) The case study screenshot has been attached down below and the last sentence of the story is written down below and answer ques a,b,c  which is written down below as well step-by-step. The last sentence of the case study is to save money and had been reducing monitoring, inspections, and maintenance. a) Use the following reaction to determine how much of each product would be released if 42 000 kg (42 tonnes) of methyl isocyanate  reacted with excess water. This is the reaction methyl isocyanate + water -> 1,3-dimethyl urea + carbon dioxide  b) Create a list of mistakes that led to the Bhopal disaster; you should be able to find at least eight. Evaluate the list of mistakes. Identify the three mistakes you think were most significant in causing the disaster, and justify your choice in a short (2-3 senstence) statement.  c) What are some reasons it would have been safer to store the methyl isocyanate in smaller containers? Identify at least three reasons.

Organic Chemistry
8th Edition
ISBN:9781305580350
Author:William H. Brown, Brent L. Iverson, Eric Anslyn, Christopher S. Foote
Publisher:William H. Brown, Brent L. Iverson, Eric Anslyn, Christopher S. Foote
Chapter20: Dienes, Conjugated Systems, And Pericyclic Reactions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 20.27P
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1) The case study screenshot has been attached down below and the last sentence of the story is written down below and answer ques a,b,c  which is written down below as well step-by-step.

The last sentence of the case study is to save money and had been reducing monitoring, inspections, and maintenance.

a) Use the following reaction to determine how much of each product would be released if 42 000 kg (42 tonnes) of methyl isocyanate  reacted with excess water. This is the reaction methyl isocyanate + water -> 1,3-dimethyl urea + carbon dioxide 

b) Create a list of mistakes that led to the Bhopal disaster; you should be able to find at least eight. Evaluate the list of mistakes. Identify the three mistakes you think were most significant in causing the disaster, and justify your choice in a short (2-3 senstence) statement. 

c) What are some reasons it would have been safer to store the methyl isocyanate in smaller containers? Identify at least three reasons.

18. Case study: The Bhopal disaster
On the night of December 2, 1984, in the town of Bhopal in central India a horrible disaster
occurred at the Union Carbide chemical plant. The plant was producing a pesticide called
carbaryl (CHNO₂), commercially known as Sevin. One of the steps in the manufacture
of carbaryl requires the use of a chemical called methylisocyanate (C,H,NO). Methyl
isocyanate is a clear, colourless liquid that has a sharp odour. Used in the production of
pesticide, rubber, and adhesive, it is highly flammable. Methylisocyanate is soluble in water,
yet it also reacts with water to produce carbon dioxide and a dangerous urea compound.
Methylisocyanate is extremely toxic to people. It can cause damage through inhalation,
ingestion, and contact in very small quantities. Symptoms of exposure include coughing.
chest pain, shortness of breath, asthma, irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as
well as skin damage. Methylisocyanate is very reactive, and so has important storage
requirements. It can be stored safely only in stainless steel or glass containers at
temperatures below 40°C. It should also be stored in small quantities, such as in an oil drum
rather than a large chemical storage tank.
On the tragic day in Bhopal, large amounts of water entered one of the methylisocyanate
Transcribed Image Text:18. Case study: The Bhopal disaster On the night of December 2, 1984, in the town of Bhopal in central India a horrible disaster occurred at the Union Carbide chemical plant. The plant was producing a pesticide called carbaryl (CHNO₂), commercially known as Sevin. One of the steps in the manufacture of carbaryl requires the use of a chemical called methylisocyanate (C,H,NO). Methyl isocyanate is a clear, colourless liquid that has a sharp odour. Used in the production of pesticide, rubber, and adhesive, it is highly flammable. Methylisocyanate is soluble in water, yet it also reacts with water to produce carbon dioxide and a dangerous urea compound. Methylisocyanate is extremely toxic to people. It can cause damage through inhalation, ingestion, and contact in very small quantities. Symptoms of exposure include coughing. chest pain, shortness of breath, asthma, irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as skin damage. Methylisocyanate is very reactive, and so has important storage requirements. It can be stored safely only in stainless steel or glass containers at temperatures below 40°C. It should also be stored in small quantities, such as in an oil drum rather than a large chemical storage tank. On the tragic day in Bhopal, large amounts of water entered one of the methylisocyanate
storage tanks. This tank contained 42 tonnes of methylisocyanate. When it reacted with
the water, the temperature inside the tank increased to over 200°C. The high temperature
served only to boil the methylisocyanate and increase the rate of the reaction. This created
high pressure inside the tank and forced emergency venting. Large amounts of gases had to
be released into the atmosphere. A mixture of poisonous gases flooded the city of Bhopal in
the middle of the night.
People woke up to buming sensations in their lungs and thousands died immediately. As
people woke and tried to flee, panic ensued and many people were also killed in the rush to
get away. Over time, as more people were exposed to the gases, it is estimated that almost
30 000 people died because of this incident. Union Carbide, an American company, agreed
to pay $470 million in compensation in 1989. In 2009, an Indian court re-issued a warrant for
the arrest of the president of the company. He did not return to India to face trial, and died in
2014 at the age of 92.
After the disaster, a full investigation into the cause was initiated. Although the water
that entered the tank caused the reactions and the subsequent gas leak, many different
contributing factors were identified.
One factor was the use of methylisocyanate in the first place. Pesticides can be
manufactured without the use of methyl isocyanate, but Union Carbide had decided to
use it because it is less expensive than other compounds. In the 1980s, reduction of other
chemical processes led to a buildup of unused methylisocyanate, so it was also readily
available.
Another factor was storage: the company was storing methylisocyanate in large tanks
rather than using many smaller oil drums. The storage tanks had alarms on them, but the
alarms were not working. The tanks also had the ability to cool the methylisocyanate to
4.50C, but the refrigeration was not being used in order to reduce costs, so the temperature
was around 200C. Refrigeration likely would have prevented the disaster completely. The
tanks were connected to valves and pipelines not made of stainless steel. Over time,
corrosion in the pipelines resulted in exposed iron. The iron acts as a catalyst, speeding up
the isocyanate reactions.
On the night of the disaster, a leaking valve had been discovered, allowing water to get into
the storage tank. It was not repaired because it was believed to be too time-consuming and
expensive,
People also played a factor. The plant was located too close to a densely populated area.
Staff was not always trained properly, and there were many complaints by the workers
and union about the unsafe working conditions and the harmful effects of the chemicals.
Operation manuals were only in English, even though most of the workers did not have a
strong grasp of the language.
Throughout the investigation, many examples were found of safety systems not being used
or not functioning properly. Systems had been shut down to save money and no action plans
for incidents like the one that happened had been developed. The company had been trying
Transcribed Image Text:storage tanks. This tank contained 42 tonnes of methylisocyanate. When it reacted with the water, the temperature inside the tank increased to over 200°C. The high temperature served only to boil the methylisocyanate and increase the rate of the reaction. This created high pressure inside the tank and forced emergency venting. Large amounts of gases had to be released into the atmosphere. A mixture of poisonous gases flooded the city of Bhopal in the middle of the night. People woke up to buming sensations in their lungs and thousands died immediately. As people woke and tried to flee, panic ensued and many people were also killed in the rush to get away. Over time, as more people were exposed to the gases, it is estimated that almost 30 000 people died because of this incident. Union Carbide, an American company, agreed to pay $470 million in compensation in 1989. In 2009, an Indian court re-issued a warrant for the arrest of the president of the company. He did not return to India to face trial, and died in 2014 at the age of 92. After the disaster, a full investigation into the cause was initiated. Although the water that entered the tank caused the reactions and the subsequent gas leak, many different contributing factors were identified. One factor was the use of methylisocyanate in the first place. Pesticides can be manufactured without the use of methyl isocyanate, but Union Carbide had decided to use it because it is less expensive than other compounds. In the 1980s, reduction of other chemical processes led to a buildup of unused methylisocyanate, so it was also readily available. Another factor was storage: the company was storing methylisocyanate in large tanks rather than using many smaller oil drums. The storage tanks had alarms on them, but the alarms were not working. The tanks also had the ability to cool the methylisocyanate to 4.50C, but the refrigeration was not being used in order to reduce costs, so the temperature was around 200C. Refrigeration likely would have prevented the disaster completely. The tanks were connected to valves and pipelines not made of stainless steel. Over time, corrosion in the pipelines resulted in exposed iron. The iron acts as a catalyst, speeding up the isocyanate reactions. On the night of the disaster, a leaking valve had been discovered, allowing water to get into the storage tank. It was not repaired because it was believed to be too time-consuming and expensive, People also played a factor. The plant was located too close to a densely populated area. Staff was not always trained properly, and there were many complaints by the workers and union about the unsafe working conditions and the harmful effects of the chemicals. Operation manuals were only in English, even though most of the workers did not have a strong grasp of the language. Throughout the investigation, many examples were found of safety systems not being used or not functioning properly. Systems had been shut down to save money and no action plans for incidents like the one that happened had been developed. The company had been trying
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