03/12/2018
The BHOPAL DISASTER, also referred to as the BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY, was a gas leak incident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
It was considered as of 2010 to be the world's worst industrial disaster.
Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas. The highly toxic substance made its way into and around the small towns located near the plant.
Also in 2009, the BBC took a water sample from a frequently used hand pump, located just north of the plant. The sample, tested in UK, was found to contain 1,000 times the World Health Organization's recommended maximum amount of carbon tetrachloride, a carcinogenic toxin.
A number of clinical studies are performed. The quality varies, but the different reports support each other.
Studied and reported long term health effects are:
* Eyes: Chronic conjunctivitis, scars on cornea, corneal opacities, early cataracts
* Respiratory tracts: Obstructive and/or restrictive disease, pulmonary fibrosis, aggravation of TB and chronic bronchitis
* Neurological system: Impairment of memory, finer motor skills, numbness etc.
* Psychological problems: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
* Children’s health: Peri- and neonatal death rates increased. Failure to grow, intellectual impairment, etc.
Missing or insufficient fields for research are female reproduction, chromosomal aberrations, cancer, immune deficiency, neurological sequelae, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and children born after the disaster. Late cases that might never be highlighted are respiratory insufficiency, cardiac insufficiency (cor pulmonale), cancer and tuberculosis. Bhopal now has high rates of birth defects and records a miscarriage rate 7x higher than the national average.
A 2014 report in Mother Jones quotes a "spokesperson for the Bhopal Medical Appeal, which runs free health clinics for survivors" as saying "An estimated 120,000 to 150,000 survivors still struggle with serious medical conditions including nerve damage, growth problems, gynecological disorders, respiratory issues, birth defects, and elevated rates of cancer and tuberculosis."
