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 disasterOn the night of December 2, 1984, in the town of Bhopal in central India a horrible disasteroccurred at the Union Carbide chemical plant. The plant was producing a pesticide calledcarbaryl (CHNO₂), commercially known as Sevin. One of the steps in the manufactureof carbaryl requires the use of a chemical called methylisocyanate (C,H,NO). Methylisocyanate is a clear, colourless liquid that has a sharp odour. Used in the production ofpesticide, 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, aswell as skin damage. Methylisocyanate is very reactive, and so has important storagerequirements. It can be stored safely only in stainless steel or glass containers attemperatures below 40°C. It should also be stored in small quantities, such as in an oil drumrather 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 withthe water, the temperature inside the tank increased to over 200°C. The high temperatureserved only to boil the methylisocyanate and increase the rate of the reaction. This createdhigh pressure inside the tank and forced emergency venting. Large amounts of gases had tobe released into the atmosphere. A mixture of poisonous gases flooded the city of Bhopal inthe middle of the night.People woke up to buming sensations in their lungs and thousands died immediately. Aspeople woke and tried to flee, panic ensued and many people were also killed in the rush toget away. Over time, as more people were exposed to the gases, it is estimated that almost30 000 people died because of this incident. Union Carbide, an American company, agreedto pay $470 million in compensation in 1989. In 2009, an Indian court re-issued a warrant forthe arrest of the president of the company. He did not return to India to face trial, and died in2014 at the age of 92.After the disaster, a full investigation into the cause was initiated. Although the waterthat entered the tank caused the reactions and the subsequent gas leak, many differentcontributing factors were identified.One factor was the use of methylisocyanate in the first place. Pesticides can bemanufactured without the use of methyl isocyanate, but Union Carbide had decided touse it because it is less expensive than other compounds. In the 1980s, reduction of otherchemical processes led to a buildup of unused methylisocyanate, so it was also readilyavailable.Another factor was storage: the company was storing methylisocyanate in large tanksrather than using many smaller oil drums. The storage tanks had alarms on them, but thealarms were not working. The tanks also had the ability to cool the methylisocyanate to4.50C, but the refrigeration was not being used in order to reduce costs, so the temperaturewas around 200C. Refrigeration likely would have prevented the disaster completely. Thetanks 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 upthe isocyanate reactions.On the night of the disaster, a leaking valve had been discovered, allowing water to get intothe storage tank. It was not repaired because it was believed to be too time-consuming andexpensive,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 workersand 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 astrong grasp of the language.Throughout the investigation, many examples were found of safety systems not being usedor not functioning properly. Systems had been shut down to save money and no action plansfor incidents like the one that happened had been developed. The company had been trying

a) The balanced equation for the reaction between methyl isocyanate and water is:Methyl isocyanate +…

Answered: ) The case study screenshot has been…

10th Edition

ISBN:9781305957404

Author:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste

Publisher:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste

Chapter1: Chemical Foundations

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1RQ: Define and explain the differences between the following terms. a. law and theory b. theory and...