Routine is changed in affected area after gas leak at company in the Industrial District Innova, the company where the toxic gas leak occurred in Manaus, was fined R$4.5 million by the city hall after a technical inspection carried out this Thursday (16) by a task force monitoring the incident. During the inspection, it was identified that air pollution levels still remain above the limit considered safe for human exposure. The leak at Innova was recorded at 5:36 pm on Wednesday (15), after the styrene monomer stored in the reservoir showed an abnormal increase in temperature. The substance is used in the manufacture of plastics, synthetic rubbers and expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam). Exposure to the product through inhalation can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, as well as headaches, dizziness and nausea. The inspection was carried out by teams from the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability (Semmas), the Municipal Institute of Urban Planning (Implurb), the Municipal Secretariat of Health (Semsa) and the Executive Secretariat for Civil Protection and Defense (Sepdec), who work in an integrated manner within the city hall's Crisis Office. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp According to the municipal administration, the company was fined 30 thousand Municipal Tax Units (UFMs), the equivalent of R$ 4,554,300. In addition to the fine, the industry will have 20 days to present technical safety reports, a contingency plan, an emergency service plan, information on drainage and treatment capacity. If the requirements are not met, the penalty may be consolidated. g1 questioned Innova about receiving the fine and the requested measures, but until the publication of this report they had not received a response. According to the legal director of Semmas, Henrique Marinheiro, measurements carried out at the site showed that the concentration of the pollutant is still above the tolerable limit, although the leak has reduced. "The teams are still containing the leak, which is already well reduced, but has not yet ended. The advice for the population is to keep the environments ventilated and avoid proximity to the area", he stated. Containment work continues to focus on cooling the styrene tank to stop the leak. The operation is supported by water trucks from Manaus City Hall and the Fire Department. As part of the inspection, the teams also carried out air quality measurements and collected water and soil samples to check for possible environmental contamination. Factory may be closed After stabilizing the area, Implurb will inspect the structure of the industrial unit to check for irregularities related to urban legislation and the Manaus Master Plan. According to the manager of the Implurb City Control Division, Maria Aparecida Fróes, the internal inspection will only be carried out after authorization from the Civil Defense, due to the risks existing at the site. If irregularities are identified, the institute may apply new fines and even order the partial or total closure of the factory, regardless of whether the company has an Occupancy Certificate. Firefighters continue working at the site More than 24 hours after the start of the styrene leak, teams from the Amazonas Military Fire Department (CBMAM) continue working to cool the tanks this Thursday. According to firefighters, there is still a release of chemical vapors, at a lower intensity than that recorded on Wednesday (15), during the process of controlling the temperature of the tanks. According to the State Department of Health of Amazonas (SES-AM), 149 consultations were carried out in the public health network related to the incident until 5pm on Thursday. Of this total, 140 patients were discharged and nine remain hospitalized. Those treated had symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and fainting. There is no information about the health status of hospitalized patients. The incident occurred around 5:20 pm on Wednesday (15), in one of Innova's three styrene monomer tanks. According to the company, the product suffered an abnormal increase in temperature, which caused vapors to be released through the equipment's safety devices. Videos recorded by workers shortly after the leak began and circulating on social media showed the seriousness of the situation. In the images, it is possible to see a dense cloud of white smoke coming out of the tank area and quickly spreading across the company's yard. The intensity of the steam frightened employees at the site and in neighboring factories. See below: Videos show the moment of a styrene monomer leak in Manaus Gas leak in Manaus causes schools, PAC and companies in the Industrial District to suspend activities Manaus goes into a state of alert after a styrene gas leak in the Industrial District, says mayor Gas leak is recorded in a company in the Industrial District in Manaus Isolated area and investigation At a press conference this Thursday, the general commander of the Fire Department, Colonel Muniz, reported that the area isolated after the incident included a radius 300 meters around the tank where the leak occurred. According to him, the company located next to Innova was evacuated and isolation remains maintained. Only teams involved in responding to the incident, such as the Fire Department, Amazonas Military Police (PMAM), Civil Defense and health agencies, still have access to the location. The commander also informed that an investigation will be carried out to determine the causes of the incident. Regarding what caused the product to overheat, Muniz stated that the main hypothesis is a spontaneous reaction inside the tank. "Everything moves towards a spontaneous reaction inside the tank. Once the styrene molecule breaks, a chain reaction occurs that overheats the product", ex