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Absolutely empty city. Embossed eye sockets of windows. Wind chasing foliage along empty streets. Waillessly hanging wires. And tablets around: “Do not enter!” “Life threatening!” “Contaminated territory!” This is Italy, the city of Seveso, the year 1976. A town in Lombardy Do 1976 Seveso was a small cozy city in northern Italy. The population is 17,000 people, most of whom worked for Swiss-owned ICMESA factory manufacturing deodorants and soap. They paid well, and the city authorities already considered a chemical plant built in Seveso 5 years ago even as some kind of good: men stopped leaving the city in search of work, money flowed into the municipal treasury, the city found stability. It all ended on July 10, 1976 at 12:40. Black Saturday Seveso It was a day off, there were only 10 at the factory the person conducting the routine inspection of the equipment. They were in the dining room when there was a loud bang that turned into piercing whistle. Workers ran outside and saw that over one of the safety valves rises a white pillar. FROM particles of a chemical showered like snow in the sky. According to instructions, emergency cranes were immediately opened, and into the reactor water gushed out. However, all the activities carried out by the workers were already useless: a poisonous cloud slowly floated over the city. 
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The city smelled of chlorine. People were choked by coughing, tears came out. A strange fog settled on trees, houses, land in the form of white crystals resembling wet salt. Many felt headache and nausea. At 17:45, representatives of the plant officially informed the city hall about the release of trichlorophenol and recommended to warn the population about undesirable use to eat fruits and vegetables from local land. Strange consequences July 14 local hospital was crowded victims, among which children prevailed. Their skin was covered rash and purulent ulcers. Adults complained of weakness, headaches pains. Patients talked about things that were difficult to believe: animals and birds died en masse, everyone rested in the houses cats and dogs, chickens and rabbits died in hundreds, flowing in cows fluid from the eyes and ears, plants in the fields dry out and curl. Factory workers said that all workers after the shift take a shower, work clothes are removed and burned. Doctors were lost hunched and continued to treat trichlorophenol poisoning. The hidden truth on July 18, when the birds were already lying on streets, by order (not the company’s management, but the mayor of the city!) work at the factory was suspended. Yes, within 8 days after accident factory continued to work!
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A reporter from Milan Bruno Ambrosi, who had chemist education. It was he who established that something happened in Seveso the release is not relatively safe trichlorophenol, and terrible dioxin. ICMESA representatives reluctantly confirmed that, yes, during about 2 kg of toxic were actually thrown into the accident poison. Quick Reference Dioxin is one of the most potent toxins, stronger than arsenic and strychnine. The lethal dose is 10-6 g per 1 kg. live weight. In combat poisonous substances (chemical weapons) soman and sarin this an indicator of 10-3 g / kg. Two kg of dioxin – an amount sufficient to kill 100 million people. It affects the kidneys and liver. Is an “mutagenic”, i.e. able to influence the fetus in the womb – can cause the birth of freaks. Rescue operation The Italian government has declared a state of emergency. Around the city warning signs were installed. From the infection zone (1500 ha) the evacuation of the population began. It was decided destruction of the entire crop of fruits and vegetables. The area was fenced with prickly wire, set up carabinieri posts. The team that entered the zone protective suits destroyed all surviving animals (up to small rodents – about 70,000) and several thousand tons plants. 20cm was shot. a layer of land (more than 200 thousand cubic meters), exported and buried. To avoid the birth of freaks for women from Seveso were Allowed abortion at any stage of pregnancy. Reason Answer to the question “what was the reason?” not looking long – he was lying right on surface. In chemical plants behind safety valves put additional containers, where the poisonous release occurs substances in the event of an accident. In the factory in Seveso, these tanks are simply did not have! Critical mass accumulation emergency valve It worked, as expected, and threw the excess directly into the atmosphere! And the consequences After the accident, more than 36,000 people remained under overseen by doctors for many years. Of the 187 children, 2 died. Every second of the infection zone was soon diagnosed. “crayfish”. In the disaster area in 1977 were born with physical or mental disabilities of 38 children. Five company employees were appointed guilty, received term, but released on probation term. The real culprit – ICMESA escaped with compensation in 10 million. Euro. For many years, Seveso was a ghost town. When the authorities considered that the level of infection in the zone had dropped to safe, most of the residents came back. Today in Seveso live more 20,000 people. However, 256 former residents are doctors persistently not recommended returning unless they want to die quickly and excruciatingly.
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