipeline networks, has been gathered to make up a specific database for the analysis of incidents in pipelines. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data has allowed to develop detailed event trees for the different classes of hazardous materials, and to calculate the probability of occurrence of the final outcomes. The investigation has also aimed at identifying, for each type of release, the relationship between the final events and the causes of the pipeline failure. The results obtained represent a useful and needed starting point in Quantitative Risk Analysis of hazardous materials transportation via pipelines.

Visual assessment of contaminant impacts in multizone buildings

A novel method is presented for the visualisation of steady-state concentrations and exposures that may result from the indoor release of hazardous airborne material. This impact matrix approach is designed for the analysis of air flow results for multizone building models and is intended to complement existing multizone software. The matrices are derived from a state-space formulation and can be used to directly calculate steady-state concentrations for continuous constant release rates, or exposures for finite mass releases. In addition to steady-state conditions, methods to visualise the time dependence of concentration and exposure are also provided. Example matrices are calculated and visualised for a single residential dwelling, an apartment block and a commercial healthcare building. The resulting impact matrices are interpreted to derive system level information on the spread of airborne material within the buildings. The results show important differences between the buildings that depend on their connectivity and ventilation.

국외 NaTech 사례연구를 통한 재난관리 방안 고찰

Natural disasters can cause major accidents in chemical facilities where they can lead to the release of hazardous materials which in turn can result in fires, explosions or toxic dispersion. Technological disasters triggered by natural disasters are referred to as NaTech(Natural Disaster Triggered Technological Disaster). These trends increase the probability of catastrophic future disasters and the potential for mass human exposure to hazardous materials released during disasters. In the present study, we proposed some methods for effective disaster management by conducting case study of major NaTech. First, establishing information sharing system of chemical accident for stakeholders and improving disaster manuals and standards of central and local government and co-operation support system. Second, activating information service of emergency planning and community right to know. Third, improving the integrated chemical accident database including NaTech accidents.