What are the occupational hazards of saponification wastewater to humans?
Thread Content
I work at a chemical plant, where filter presses are used to treat the saponification wastewater generated during the production of propylene oxide via the chlorohydrin process. I am constantly exposed to an environment with high temperatures and high humidity; the COD level of this wastewater is also quite high, as it contains unreacted chlorohydrin. I can hardly detect the scent of vegetables anymore. What are the hazards of long-term exposure to calcium carbide sludge?
Please do not tell me after I have had an episode: handshake. This post was last edited by lyhh9024 on 2009-3-16 at 18:55.]
Prolonged exposure can damage a person’s sense of smell and reduce their immunity! If I’m not mistaken, your company is a small chemical enterprise with fewer than 300 employees! Larger companies do a good job in this area! The most effective method is to ensure proper ventilation promptly to allow fresh air to circulate inside!
Did I post this in the wrong place? Is there really no one who knows that protecting against occupational hazards and occupational diseases is also a very important aspect of safety work?
No, our chemical plant was just built. There are over 500 people working at our plant, and the parent company employs around 3,000 people in total. Our plant is among the notable ones in the country. Haha, it’s embarrassing to admit this, but the safety measures here are extremely poor. There are hardly any ventilation systems – just a few windows open. The only form of protection provided is a charcoal respirator for each worker; wearing one makes it almost impossible to breathe. Over time, this can damage a person’s sense of smell and weaken their immune system! What are those other hazards? Thank you all
As the original poster said, high temperatures and high humidity can lead to occupational diseases such as occupational heatstroke; as for chlorohydrin, its scientific name could not be found. I’m not sure what the difference is between electric cement and cement dust; it can be roughly inferred that if dust is present, it warrants attention.
Some information was found: Propylene oxide. Propylene oxide: also known as oxidized propylene； Methyl ethylene oxide ； English name: Propylene o*de ； Abbreviation: PO ； CAS RN: 75-56-9 Molecular formula: C3H6O ； Molecular weight: 58.08. Propylene oxide (PO), also known as oxidized propylene, is a very important raw material for organic compounds; it is the third most significant propylene derivative after polypropylene and acrylonitrile. Propylene oxide is a toxic, flammable, and explosive substance with a low boiling point and is soluble in water. It can be obtained by chlorohydrination of propylene, or by co-oxidation of propylene, ethylbenzene, or propylene and isobutanol. A colorless, flammable liquid with a boiling point of 34.2°C; it is partially miscible with water and forms explosive mixtures with air, the explosion limit being 2.7% to 37% (by volume). It is an important raw material in organic chemical manufacturing, and it is the second-largest product in the propylene series. The main use is to produce polyols (polyethers), which are then used to make polyurethanes ； It is also used to produce non-ionic surfactants and demulsifiers. Propylene glycol, obtained through the hydrolysis of propylene oxide, is also an important chemical product. Propylene oxide was industrially produced in 1927 by the United Carbon Company in the United States, and the commonly used production methods are the chlorohydrin method and the liquid-phase oxidation method. Furthermore, propylene can also be reacted with peracetic acid to produce propylene oxide, but this method has not seen any development since it was put into use in 1969. The chlorohydrin method is basically carried out in two steps. First, hypochlorous acid reacts with propylene to produce chloropropanol: CH3CH2CH2 + HClO → CH3CHOHCH2Cl. The reaction takes place at a temperature of 35–50°C, usually under normal pressure in a carbon steel tower lined with tiles. Then, the chloropropanol solution is typically subjected to a saponification reaction with lime milk containing 10%–15% (by mass) of calcium hydroxide, under steam conditions, to produce propylene oxide. The chlorohydrin process is simple and represents the main method for producing propylene oxide; however, it requires large amounts of chlorine and involves high costs for wastewater treatment. 1,2-Epoxypropane Part 1: Chemical Name Chinese name of the chemical: 1,2-Epoxypropane English name of the chemical: 1,2-epoxypropane Alternative Chinese name: Propylene oxide Alternative English name: Propylene oxide Technical data sheet code: 128 CAS No.: 75-56-9 Molecular formula: C3H6O Molecular weight: 58.08 Part 2: Composition/Ingredient Information CAS No. of harmful components: Are these two substances the same?
Chlorohydrin is chloropropanol; it is produced when hypochlorous acid reacts with propylene: CH3CH2CH2 + HClO → CH3CHOHCH2Cl. Calcium carbide sludge is the solid residue that remains after calcium carbide reacts with water
It is recommended that the poster invite a local occupational health assessment agency to conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of occupational health controls in your company.
The company is in an economic crisis, and in order to get out of this situation, the management doesn’t care about what happens to the employees. That’s why I’m here posting to ask for everyone’s help
Calcium carbide sludge itself should not be very harmful.
What about long-term inhalation? Could one get pneumoconiosis?
The Chinese name for chloropropane mentioned by the poster is 3-chloro-1-propanol, also known as trimethylchlorohydrin! Health hazards: Vapor or mist is irritating to the eyes, mucous membranes, and upper respiratory tract. It is irritating to the skin. Personal protection: Respiratory protection: When the concentration in the air exceeds the permissible level, it is necessary to wear a self-priming filter-type gas mask (half-mask). An air respirator should be worn during emergency rescue or evacuation. Eye protection: Wear chemical safety goggles. Body protection: Wear chemical-resistant work clothing. Hand protection: Wear rubber gloves. Other protections: Smoking, eating, and drinking are prohibited at the work site. Once the work is done, clean thoroughly. Store the clothes contaminated with toxins separately and wash them before using them again. Pay attention to personal hygiene. First aid measures: Skin contact: Remove contaminated clothing and rinse thoroughly with plenty of flowing water. Eye contact: Lift the eyelids and rinse with flowing water or saline. Seek medical attention. Inhalation: Remove from the area to fresh air. If there is difficulty breathing, administer oxygen. Seek medical attention. Ingestion: Drink plenty of warm water and induce vomiting. Seek medical attention. Calcium carbide waste mainly contains Ca(OH)2, which can serve as a substitute for slaked lime and is widely used in industries such as construction, chemicals, metallurgy, and agriculture. If we are to talk about the harms~~ it’s the degradation of soil and salinization. As for the harm to humans, it’s as the original poster said — dust
These chemicals are generally somewhat harmful to the human body; they cause damage only when they accumulate to a certain level. They can be harmful to the skin, respiratory system, and nervous system... It’s better to minimize exposure to wastewater and exhaust gases from chemical plants. Moreover, some wastewater may appear clear, and exhaust gases may have no odor, but they could still be highly toxic. If you can no longer detect any smell, it means those substances are having an adverse effect on the body, so it’s best to avoid such exposure. Making money is important, but one needs a healthy body to enjoy those earnings