The fish in the river collectively "turned upside down"! The "culprit" turned out to be this dangerous car washing behavior...

Author: Duan Yuechu, Huang Xianghong, Huang Yanhong

In our daily lives, washing cars is a common thing. But when it comes to special vehicles carrying hazardous chemicals, it must not be treated casually. Recently, a driver was caught washing a tanker truck filled with anhydrous ammonia in a river, which attracted widespread attention. Now, let's take this incident as a starting point to explore the huge harm behind this behavior and related scientific knowledge.

At noon on September 11, 2024, a heart-wrenching incident occurred on the banks of the Meishui River in Fukou Town. The Fukou Police Station received a report from the public that a large number of fish in the Meishui River had died. The police on duty quickly rushed to the scene and saw a large number of fish with their white bellies turned upside down. A tanker loaded with hazardous chemicals was parked by the river not far away. With their keen intuition, the police felt that the large-scale death of these fish was likely related to this tanker.

Soon, the police found the tanker driver Yang. At first, when the police questioned him, Yang hesitated and was evasive. But after the police summoned him to the police station, educated him on legal knowledge and explained in detail the risks and hidden dangers his behavior might bring, Yang finally admitted that he was cleaning the tanker filled with anhydrous ammonia in the river at noon to save money.

So what exactly is anhydrous ammonia, and why does cleaning a tank truck filled with it have such serious consequences?

Anhydrous ammonia is a very important chemical raw material. In the chemical field, such as refrigeration, fertilizer and other industries, it is indispensable. But at the same time, anhydrous ammonia is highly irritating and corrosive. If it leaks accidentally, the consequences will be disastrous, causing serious harm to the human body and even endangering life.

Once anhydrous ammonia leaks out, it will enter the soil and water bodies, causing environmental pollution. Among them, ammonia nitrogen is one of the main pollutants in water bodies. Excessive ammonia nitrogen will cause the water quality to deteriorate sharply and seriously affect the survival of aquatic organisms. In this incident, it was because the driver Yang was cleaning the tank truck filled with anhydrous ammonia in the river that caused the anhydrous ammonia to leak into the river, which caused the death of a large number of fish.

Illegal cleaning of anhydrous ammonia tankers poses more than just one risk. It is important to note that operators usually do not receive professional training and have a serious lack of awareness of the hazards of anhydrous ammonia. During the cleaning process, they are likely to put themselves in danger because they do not know the correct protective methods. Once a leak occurs, operators may inhale ammonia gas, which may cause symptoms such as respiratory irritation and eye burns. In severe cases, it may even cause suffocation and death.

Moreover, illegal cleaning of anhydrous ammonia tankers may also pose a potential threat to the surrounding environment and residents. If the leaked anhydrous ammonia spreads into the air, the health of nearby residents will be affected. At the same time, the leaked anhydrous ammonia may also pollute the surrounding soil and water sources, causing long-term damage to the ecological environment.

From this incident, we can clearly understand that the management and handling of hazardous chemicals must be taken seriously. The transportation, storage and cleaning of hazardous chemicals must strictly comply with relevant laws and regulations and safety operating procedures at every stage.

When transporting hazardous chemicals, vehicles must have the appropriate qualifications and safety equipment. Drivers and escorts must also undergo professional training and be familiar with the nature, hazards, and emergency response methods of hazardous chemicals. During transportation, it is imperative to ensure that the vehicle has good safety performance to prevent leakage accidents.

There are strict requirements for the storage of hazardous chemicals. The storage site must have appropriate fire prevention, explosion prevention, ventilation and other facilities, and must be far away from residential areas and water sources. Different types of hazardous chemicals must be stored separately to prevent reactions between them.

As for the cleaning of hazardous chemicals, it must be carried out in a professional place and operated by professionally trained personnel. When cleaning, it is necessary to strictly abide by the safety operating procedures and take effective protective measures to prevent leakage accidents.

At the same time, we should increase the publicity of science to the public to improve everyone's understanding of hazardous chemicals and safety awareness. Let everyone know the hazards of hazardous chemicals and the correct way to deal with them, so as to avoid danger caused by ignorance.

If a hazardous chemical leak occurs, how should we deal with it correctly? Be sure to call the police immediately. After discovering a hazardous chemical leak, call the police immediately and report the leak to the relevant department, including detailed information such as the type of leaked substance, the location of the leak, and the extent of the leak.

Evacuate quickly. Leave the leak site as soon as possible while ensuring your own safety. Do not panic when evacuating, and evacuate in an orderly manner according to the predetermined escape route. If the leaked substance is toxic or irritating, put on protective equipment such as masks and gloves immediately.

Set up a warning area around the leakage site to prevent unauthorized persons from entering. The size of the warning area should be determined according to the nature and extent of the leaked substance.

For those who may be exposed to the leaked substances, appropriate protective measures should be taken, such as wearing protective clothing, protective glasses, etc. At the same time, they should avoid contact with the leaked substances to prevent injuries.

If conditions permit, you can try to plug the leak, but it must be done by professionals and effective protective measures must be taken to prevent accidents.

After the leakage accident is under control, the leakage site must be cleaned up and disposed of in a timely manner. The cleaning and disposal work must be carried out in accordance with relevant environmental protection requirements to prevent secondary pollution to the environment.

In addition, if someone is injured after a hazardous chemical leak, we need to know some first aid methods. If the respiratory tract is irritated by inhaling ammonia, the injured person should be quickly transferred to a place with fresh air to keep the respiratory tract open. If breathing is difficult, oxygen should be given immediately. If the eyes are burned, rinse the eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, and then seek medical attention as soon as possible. If the skin comes into contact with hazardous chemicals, the contaminated clothing should be taken off immediately, and the contaminated skin should be rinsed with plenty of water, and medical attention should also be sought as soon as possible.

In short, the incident of the driver cleaning the tank truck containing anhydrous ammonia in the river has sounded a heavy alarm for us. We must deeply realize the dangers of hazardous chemicals, strictly abide by relevant laws and regulations and safety operating procedures, strengthen the management and handling of hazardous chemicals, and ensure the safety of people's lives and property and the stability of the ecological environment. Only in this way can we avoid similar tragedies from happening again.