Haz Mat: On the Line- BURNING ACETONITRILE

摘要

Interstate 40 was closed for more than 16 hours last year by a burning trailer loaded with 55-galln drums of the toxic flammable liquid acetonitrile. A colorless liquid with an aromatic odor, acetonitrile forms cyanide in the body if ingested or inhaled. It has a permissible exposure level (PEL) of 40 parts per million (ppm) and an immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) level of 500 ppm. The incident occurred several miles west of the small northern Arizona town of Two Guns, in a county area that has no fire departments. Firefighters from the nearby volunteer Doney Park Fire District responded, along with a hazardous materials captain from the Flagstaff Fire Department.