A news item in Hindu news paper today is about leakage and impact of acid fumes on residents of three villages. The leakage and spread of fumes from possible broken bottles containing bromine (HBr?) caused health complications such as irritation in the eyes, trachea and stomach, coughing, nausea, skin allergy. Another report says about the quantity stored as 40 bottles of each 750 ml. And as per another report, it is stored in 2 and 5 lit bottles and liquid bromine from one broken bottle reacted with husk in the area. I am unable to guess what quantity of the chemical leaked that caused spread of thick fumes to three villages affecting the people.
A report on the same incident mentions
about reaction of leaking bromine (caused due to mishandling) with HCl acid nearby (whether this also leaked from bottles or kept in open condition is not known) created thick fumes, reduced visibility, and prompt action by TNPCB engineer brought down the fumes and odour and control of situation. Another report mentioned that all workers inside the factory were safe as they use masks.
As per OSHA, permissible exposure limit and TLV as per ACGIH is 0.1 ppm and NIOSH IDLH is 3 ppm. The leak occurred in the night. Assuming even a distance of 1 km between villages, spread of thick fumes thus far, that too at night (assuming no wind) requires huge quantity of chemical and leakage of this much quantity from bottles simultaneously and reaction with other chemical indicates need for secured and safe storage of chemical and monitoring any site, imparting training about safe handling of chemicals and emergency.