Chemist says health risks to humans likely low in Fredericton chemical spill
CBC
A chemistry professor says a chemical spill on the Vanier Highway in Fredericton appears to involve low concentrations of chromium, so affected people should focus on taking precautions and not panicking.
Late Friday, the province announced that the spill contained chromium and people should avoid touching it, or washing vehicles coated in the yellow liquid.
Roxana Suehring, an associate professor of environmental analytical chemistry at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the risk level depends on the chemical people come into contact with.
She said chromium is often used in metal treatments such as painting cars or making raw materials.
"It's really bad for your blood, it's bad for your liver, it's bad for your kidneys," said Suehring. "It sounds like it's trace amounts and spread over [a] really long distance, so the concentrations are probably very low.
"I don't want to have people panic, these [are] low concentrations, but it is something to check also what Public Health ... is saying."
The province has said Fredericton's water supply is not affected by the spill and it is not anticipating local wells to be impacted either.
The cause of the spill remains unclear. While the province has issued press releases about the matter, it has not responded to interview requests or answered questions.
Other chemicals in the spill included sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide, which are types of salt. Suehring said these substances can burn people if they come in contact with it, but they will dissolve in water.
She said the type of contact people had with the chemicals is important.
If people washed it off their car or had it on their shoe, she said there's no need to worry about immediate health impacts or long-term health impacts.
She recommends washing affected areas for about 15 minutes, breathing in fresh air and to seek medical attention if pain or coughing persists. And if someone believes their pet or child ingested the chemicals, Suehring said they should seek medical help.
Suehring is concerned about whether wildlife in the area ingested any chemicals.
She said a proper cleanup involves collecting the substances so they don't spread to the surrounding environment.
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