Task force struggles to contain gas leak in Manaus The superintendent of the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) in Amazonas, Francinete Lima, told g1, this Friday (17), that the company Innova maintained uninterrupted production at the factory in the Industrial District of Manaus, for at least 48 hours after the styrene monomer leak, to empty the storage tank of the substance where the incident occurred. 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. According to the superintendent, the company informed the MTE that production was not completely interrupted because the product stored in the damaged tank needs to be used to speed up the emptying of the structure. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp "Here at the factory, production hasn't completely stopped yet because they need to empty this tank, that's the information they gave us. Production continues so that this product can be used and left as soon as possible. That's why this production hasn't stopped. It is continuing 24 hours using this raw material that is inside this tank", he stated. Asked if the raw material used is the one stored in the damaged tank, Francinete replied: “The tank that is damaged is being used.” On Friday night, Innova was partially closed after drones equipped with thermal cameras identified cracks in the tank from which styrene monomer was leaking and confirmed that the gas was still leaking. g1 questioned Innova's advisors about the information provided by the authority, but as of the time of this report there was no response. The incident The styrene monomer leak was recorded at 5:36 pm on Wednesday, at Innova Unit IV. The strong odor of the chemical was noticed in neighborhoods close to the Industrial District and led to the immediate evacuation of a shopping mall located close to the company. Since the incident, teams from the Amazonas Military Fire Department (CBMAM) have been working to cool the tank to control the temperature and avoid new risks. The main hypothesis investigated by the corporation is a spontaneous reaction inside the structure. As of Friday afternoon (17), the State Department of Health (SES-AM) reported that it had carried out 211 consultations related to the leak. Of the total, 209 patients were discharged, one remains hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a 67-year-old man died after seeking medical attention. According to the ministry, no direct relationship was found between the death and the incident, as the patient had a history of chronic respiratory disease. In a statement, Innova reported that the incident was controlled in accordance with the company's emergency protocols and that all waste generated was stored for appropriate treatment. The company also stated that there was no fire, no leakage of liquid product outside the containment area, nor any record of victims. "The situation was promptly contained in accordance with the emergency procedures established by the Company," the company said. Innova also stated that there is no risk of shortages for customers and that it remains at the disposal of the authorities to provide clarifications. Gas can be considered toxic Styrene monomer, a substance that leaked from a tank at the company Innova, in Manaus, is a toxic chemical product, according to the head of the Chemistry Department at the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), Karime Bentes. The expert also highlighted that, under certain climatic conditions, the gas can react and form harmful compounds that spread over long distances through the air. Karime Bentes explained that styrene monomer is used in the manufacture of plastics, synthetic rubbers and expanded polystyrene (styrofoam). According to her, exposure to the product through inhalation can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, as well as headaches, dizziness and nausea. The expert states that the product is originally liquid, but when it becomes gas, it tends to spread more easily and can reach places far from the leak point. "Styrene is a chemical product that comes in liquid form, but evaporates quickly. When it becomes a gas, it is heavier than oxygen and can spread over great distances," he said. MORE was fined more than R$20 million by Manaus City Hall after technical inspections carried out by the Amazonas Environmental Protection Institute (Ipaam) and by a task force formed by the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability (Semmas), Municipal Institute of Urban Planning (Implurb), Municipal Health Secretariat (Semsa) and Executive Secretariat for Civil Protection and Defense (Sepdec). This Friday (17), the company was fined at 35 thousand Municipal Tax Units (UFMs), the equivalent of R$5,347,300, for soil and water body pollution. The city hall identified, with the help of drones equipped with thermal cameras, cracks in part of the tank and confirmed that the leak was continuing. Hours later, Ipaam reported that Innova was fined R$12.5 million for violating environmental legislation, due to pollution