Northeastern Ohio has recently experienced its fourth major industrial disaster of 2023. On Wednesday, March 1, a metal fabricator plant in Cleveland, Ohio, caught fire, resulting in multiple explosions.
Over 50 firefighters and hazmat, experts were dispatched to the scene. AJ Rose manufactures precision products for the automotive, truck, and agricultural industries.
The fire ignited nitrogen and propane, releasing fine particulate matter and unknown byproducts into the surrounding air.
According to Cleveland.com: “More than 50 Cleveland firefighters responded Wednesday morning to a large blaze with multiple explosions in a warehouse in the city’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Lieutenant Mike Norman said crews were dispatched to a fire at the AJ Rose Manufacturing Co. in the 3100 block of West 38th Street at 9:05 a.m. According to Norman, firefighters finished extinguishing the flames at 10 a.m., as “smoke continued to billow out of the shattered windows.”
Lieutenant Norman said officials did not know how the fire started, “but there were several explosions as we responded.” The fire quickly spread to the facility’s nitrogen tanks (used in the tooling process) and propane tanks (used for the forklifts). “It’s definitely a concern for us,” Norman said. “Every run we go on we learn something. We are constantly doing our inspections.”
At least twenty employees were in the warehouse when the fire took off, and several received minor injuries. No one sought treatment. In a statement, the company said: “We are very grateful that no one was hurt in this incident. The safety of everyone in our facility is always a top priority.”
Cleveland’s explosions are not unusual. Explosions occurred on February 18 at a Cleveland-Cliffs boiler in Warren, Ohio. A fire and explosion were reported at I. Schumann & Co, a manufacturing company in Oakwood, Ohio, on February 20. Then there was the infamous “controlled burn” of vinyl chloride in East Palestine, Ohio, following a major train derailment. It appears that Northeastern Ohio is under attack.
On August 4, 2020, an ammonium nitrate explosion occurred at Beirut’s main port. Concerning levels of nitrogen oxides were released into the surrounding atmosphere as a result of the explosion. In the aftermath, researchers used Sentinel-5P nitrous dioxide data to map the levels of nitrous dioxide in the atmosphere above Beirut and the surrounding area. They also measured fine particulate matter levels in the air directly above the ground. Nitrous dioxide levels remained well above the safe level for seven days after the blast.
There was a slight increase in daily average atmospheric pressure due to the decomposition of ammonia nitrate. Nitrous oxide levels are rising, which is dangerous because high levels can cause eye and skin irritation/burns, respiratory problems, coughing and choking, headache, nausea, and abdominal pain. Long-term exposure to high levels of nitrous dioxide has been linked to cancer, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction (MI), and all-cause mortality.
There have been no reports on the level of nitrous oxides in the area of the nitrogen explosions at AJ Rose in Cleveland. While acute exposure to propane is not always fatal (aside from asphyxiation), there are precautions to take to avoid neurological effects. In these situations, it is critical to monitor the air quality. In East Palestine, Ohio, for example, scientists continue to detect “higher than normal” levels of nine toxins, including butyl acrylate, benzene residue, glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene.
