Firefighters continue to combat toxic gas leaks in Manaus The company Innova was fined again by the City of Manaus, this Friday (17), due to the leak of styrene monomer gas. The new fine, worth more than R$5.3 million, was applied after the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability (Semmas) identified, with the help of drones equipped with thermal cameras, cracks in part of the tank and confirmed that the leak was continuing. As a result, the total value of fines imposed on the company reaches almost R$10 million. 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 new fine was applied after monitoring carried out by the Semmas inspection team. This time, the company was fined at 35 thousand Municipal Tax Units (UFMs), the equivalent of R$5,347,300, for soil and water body pollution. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp On Thursday (16), the city hall had already imposed another fine on the company, of 30 thousand UFMs, equivalent to R$ 4,554,300, for air pollution caused by gas emissions. Added together, the two fines amount to R$9,901,600. The funds collected from the fines will be allocated to the Municipal Fund for Development and the Environment (FMDMA), responsible for financing the municipality's environmental policy actions. According to Semmas' Inspection Director, Cezar Lopes, the teams continue to monitor the incident. "We are carrying out monitoring by the Semmas Inspection team, using two high-precision drones, in addition to a technical team made up of chemists and other professionals needed in this incident", he highlighted. g1 contacted Innova, but did not receive a response until the last update of this report. Thermal drone identified a crack in a tank used to store toxic gas at a factory in Amazonas. Disclosure/City Hall of Manaus Firefighters continue working at the site More than 48 hours after the leak began, teams from the Amazonas Military Fire Department (CBMAM) continue to work on cooling the tanks this Friday. According to the State Department of Health of Amazonas (SES-AM), 211 patients were treated in the state network until 3:30 pm this Friday. The main symptoms reported were shortness of breath, nausea, headache, dizziness and fainting. Of the total number of patients treated, only one remains hospitalized, in the ICU, but in recovery and with a low risk of death, according to SES-AM. The agency also recorded the death of a 67-year-old man who sought care after reporting discomfort caused by the effects of the leak. However, the department reported that the patient had a history of chronic respiratory disease and that no direct relationship was found between the death and the incident. The incident The incident occurred in one of Innova company'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. This Friday, there is still the release of vapors from the chemical product, but at a lower intensity than that recorded at the beginning of the incident. According to the Fire Department, around 80% of the material that still comes out of the tank is made up of water particles, while the concentration of styrene is significantly lower compared to the time of the leak. 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 leads to a spontaneous reaction inside the tank. Once the styrene molecule breaks, a chain reaction occurs that overheats the product", he explained. According to the commander, if the safety valves were not activated, the reaction could cause an explosion or fire. "In the specific case of Innova, the tank's safety valves were released. This was what caused the leak observed in vertical jets, because the product was subjected to high pressure inside the reservoir", he stated. 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. According to the company, around 80% of the material released this Friday is water vapor, generated