Comments on: Health Alert Issued Following McDavid Train Derailment

By: Charles Z. Cole

Charles Z. Cole — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 18:27:17 +0000

Looking at the label on the actual Phosphoric Acid container- “Fire Hazard “0″ Will Not Burn”.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 04:06:30 +0000

When discussing phosphoric acid,
why reference phosphorus acid?

different animals

By: Truth

Truth — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 21:26:59 +0000

We should look at this chemical site http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/14846 under the Hazards section under Fire Hazards and Reactivity Profile also in the Response section under Firefighting and also Non-Fire Response or could go to the MSDS hazard sheet http://avogardo.chem.iastate.edu/msds/h3po4.htm and look under Fire Fighting Measures also.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 11:45:17 +0000

“smoke and fumes from burning phosphoric acid are highly toxic. ”

Autoignition Temperature: Not applicable.
Flash Point: Not applicable.

As in, it doesn’t burn

And while it does react with some finley ground metal, so do many things. It is not especially reactive

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 11:34:49 +0000

CONSIDERING:
“In fact an article in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition talks about the link between phosphoric acid in soda, and low bone density. The study suggests that consuming phosphoric acid in soda is believed to decrease bone density/osteoporosis because the excess phosphorous throws off the bodies ability to absorb calcium properly ”

Yep, and other studies suggest lower bone density is related to the fact that people drinking sodas aren’t drinking milk. For certain, it showed only a tendency toward a lowering of bone density if drinking more than two sodas per day over a long period of time, rather than take a drink and bones instantly break.

David for chocolate milk

By: Allison Huskey

Allison Huskey — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 08:41:07 +0000

Thank you William for the information. Some of the other posters may not agree with my questions and that is okay with me because we are all entitled to an opinion. I believe I would be a fool to believe, without question, every word out of Corporate America after all the lies we have been told in the past. Lies told to protect their money and allow their greed to continue. I am fed up – water is kinda just as important as air to humans – and thank God that during the derailment there was no fire or we would be having a much different conversation (phosphoric acid readily reacts with metals to produce highly flammable hydrogen gas) and smoke and fumes from burning phosphoric acid are highly toxic. As for phosphoric acid being in soda – maybe we should question why it is in soda after reading the MSDS hazard sheet on phosphoric acid. In fact an article in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition talks about the link between phosphoric acid in soda, and low bone density. The study suggests that consuming phosphoric acid in soda is believed to decrease bone density/osteoporosis because the excess phosphorous throws off the bodies ability to absorb calcium properly ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/4/936.full

By: Simma Down

Simma Down — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 12:45:30 +0000

ok ok ok, relax. its seeping out not flowing. its in muck and mire in the creek. its a small small leak. the muck and mire are basically a natural filter. the amount of phosphoric acid seeping into the water may kill some fish. may. the deer drinking the water will most likely not notice or go near the site due to the activity of rebuilding the bridge/trestle. good info put out about phosphoric acid. it sin soft drinks, flip the can around and read the ingredient list. its all about concentrations. parts per million, per million! the train was only moving about 40 in a 45 due to weather. it will never reach the aquifer. it would scare you to death to know the type and amount of hazardous materials moving thru escambia county via road, rail and river. the millions of gallons and tons of product that roll thru here and this is a one in a million accident. look around you, and the things you see and enjoy, eat, use and whater else, guess what yep, they are made from the chemicals that run thru the county. stop the hysteria and educate yourself.

By: William

William — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 06:11:02 +0000

Allison Huskey — you’ll find answers to most of your questions in a special report we have planned on NorthEscambia.com. It will likely run on Monday morning.

By: Allison Huskey

Allison Huskey — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 05:58:31 +0000

These are the things I would like to know… What was in the other train cars that derailed, any other hazardous things? When do they expect the problem to be fixed? Are they going to let the cars completely empty of the phosphoric acid before they pull them out? How much chemical has leaked into the creek? Are they moving in equipment right now, to pull the cars with the posphoric acid out of the creek right now – how much of a proirity is it? Shouldn’t their be a town hall meeting about this issue – people are concerned, and they have questions that deserve answers.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 02:40:33 +0000

LC50 Lethal to 50% of test fish exposed at the concentration and for the duration

138 mg/ liter 96 hrs Exposure of 96 hours, 4 days kills half the test fish if the concentration is 138 thousandths of a gram per liter which is 138 grams per cubic meter, a little more than a cubic yard
The stuff is put in food and is comparable to the citric acid in an orange, unlikely a small leak would affect much of anything, unlikey even a total rupture would do all that much damage.

Yes, acids react with limestone and such, for example vinegar causes bubbles when poured on marble as the acid in vinegar is neutralized. When neutralized, they no longer react.

David for inorganic chemistry