Methyl Mercaptan - On Sat. 4 workers from DuPont industrial plant in Houston, Texas got killed after a leak of a chemical gas, called methyl mercaptan.
The methyl mercaptan was used at the plant to create products, such as: insecticides and fungicides, which are crop-protection, ABC News noted.
The leak of the chemical gas started at 4 a.m. on Saturday and the workers were able to control it at 6 a.m. During that time, four workers were exposed directly and died due to it.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR), the methyl mercaptan is a colorless gas with an intense smell that resembles a rotten cabbage.
It is a natural substance that can be found in blood, brain and other tissues of people and animals. It gets released from animal feces. In nuts and cheese, it occurs naturally as in other foods as well.
In addition, it's present in the natural gas of certain regions in USA and it's manufactured for industries, such as plastics, pesticides and jet fuel additive.
On Saturday, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which investigates chemical accidents, sent a team of seven people to investigate the leak and find its cause.
Apparently, the leak presents no further danger for people living nearby the plant, but the emergency management coordinator for La Porte did reveal that the odor was strong and would continue being for a while. He described it as "rotten eggs," rather than rotten cabbage.
Two of the four workers killed by the methyl mercaptan leak were brothers. Robert and Gilbert Tisnado worked at DuPont together for six years.
When the methyl mercaptan started leaking, Gilbert grabbed a gas mask and tried to save his brother. Sadly, they both died in the end.
"There are no words to fully express the loss we feel or the concern and sympathy we extend to the families of the employees and their co-workers. We are in close touch with them and providing them every measure of support and assistance at this time," said Randall Clement, plant manager, USA Today noted.
