Fforestfach tyre fire BKK student version

Background – tyre fires • EU Landfill Directive bans disposal of tyres, whole or shredded to landfill – have to be recycled • 10 large tyre dumps across the UK contain 13m tyres • Total UK annual estimates vary – approximately 500,000t 2011 – Swansea 2010 – Wem (Shropshire) Mexborough (Yorkshire) 2009 – Baglan, Port Talbot • SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH RISK • ILLEGAL STOCKPILING INCREASING PROBLEM Fforestfach tyre fire • Tyre fire at warehouse on industrial estate (16611) • Source material est. 5,000 tonnes of tyre flock • Dark, dense smoke plume • Burned for over 3 weeks • Air quality monitoring established at outset (AQC) • Met conditions varied over time • Plausible that all within a 2km radius were exposed • Novel fire fighting techniques required • Major incident declared

Public Health Wales

Fforestfach tyre fire: the public health

response

Professor David Russell, The WHO Collaborating Centre for Chemical Incidents

Public Health Wales

Background – tyre fires

Health Protection Agency

• EU Landfill Directive bans disposal of tyres, whole or

shredded to landfill – have to be recycled

• 10 large tyre dumps across the UK contain 13m tyres

• Total UK annual estimates vary – approximately 500,000t

- 2011 – Swansea

- 2010 – Wem (Shropshire) & Mexborough (Yorkshire)

- 2009 – Baglan, Port Talbot

• SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH RISK

• ILLEGAL STOCKPILING INCREASING PROBLEM

• http://www.wales-calling.com/wales-buttons-maps/wales-town-map.gif

Public Health Wales

Fforestfach tyre fire

Health Protection Agency

• Tyre fire at warehouse on industrial estate (16/6/11)

• Source material est 5,000 tonnes of tyre flock

• Dark, dense smoke plume

• Burned for over 3 weeks

• Air quality monitoring established at outset (AQC)

• Met conditions varied over time

• Plausible that all within a 2km radius were exposed

• Novel fire fighting techniques required

• Major incident declared

Questions; Hazard Identification

• What chemicals could have been

released?

• What are the hazardous properties?

Public Health Wales

Questions: Hazard Characterisation

• What properties of the chemical(s) have the potential to cause adverse health

effects?

• Do guidelines from international

organisations exist for the chemical(s)?

• What assumptions are made about

exposure and dose?

• Do these assumptions reflect the local population?

Public Health Wales

Sensitive Receptors

Areas and specific buildings under

plume that may have residents more

sensitive to pollutants including

• Schools / nurseries (children)

• Care Homes (elderly / infirm)

• Hospitals / health centres (ill/pregnant)

Other Receptors

• General Residential Communities

• Commercial Properties

Schools Sheltered Complexes Nursing Homes

Receptors

X

Question: Exposure

assessment

• How could people come into contact with the chemicals?

• How much exposure is likely to

occur?

• For how long is exposure likely to

occur?

Public Health Wales

Use Met and chemical data to predict direction and distance travelled by

plume incorporating

• Wind direction / Speed

• Ambient Temperature / Pressure

• Chemical Properties

• Buoyancy of plume

• Rainfall Deposition

Used to help site monitors and inform messages and decisions

Pathways

Health Protection Agency

Public Health Wales

Particulates

• PM10 near source over 6000 μg/m 3

• Peaks above Trigger 1 and Trigger 2

• 24 hour means exceeding Trigger 1

• No 24 hour means above Trigger 2

•Plume shifting with changing wind direction reducing exposure time for each area affected

Gases

• Odours detected over very wide areas

• No values above AEGL 2

Asbestos

• Controls for safe removal and disposal of wastes

Results and observations

Monitoring Data – Particulates (Running 24 Hour Means)

PM 10 monitoring results

Questions: Risk Characterisation

• How do the concentrations compare with the guideline values?

Public Health Wales

Questions: Risk mitigation

• What could be done to reduce the risk to the public?

Public Health Wales