What Are the Causes of Chemical Spills?

When a chemical spills, polluting bodies of water or land, it can harm the ecosystem of that area including any humans living or working near the spill. If the chemical spill happens in water, it can travel quickly, polluting other waterways and shorelines. Chemical spills can prove to be challenging to clean. The best way to prevent these spills is to understand what causes them.

Equipment Failure

• Equipment failures can result in chemical spills. Containment gear, such as storage tanks, can be constructed poorly or have fallen to disrepair, allowing the chemicals they contain to eat or burst through the walls. Valves on containers or pipes in chemical plants can also break, spilling the chemicals. A mechanical malfunction causes spills such as when a train derails and spills chemicals because it could not slow down on a curve in the tracks.

Nature

• Nature also contributes to chemical spills. A flood in a residential area may cause pool chemicals to mix and create a hazard. A tornado near a chemical plant may decimate the building and expose the chemicals. A violent storm may cause a ship carrying oil to capsize, releasing the oil into the water. Or the boat may strike an iceberg or reef that damages the tanks containing the chemicals. Rain, sleet, snow or fog can cause an automobile accident resulting in a chemical spill. Gravity may cause a shelf storing chemicals to crash down, causing a spill.

Human Error

• Human error results in chemical spills as well. A scientist or chemistry student may drop a beaker in a laboratory creating a small chemical spill, or the driver of a tanker truck may fall asleep at the wheel causing an accident and spill that requires residents nearby to be evacuated. A ship captain may strike another vessel because he wasn't paying attention and damage the chemical containers he is hauling. Flawed safety procedures for handling or transporting the chemical can also result in a chemical spill. Unfortunately, people may cause chemicals to spill on purpose out of anger or for revenge.