VISAKHAPATNAM: Nearly two years after the styrene gas disaster in Visakhapatnam that killed 12 people and affected thousands, an analytical study conducted by a group of doctors/experts, including those who worked on the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, proposed continuous monitoring of the exposed population using epidemiological research protocols.
They asked for incorporation of risk stratification and clinical investigation.
The experts recommended a multispeciality hospital with state-of-the-art facilities for monitoring and specialised treatment of victims. The health effect studies must be guided by exposure stratification of the population by biological monitoring, location, and movement of the individual while exposed to the gas, they said.
12 people died, hundreds hospitalised after gas leak
Styrene gas leaked from LG Polymers located at RR Venkatapuram in Vizag outskirts on May 7, 2020. This led to the death of 12 people and hospitalisation of hundreds of people residing in and around Venkatapuram.
The gas had affected animals of all sizes and plants. As many as 32 animals, including cattle, dogs, and a cat died. Stretches of greenery turned pale brown in Venkatapuram village. What made the leak more significant was that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that styrene is a possible carcinogen.
Dr V Ramana Dhara, who served as a member of the international medical commission on Bhopal gas tragedy, told TOI that both Bhopal gas tragedy and Vizag styrene leak happened during the night and when the plants were getting ready for a restart.
"A series of meticulous steps need to be followed for restarting an industry dealing with a synthetic chemical like styrene. Blood and body fluid samples of the victims should be immediately collected after the leak and frozen to determine styrene exposure. This does not only serve the purpose of monitoring the victims, but also provides objective evidence regarding styrene exposure in them," said Dr Ramana.
Dr Digumarthi Raghunadha Rao, former director of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and chief of medical oncology at KIMS-ICON Hospital, said that preparedness for a disaster like LG polymers styrene leak should be the need of the hour because we have many industries containing dangerous substances in Visakhapatnam. "The exposed population in styrene leak disaster comprise children, pregnant women and people with comorbidities, apart from plants and animals. This population would form the cohort for inclusion in the long term studies," said Dr Raghunadha Rao.
Dr GR Sridhar of Endocrine and Diabetes Centre, Visakhapatnam, and Dr Thomas H. Gassert of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, are the other authors of the study.
