KUALA LUMPUR: THE toxic fumes that engulfed several areas in Pasir Gudang contain acrylonitrile, a chemical compound which metabolises into cyanide inside the human body.
Universiti Kebangsaan Ma-laysia Science and Technology Faculty (chemistry) senior lecturer Dr Darfizzi Derawi said this was consistent with the symptoms suffered by the schoolchildren exposed to the toxic fumes.
“Upon absorption into the bloodstream, acrylonitrile metabolises into cyanide, a gas commonly known as a silent killer. So those who are exposed to the toxic fumes will experience symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
“The massive illegal dumping of waste caused uncontrollable pollution, which emitted toxic fumes and this was made worse by extreme heat.
“The waste contain properties which are mostly carcinogens and are harmful to humans. Long-term exposure to the toxic fumes can cause cancer,” he told the New Straits Times.
He said the hot weather was one of the factors that sped up the vaporisation of toxic fumes, which then spread to nearby schools.
“Since we are experiencing hot weather, the waste found in Sungai Kim Kim vapourised at a faster rate. This enabled it to spread easily.
“School areas are exposed to air-borne pollutants as they are open and this was proven from the recent incidents.”
Dr Darfizzi advised people in the area to stay indoors and limit outdoor activities, especially babies and young children.
He added that people should wear the R95 face masks when dealing with organic matter or oil-based substances.
The Johor government is waiting for a toxicology report from the Chemistry Department to see if there were traces of cyanide in the chemical waste dumped in Sungai Kim Kim.
State Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said he did not wish to speculate until the results were out.
Earlier, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad responded to a tweet asking why the government failed to issue an evacuation order considering the danger posed by the toxic fumes, but imposed a 3m distance for non-smoking areas.
He replied that volatile organic components such as benzene and toluene found in the Pasir Gudang sample were also found in cigarette smoke.
However, he said, only 5 ppm (parts per million) of hydrogen cyanide was present in the air readings of Pasir Gudang, compared with 46 ppm in every puff.