Of our collapsing infrastructure? A South Jersey railroad bridge collapsed this morning and four tanker cars are leaking vinyl chloride into Mantua Creek — which dumps directly into the Delaware River, which supplies our drinking water.
The latest example
The article reports that thus far 18 people have experienced breathing problems, and have been taken to medical facilities.
No kidding. I am rather surprised there hasn’t been some evacuation effort for as long as the tank cars are leaking.
Hundreds of chemical substances get mention as being a “suspected”, or “possible”, or “probable” human carcinogen.
Vinyl chloride is one of a relative few number of substances classified as a known human carcinogen.
What makes vinyl chloride especially troublesome is that it is a known carcinogen by both the pathways of inhalation and ingestion.
http://www.ecologycenter.org/iptf/toxicity/VCtoxicity.html
And as the link points out, one of the products of combustion of vinyl chloride is phosgene, which is a handy nerve gas to have if you would like to, I don’t know, re-fight the Battle of the Somme or something.
Like I say, I am surprised the article did not mention some sort of temporary evacuation effort.