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ATSDR Priority I Substances Frequencies

    Historical Document

    This document is provided by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ONLY as an historical reference for the public health community. It is no longer being maintained and the data it contains may no longer be current and/or accurate.

    CDC instituted a Chemical Terrorism Preparedness Workgroup and charged it with identifying and setting priorities for chemicals that might be of concern in terrorism incidents. This workgroup was composed of staff from ATSDR, the National Center for Environmental Health, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Working together, these agencies identified approximately 500 chemicals to place on an evolving Chemical Terrorism Listing. ATSDR was further charged with setting priorities for these 500 chemicals on the basis of availability (production and import volumes), explosivity range in air, toxicity (lethal concentration 50 percent, or L[C.sub.50]), and prior use as weapons (explosives and petroleum products). The criteria are listed in order of importance--that is, availability received the most weight. The highest-ranked group (Priority I) contains 64 chemicals. HSEES, as part of its preparedness efforts, will run frequencies of these 64 Priority I substances and report them to COTPER (Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Response) for each of their three reporting periods and place these frequencies on the HSEES website.

    Table 1. Events Jan. 2008 – April 2008

    Priority I Chemical Name CAS No. Event No. of victims No. of persons evacuated
    No. %
    Acetic Acid 64-19-7 6 0.96 3 9
    Acetone 67-64-1 18 2.88 0 31
    Acetylene 74-86-2 9 1.44 2 60
    Acrolein 107-02-8 2 0.32 0 0
    Acrylonitrile 107-13-1 6 0.96 0 0
    Ammonia 7664-41-7 140 22.40 56 418
    Ammonium Nitrate 6484-52-2 5 0.80 1 1
    Arsenic 7740-38-2 1 0.16 0 0
    Arsenic Trioxide 1327-53-3 0 -- -- --
    Benzene  71-43-2 64 10.24 0 0
    Bromine  7726-95-6 1 0.16 3 0
    Chlorine  7782-50-5 47 7.52 104 140
    Cyclonite   121-82-4 0 -- -- --
    Epichlorohydrin  106-89-8 1 0.16 0 0
    Ethylbenzene 100-41-4 6 0.96 0 0
    Ethylene  74-85-1 55 8.80 0 0
    Ethylene Oxide  75-21-8 12 1.92 1 5
    Formaldehyde 50-00-0 9 1.44 2 30
    Hydrochloric Acid  7647-01-0 75 12.00 16 495
    Hydrofluoric Acid  7664-39-3 12 1.92 3 0
    Hydrogen Cyanide 74-90-8 1 0.16 0 0
    Methane   74-82-8 4 0.64 0 0
    Nitric Acid  7697-37-2 9 1.44 1 0
    Phosgene 75-44-5 1 0.16 0 0
    Phosphorus 7723-14-0 7 1.12 1 17
    Picric Acid  88-89-1 1 0.16 0 40
    Potassium Cyanide 151-50-8 3 0.48 11 2
    Propylene     115-07-1 15 2.40 0 0
    Sulfuric Acid    7664-93-9 52 8.32 8 6
    Urea    57-13-6 4 0.64 1 0
    Urea Ammonium Nitrate 15978-77-5 5 0.80    
    Vinyl Acetate   108-05-4 0 -- -- --
    Vinyl Chloride   75-01-4 54 8.64 0 0
      Total 625 100 212 1,254

    Table 2. Events Jan. 2008 – April 2008

    Total no. of victims

    212

    Victim Category Employee, unknown type

    37

    General public

    37

      Career firefighter

    9

      Police officer

    2

      Employee, response team

    1

      Student

    69

      Unknown

    57

       

     

    Injury severity and disposition Treated on scene (first aid)

    3

    Treated at hospital (not admitted)

    84

    Treated at hospital (admitted)

    53

    Seen by private physician within 24 hours

    7

    Death on scene/or arrival at hospital

    3

    Unknown

    62

       

     

    Injury type Trauma

    14

    Respiratory system problems

    90

    Eye irritation

    12

    Gastrointestinal

    17

    Burns

    17

    Other

    3

    Skin irritation

    18

    Dizziness/CNS

    6

    Heart problem

    1

    Shortness of breath

    2


    Table 3. Events Mar. 2007 – June. 2007

    Priority I
    Chemical Name

    CAS No.

    Event

    No. of  victims

    No. of persons evacuated

    No.

    %

    Acetic Acid

    64-19-7

    4

    0.61

    2

    0

    Acetone

    67-64-1

    22

    3.37

    16

    24

    Acetone Cyanohydrin

    75-86-5

    1

    0.15

    0

    0

    Acetylene

    74-86-2

    13

    1.99

    4

    150

    Acrolein

    107-02-8

    2

    0.31

    0

    0

    Acrylonitrile

    107-13-1

    8

    1.23

    0

    0

    Ammonia

    7664-41-7

    171

    26.23

    36

    1101

    Ammonium Nitrate

    6484-52-2

    6

    0.92

    1

    0

    Arsenic

    7740-38-2

    1

    0.15

    0

    0

    Benzene

    71-43-2

    57

    8.74

    0

    0

    Carbon Disulfide

    75-15-0

    1

    0.15

    0

    0

    Chlorine

    7782-50-5

    52

    7.98

    100

    854

    Epichlorohydrin

    106-89-8

    1

    0.15

    1

    0

    Ethylbenzene

    100-41-4

    2

    0.31

    0

    0

    Ethylene

    74-85-1

    25

    3.83

    0

    0

    Ethylene Oxide

    75-21-8

    7

    1.07

    0

    0

    Formaldehyde

    50-00-0

    6

    0.92

    1

    0

    Hydrazine

    302-01-2

    5

    0.77

    3

    0

    Hydrochloric Acid

    7647-01-0

    61

    9.36

    8

    175

    Hydrofluoric Acid

    7664-39-3

    13

    1.99

    0

    0

    Hydrogen Cyanide

    74-90-8

    4

    0.61

    0

    0

    Methane

    74-82-8

    1

    0.15

    0

    0

    Nitric Acid

    7697-37-2

    6

    0.92

    8

    250

    Phosgene

    75-44-5

    1

    0.15

    2

    0

    Phosphorus

    7723-14-0

    3

    0.46

    1

    0

    Picric Acid

    88-89-1

    2

    0.31

    0

    0

    Potassium Cyanide

    151-50-8

    1

    0.15

    0

    0

    Propylene

    115-07-1

    17

    2.61

    0

    0

    Sulfuric Acid

    7664-93-9

    82

    12.58

    24

    24

    Uranium

    7440-61-1

    1

    0.15

    0

    0

    Urea

    57-13-6

    6

    0.92

    0

    0

    Urea Ammonium Nitrate

    15978-77-5

    12

    1.84

    0

    0

    Vinyl Acetate

    108-05-4

    2

    0.31

    0

    0

    Vinyl Chloride

    75-01-4

    56

    8.59

    0

    0

     

    Total

    652

    100

    207

    2578



    Table 4. Events Mar. 2007 – Jun. 2007

    Total no. of victims

    162

    Victim Category

    Employee, unknown type

    65

    Responder, unknown type

    1

    General public

    81

    Career firefighter

    1

    Volunteer Firefighter

    5

    Police officer

    5

    Student

    4

     

     

     

    Injury severity and disposition

    Treated on scene (first aid)

    22

    Treated at hospital (not admitted)

    86

    Treated at hospital (admitted)

    16

    Observation at hospital, no treatment

    27

    Seen by private physician within 24-hours

    4

    injury reported by official

    2

     

     

     

    Injury type

    Trauma

    8

    Respiratory system problems

    107

    Eye irritation

    23

    Gastrointestinal

    38

    Burns

    13

    Other

    1

    Skin irritation

    12

    Dizziness/CNS

    8

    Headache

    20

    Shortness of breath

    18



    Table 5. Events Oct. 2006 – Feb. 2007

    Priority I
    Chemical Name

    CAS No.

    Releases

    No. of victims

    No. of persons evacuated

    No.

    %

    Acetaldehyde 75-07-0

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Acetic Acid

    64-19-7

    3

    0.43

    0

    0

    Acetone

    67-64-1

    23

    3.32

    0

    21

    Acetylene

    74-86-2

    9

    1.30

    0

    0

    Acrolein

    107-02-8

    4

    0.58

    0

    0

    Acrylonitrile

    107-13-1

    2

    0.29

    0

    0

    Ammonia

    7664-41-7

    157

    22.66

    70

    517

    Ammonium Nitrate

    6484-52-2

    2

    0.29

    0

    5

    Arsenic

    7740-38-2

    2

    0.29

    0

    3

    Arsenic Trioxide

    1327-53-3

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Benzene 

    71-43-2

    75

    10.82

    1

    16

    Bromine 

    7726-95-6

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Chlorine 

    7782-50-5

    53

    7.65

    127

    195

    Cyclonite  

    121-82-4

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Epichlorohydrin 

    106-89-8

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Ethylbenzene

    100-41-4

    5

    0.72

    0

    0

    Ethylene 

    74-85-1

    31

    4.47

    0

    0

    Ethylene Oxide 

    75-21-8

    15

    2.16

    0

    0

    Formaldehyde

    50-00-0

    11

    1.59

    1

    16

    Hydrazine

    302-01-2

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Hydrochloric Acid 

    7647-01-0

    70

    10.10

    7

    7

    Hydrofluoric Acid 

    7664-39-3

    18

    2.60

    1

    0

    Hydrogen Cyanide

    74-90-8

    2

    0.29

    0

    0

    Jet Fuel

     

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Methane  

    74-82-8

    5

    0.72

    0

    0

    Nitric Acid 

    7697-37-2

    11

    1.59

    3

    202

    Phosphorus

    7723-14-0

    16

    2.31

    0

    8

    Picric Acid 

    88-89-1

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Potassium Cyanide

    151-50-8

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Propylene    

    115-07-1

    37

    5.34

    0

    0

    Sodium Cyanide

    143-33-9

    2

    0.29

    0

    0

    Sulfuric Acid   

    7664-93-9

    71

    10.25

    16

    235

    Urea   

    57-13-6

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Urea Ammonium Nitrate

    15978-77-5

    1

    0.14

    0

    0

    Vinyl Acetate  

    108-05-4

    8

    1.15

    0

    0

    Vinyl Chloride  

    75-01-4

    52

    7.50

    0

    0

     

    Total

    693*

    100

    225**

    1,200***

    *693 Priority 1 chemical releases occurred in 643 events
    **Victims could be associated with more than 1 chemical above
    ***Persons evacuated could be associated with more than 1 chemical above



    Table 6. Events Oct. 2006 – Feb. 2007

    Total no. of victims

    225

    Victim
    Category

    Employee, unspecified

    71

    Responder, unspecified

    3

    General public

    100

    Volunteer Firefighter

    2

    Firefighter, unspecified

    1

    Police Officer

    7

    Student

    2

     

     

     

    Injury severity and disposition

    Treated on scene (first aid)

    97

    Treated at hospital (not admitted)

    59

    Treated at hospital (admitted)

    12

    Observed at hospital (no treatment)

    3

    Seen by private physician within 24 hours

    7

    Injury reported by official

    2

     

     

     

    Injury type

    Trauma

    6

    Respiratory system problems

    153

    Eye irritation

    99

    Burns

    20

    Other

    27

    Skin irritation

    18

    Shortness of breath

    12

    Gastrointestinal

    2

    Dizziness

    2

    Headache

    1