A week after Pfizer reported spilling 1,057 gallons of a potentially carcinogenic chemical into the water system for Kalamazoo, Michigan, local authorities said the affected area is now safe to access.
The chemical spill took place at about 4:30 p.m. on March 12, according to Pfizer. The pharmaceutical company told the Kalamazoo County government that it had released an estimated 1,057 gallons of methylene chloride within the process area of its Kalamazoo facility, the company’s largest manufacturing site.
The leak prompted the county to issue a no-contact advisory the following day as a precautionary measure, warning that all residents should stay away from the affected stretch of the Kalamazoo River while investigators examined water samples.
“An unknown amount of the colorless liquid was discharged into a dedicated sanitary sewer serving Pfizer, which then flows to the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant for treatment,” the county said in its initial announcement, noting that the wastewater treatment plant is designed and permitted to handle up to 291 gallons of methylene chloride each day.
In an update on March 19, the county announced the lifting of the no-contact advisory, saying that water sampling indicates no risk to public health.
According to the county, samples from the dedicated sanitary sewer serving Pfizer, the water entering the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant, and the Kalamazoo River suggested that over 94 percent of the spill was contained.
“Sampling results revealed that 50-to-60 gallons of methylene chloride entered the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant over the several-day-period following an unintentional release on Pfizer’s facility,” said James Baker, director of public services for the City of Kalamazoo. “That’s well within our treatment capacity of 291 gallons a day.”
Kalamazoo County Health Officer Jim Rutherford said the situation “could have been drastically different if not for the swift action and coordination between all involved.”
While sampling results showed no risk to public health along the stretch of Kalamazoo River associated with the chemical release, the county advised residents to use caution when they eat fish from the river.
Pfizer’s 1,300-acre western Michigan plant produces 1,200 metric tons of pharmaceutical ingredients each year. The company said it didn’t expect the leak would pose any public health threat.
“Given the amount of the discharge and controls in place, we do not anticipate any health risks,” the company said.
What is Methylene Chloride?
Methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane or DCM, is a volatile, colorless liquid with a chloroform-like odor. It is used as a solvent in a variety of products, including metal cleaners, paint strippers, lubricants, and drugs.According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, methylene chloride can harm the eyes, skin, liver, and heart.
“Exposure can cause drowsiness, dizziness, numbness and tingling limbs, and nausea. It may cause cancer,” the agency said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which regulates and enforces safety and health standards in workplaces, considers methylene chloride to be a potential occupational carcinogen.
Methylene chloride toxicity itself could be lethal, according to OSHA, especially for those working with a high concentration of the chemical in a poorly ventilated space.
In one example of lethal exposure, OSHA cited a case of a temporary worker who died while removing the coating from a bathtub in a residential building. The worker was using paint remover containing 85 to 90 percent of methylene chloride while working alone in a small bathroom, where the only ventilation was a partially open window. He was found unconscious two hours later and died after being taken to the hospital.
“Nationwide, 17 workers died between 2000 and 2015 while using methylene chloride paint stripping products to refinish bathtubs,” the federal agency said.
