On July 10, 1976, a valve broke at the Industrie Chimiche Meda Società Azionaria (ICMESA) chemical plant in Meda, just north of Milan, Italy. This accident resulted in the release of a chemical cloud containing the highly toxic dioxin TCDD.

What happened Seveso 1976?

On July 10, 1976, an explosion at a northern Italian chemical plant released a thick, white cloud of dioxin that quickly settled on the town of Seveso, north of Milan. First, animals began to die. See TIME’s story on returning to Seveso two years after the disaster.

How was Seveso cleaned?

The local government, in coordinated efforts with ICMESA, embarked on cleaning up the contaminated area. Some evacuees were able to return to their homes, and the local government turned the rest of the zone into a public park known as the Seveso Oak Forest Park.

What caused Seveso disaster?

Abstract—The accident which occurred during the production of TCP at Seveso. Italy, was possibly caused by an unforeseeable exothermic reaction with increase of temperature, slow decomposition of the reaction mass, formation of gas and rise in pressure.

What was the cause of Seveso accident?

How many people died in the Seveso dioxin cloud?

None of the 20,000 people who lived in Seveso died, but the poison killed 3,000 farm animals and pets. Another 70,000 animals had to be killed to stop the dioxin from getting into the food chain.

Where was the ICMESA chemical company located?

Icmesa chemical company, Seveso, Italy. 10th July 1976 Accident summary on the Icmesa chemical company, Seveso, Italy. 10th July 1976 Skip to content Health and Safety Executive Home News Guidance About HSE Books Free updates Contact HSE Guidance Topics COMAH COMAH – Guidance Technical aspects Case studies

What happened at the Seveso chemical company?

Investigation reports Icmesa chemical company, Seveso, Italy. 10th July 1976 Accident summary At approximately 12:37 on Saturday 10th July 1976 a bursting disc on a chemical reactor ruptured. Maintenance staff heard a whistling sound and a cloud of vapour was seen to issue from a vent on the roof.

What is the Seveso II Directive?

The EU industrial safety regulations are known as the Seveso II Directive. This accident was ranked eighth in a list of the worst man-made environmental disasters by Time magazine in 2010. The Seveso disaster was named after Seveso, the community most affected, with a population of 17,000 in 1976.

What does ICMESA stand for?

The industrial plant, located in Meda, was owned by the company Industrie Chimiche Meda Società Azionaria (Meda Chemical Industries S.A.; ICMESA), a subsidiary of Givaudan, which in turn was a subsidiary of Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche Group).