Risk assessment resolves contamination concerns for local honey bees
At a glance
Environmental factors may greatly affect the health of the honey bee which in turn affect the health of humans. When toxic chemicals are released into the air near honey bees and their hives, it can affect the lives of the bees, the honey crop production, and the livelihood of those working in the honey industry.
The challenge
A tank car containing industrial-grade acrylonitrile traveling through Maryville, Tennessee, experienced mechanical damage causing containment failure and subsequent release of toxic chemicals. The chemicals caught fire and burned for approximately twelve hours.
A two-mile evacuation order was issued affecting five-thousand residents. Local beekeepers and regulatory agencies raised concerns about the potential contamination of nearby honey bees and their hives. As a result, the sale of honey was suspended in the area. GHD was engaged to perform a risk assessment to resolve any concerns and support the lifting of the ban.
Our response
Our team monitored the air continuously by collecting data to support emergency response activities, air quality assessment, and to protect community health. Data showed no detections of acetonitrile to hydrogen cyanide at concentrations above the site action levels.
Air emission modelling was conducted using state-of-the-art source and dispersion modelling software that uses algorithms to determine cloud dispersion, changes in cloud temperature, and the temperature of any pooled material, and other processes important to the rate of release and dispersion of acrylonitrile. The results of our modelling indicated that the by-products in the plume (particulate matter, hydrogen cyanide, and carbon monoxide) were not present at ground-level due to the initial plume rise.
The impact
Our testing results indicated the unlikeliness that the train incident involving acrylonitrile would impact the bees or honey in hives near the incident site, or become contaminated with acrylonitrile and become unfit for sale and consumption.
The honey ban was lifted after the Food and Drug Association tested and found no acrylonitrile in the honey or the bees, thereby confirming the findings from the risk assessment.