ocial media users took to Twitter to complain about the foul smell in the air, which was dense with smoke in Umhlanga. (Photo by RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP via Getty Images)
Teams from eThekwini’s departments of environment, tourism and economic development are expected to begin a joint assessment on Thursday into the extent of the damage following an arson attack that caused a chemical warehouse blaze at Indian agrochemical giant United Phosphorus Limited’s (UPL) warehouse in Cornubia, KwaZulu-Natal.
The UPL agrochemical pesticide facility began burning last week as looting and destruction engulfed the province, and later, Gauteng. Social media users took to Twitter to complain about the foul smell in the air, which was dense with smoke in Umhlanga.
While residents and workers in Cornubia lamented the toxic air for days following the total destruction of a number of industrial parks in the surrounding areas, UPL remained mum.
The eThekwini municipality advised the public to refrain from all recreational activities, including fishing or surfing, bait collection and picking up dead species, while it assessed the extent of the health and environmental risks.
“We would like to advise the public of reported fish and crustacean kills at uMhlanga and uMdloti lagoons and some beaches in the vicinity. While the exact cause of this remains unknown, it is considered serious and can affect one’s health if collected and consumed,” the municipality said in a statement.
On Monday, UPL broke its silence on the chemical spill and air pollution, announcing that the company expected the flames at the warehouse to be completely doused by midweek, adding that preliminary consultations (with just one doctor) indicated that the health risks to humans were low.
“In his view, there is a minimal risk of any long-term effects to the health of people exposed to smoke from the warehouse. However, exposure in the short term to some of the chemicals contained in the crop solution products may result in dermal, eye and respiratory irritation,” UPL said in a statement.
UPL warned the public to stay indoors, wear double medical masks and to consult a doctor if they experienced severe effects from the chemical smoke.
“It is advisable … for people with asthmatic conditions and very young infants to avoid the immediate surroundings of the Cornubia warehouse. If residents in the area have health concerns they should seek medical advice,” it said.
“As a precaution, residents who are in contact with the smoke cloud are advised to wear double Covid-19-type surgical or soft cotton masks, of which the outer layer is kept slightly moist to trap particles and fumes. Dry noses should be lubricated with nasal tract remedies that are available from pharmacies or pure petroleum gel (not menthol rubs).”
amaBhungane reported that the agrochemical company released a list of chemicals that burnt in the warehouse to the organisation after initially declining to on Tuesday.
Among those was Dicamba, a pesticide that is banned in parts of the magisterial districts of Camperdown, Pietermaritzburg and Richmond.
UPL said the runoff was being contained and efforts were underway to deal with groundwater poisoning.
The environment, forestry and fisheries department said the team in KwaZulu-Natal would ensure that impacts were mitigated and that the containment measures were effective.
The team consists of specialists in aquatic systems, epidemiology (health risk assessment), waste and pollution enforcement as well as compliance in relation to oceans and coasts.
Local beaches have been closed as a precaution since the spill was first reported on 15 July.
In February, two workers died and twenty others were injured when a UPL factory in Jhagadia in Surat, India caught fire after a blast. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) later issued a total closure notice to the company, highlighting that the accident had occurred due to lapses in safety precautions, which resulted in water and air pollution in the area.
South Africa has been singled out among countries with lax regulations on harmful pesticides, including those banned in the European Union.
A 2003 study found that certain birth defects in babies born to mothers from the Eastern Cape province were positively correlated to the mothers’ exposure to agricultural chemicals. According to researchers the health risk posed by many pesticides was the driving force around the adoption of maximal residue levels in agricultural products.
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