Less than two months after a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio and caused a chemical spill, Philadelphia residents faced the same fears after a ruptured pipe sent chemicals into the Delaware River. 

On March 24, 2023, a pipe ruptured at Trinseo PLC because of equipment failure, sending approximately 8,100 gallons of acrylic polymer solution into waters near northern Philadelphia. Some of the chemicals included in this solution were butyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate.

Initially, city officials told residents of Philadelphia that they had a few days to prepare before the city’s water was possibly contaminated. As of March 28, 2023, however, there was no longer a warning in place, though officials did note that they would continue to closely monitor the situation.

Despite statements that there was never a heightened danger from the chemicals that leaked into the water systems, an ABC 6 (Philadelphia, PA) article reported that there have been 26 other instances of chemical releases in this same location since 1990. The amount of the chemical found varies depending on the exact facts of the spill, which determines the level of caution that should be exercised by city officials and citizens.

Further, across the nation, there have been 430 reports of ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, or methacrylate spills since 1990. The release of these chemicals, therefore, is not contained to one region, but could occur anywhere the substances are actively used, including here in Alabama. 

Butyl and Ethyl acrylate are generally used in items such as coatings for paint or household items, plastics, polymers, textiles, and leather. Due to the broad range of uses, these chemicals are in many manufacturing plants around the nation and the world.

According to the Center for Disease Control, both butyl and ethyl acrylate are colorless substances, though butyl acrylate has a fruity odor while ethyl acrylate has an acrid odor. Both chemicals have also been reported to cause irritation to eyes, skin, and the respiratory system if exposure occurs. Additionally, people are warned to seek medical attention if the substance is swallowed.

This chemical release may have occurred almost 900 miles away, but as was shown, this is not a rare event, and could happen anywhere there is a manufacturing plant near a body of water. If you hear about a chemical spill that has possibly impacted your water supply or are informed of such, and you believe to have been injured because of this, contact the attorneys at Snable Stevenson & Silva for a free consultation.